Show your oldest wrist watch

[vmaxnl]

I got several old wristwatches, and wondered if someone got also some old watches. Please no pocket watches! Wrist watch only!

I go ahead, my oldest wristwatch is a Gruen from 1942. It still runs great despite the age.

[SeikoSoMatic]

1955-56

[DanS]

I'm not 100% sure this is my oldest, but because I have an extract from the Longines archives, I know it's from October 1942.

[ouroboros]

This old ORIS pointer

[victor]

This dirty old thing is apparently from 1950 (or 60?).  Anyway, it's my oldest, even though it's sitting in a warehouse in Japan and not in hand (yet).

There are also some lovely pieces that are older, sitting in a jewelry box upstairs, but they were my wife's father's and uncle's watches, and they belong to her, not me.

 

[leffemonster]

My maternal grandfather’s long service award watch from the British Aluminium Company given to him in 1962, so probably manufactured in 1960/61.

Smiths Deluxe, 17 jewel 27.CS movement. When my uncle gave it to me a few years ago it was a non-runner with a seriously damaged case lug. I managed to source a replacement case and had it serviced by siralan, long before I was confident enough to tackle a movement myself.

[hlpgtf]

This one is either late 1930's or early 1940's:

[DanS]

Aug 18, 2022 17:55:54 GMT -8 hlpgtf said:

This one is either late 1930's or early 1940's:

That is really a beauty. There may be a date code somewhere.
mybulova.com/bulova-date-codes

[endy]

My 1947 rose gold Bulova Franklin and my 1956ish Pobeda.
The Bulova was a birthday gift and shoved me down the road to the hobby. It needs a new strap and a service, so I'll get to that myself at some point. It still keeps near perfect time though. The Pobeda was an impulse buy. It's erratic at keeping time and doesn't hold power well, so will need a thorough going over.

[tempelkim]

Might be this Majak from the Petrodvorets Watch Factory - early 50s, I guess...

[vmaxnl]

It's not my oldest watch, but it is still old, and cool... A Podeba from 1953.

I got a few Seiko's that were build between 1950-1960, but that is for another time. Or just look in my gallery, most of them are already online.

[dapellegrini]

My oldest don't rival any here.  Both August 1964

[suntzu]

Quick snap of my WW2 collection and one Korean War piece



A couple of dress watches. A 50’s 18k Chronograph Suisse common back then and an early Election Pulsations watch from maybe the 40’s. The gold needs a little clean. Some rainbow toning going on.

[endy]

Those A-11s are lovely.

[longbike]

 Aloha

Have a few older ones but have to find the pictures yet.
Got this from a guy that said it was his grandfathers Old Navy one
 Probably he said maybe ....1940-1950's




Like to know what ....Movement This Is. I serviced it but took some time to do it the first time for it....Wwooosh.
I had to take a whole bunch of pictures doing The Stripping Down and The Servicing.




I had it on this little strap for a while

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This one worn some years now and works good.



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OK Now Below ....... This a very Special and Cherished Watch For Me:
This was ..... The Original EBay Advertisement Add :
This was the actual condition I got it in. All I did was clean it up and service it.
A bout .... 9 years ago .... I paid ....USD $30.00 + 3.00 Shipping form ........ Texas In The U.S.A.
Sure would like to find ........ The Original Box for it.

    Now this one I am especially proud of owning. I got it from a women that said she was cleaning her Grandfathers
old house and she had it on ... The Bay and just wanted to sell it.  She said this watch was we him when Admiral Bird
and they went to Antarctica and he was on that expedition with them So this watch was there in ..... 1955 - 1956
Croton Nivada Grechen Antarctic :



He had it on this Custom GLENN Bracelet when it was stored she said.


The movement in it :  A Beautiful Very Clean and Shiny Rose Gold Color Like This.



 

On My Wrist with the Band that he had because .... The Original Strap Rotted away so he just stored the watch for many years.
I opened it up and it had the .... Original Movement and works great too so I serviced it.


Louis / Long Bike

[endy]

That chronograph looks like it might be using a nice example of a Valjoux 22 movement, which puts it at about the right age for the history of the watch (bear in mind I'm a complete novice, and could be wildly wrong!)

[DanS]

Aug 27, 2022 4:37:47 GMT -8 endy said:

That chronograph looks like it might be using a nice example of a Valjoux 22 movement, which puts it at about the right age for the history of the watch (bear in mind I'm a complete novice, and could be wildly wrong!)

Speaking of longbike 's Jules Jurgensen, from the curved shape of the balance cock, I would say it is a Landeron for sure. Possibly a Landeron 13. As an FYI, a Valjoux 22 is also easy to identify by the balance cock, which has perfectly straight sides, slightly tapered. 

Edit: Here is a drawing of a Landeron 13 so longbike can compare carefully. Great chronograph by the way. I agree 1940s, no shock protection, no lume, fixed lug bars. Very 1940s style.

[endy]

That's a much better fit

[russtmurray]

1966 Sportsmatic. Had it since new...

[jvanboe11]

Aug 19, 2022 9:04:20 GMT -8 vmaxnl said:

It's not my oldest watch, but it is still old, and cool... A Podeba from 1953.

I got a few Seiko's that were build between 1950-1960, but that is for another time. Or just look in my gallery, most of them are already online.