Vintage Watches UK

The Dial

This original and unrestored dial is in excellent vintage condition. A charmingly light and even spotting decorates this dials silver surface, an effect that appears on most hand painted vintage watch dials with age and leads to some incredible, unique looking watch dials. Here, the effect is light, and the beauty of the original design can still be greatly appreciated.

The ‘GT’ signature with crossed checkered flags are a real showpiece of the dial, and the black checkered motif carries itself across the rest of the dial furnishings. The applied block hour indices are yellow gilt with a second stepped block inlay rested on top, this time in black, in keeping with the racing motif. The yellow gilt ‘Index’ style hands are another homage to the racing theme, with a singular black stripe through each of them. The hands and hour indices are all in gleaming condition, remaining bright and reflective under direct light, despite the dial being completely original and unrestored, indicating the watch has been extremely well cared for throughout its life. A yellow gilt framed aperture at ‘3’ displays the watches date function which ticks over immediately and sharply when the watch completes a 24-hour cycle.

The dial is signed ‘Rotary’, ‘Automatic’ with ‘GT’ below, and ‘Swiss Made’ either side of ‘6’. All signatures and imagery on the dial is still perfectly clear and untouched. The lens is old and has received some light scuffing over the years. This is barely visible in person, else we wouldn’t have picked up the watch, however they seem to have become overly visible in the photographs. A new lens can be fitted at the buyers expense upon request, provided the watch and new lens have been paid for in full.

The Case

This 9ct London Hallmarked watchcase measures 34mm in diameter, making this a typically sized, if not slightly large, watch case for the period. The lugs are tapered and ever so slightly swept back, allowing the watch to sit slightly raised on the wrist. There are incremental scuffs and scrapes scattered across the watch case, with each being as insignificant as the next. There are many minor scuffs but nothing significantly visible, or most importantly, nothing to indicate any structural damage to the case, lugs, or snap on bezel. Being of two-piece construction, to access the movement one must remove it from the case by removing the bezel with a case knife. This reveals the original dial without the scuffed lens between and I can assure you it is a rare beauty. Once the movement is removed the inscriptions on the inside of the case-back can be seen. Inscribed are the case-makers signature, the case reference number, as well as 9ct London hallmarks, which date this watch to 1966. The case-back is still smooth and of full thickness, indicating it has never been engraved.

The Movement

This watch uses a 21 jewel Swiss-made full rotor date automatic movement, which we have always considered the perfect balance of simplicity and a useful feature-set in an everyday companion. The rotor swings fluidly and has a sleek ‘Geneva wave’ finish, referring to the hand engraved etching on the plate. This effect also appears on other bridge plates in the movement, it was a technique reserved only for the finest watch movements. The movement winds and sets smoothly, with a confident amount of resistance at the fingertips. After spending a few days with the watch, I have personally experienced no timing issues, nor issues with hands catching or the watch stopping unexpectedly. The automatic winding mechanism seems to work perfectly. I wound the watch manually just once, at the beginning of the test, for the following days and nights the rotor kept the watch running with no input or thought from me. The movement is signed with the Rotary badge, ’21 Jewels’. Below the balance wheel is signed ‘AS’ as well as the movements serial number 1748749.

Strap & Buckle

This watch uses a 21 jewel Swiss-made full rotor date automatic movement, which we have always considered the perfect balance of simplicity and a useful feature-set in an everyday companion. The rotor swings fluidly and has a sleek ‘Geneva wave’ finish, referring to the hand engraved etching on the plate. This effect also appears on other bridge plates in the movement, it was a technique reserved only for the finest watch movements. The movement winds and sets smoothly, with a confident amount of resistance at the fingertips. After spending a few days with the watch, I have personally experienced no timing issues, nor issues with hands catching or the watch stopping unexpectedly. The automatic winding mechanism seems to work perfectly. I wound the watch manually just once, at the beginning of the test, for the following days and nights the rotor kept the watch running with no input or thought from me. The movement is signed with the Rotary badge, ’21 Jewels’. Below the balance wheel is signed ‘AS’ as well as the movements serial number 1748749.

Conclusion

I'm a private seller, not a company so unfortunately returns aren't an option, unless of course the watch is broken when it arrives. I may ship 1-2 days after I receive payment, as I work full-time, and may not find time to get the package away immediately.

Feel free to ask any questions.

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