Longines Wittnauer Ref.5172 14ct c1951

Longines

Longines is one of the oldest Swiss watch manufacturers with an unparalleled history of invention, innovation, patents and awards. The company is also responsible for some of the most beautiful watches ever made. Something of a Cinderella among the watch collecting fraternity until recently, Longines is now rightfully returning towards the elevated status it once held in the pre and post-war years when it ranked among the very best among of the Swiss watch manufacturers. It is really only within the past three years that Longines vintage watches have risen again to the admiration and popularity they deserve, with values rising of by around 15 – 20% per year and on certain models, such as the now legendary Longines Calibre.13ZN chronograph, prices have sky-rocketed.

In 1950 the Swiss company Longines bought Wittnauer, and marketed some very similar lines of watches under both brand names, maintaining separate factories.

Description

Here we have a wonderful example of typical Longines Wittnauer elegance and style in the form of a beautiful 14ct Longines Wittnauer gentlemans watch from c1951. Notable highlights of this watch are its beautiful, original, unrestored and untouched off-white dial with original ‘index’ hands, the subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, the wonderful case and its high grade Calibre 73 hand wound movement which is in stunning condition.

The Dial

The original, unrestored and untouched off-white dial is a classic example of Wittnauer style and elegance. Clean, simple,  and very understated. Original, unrestored gilt ‘index’ style hands are matched with mixed ‘3 – 6 – 9 – 12’ numerals and gilt ‘baton’ hour indices. This watch carries some beautiful signs of ageing in the gentle, yet stunning spotting and fading across the dial.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Longines excelled in all aspects of watch design. The company was rightfully held in very high regard for the quality of its movements and close examination of the dial and watch case reveals equal high regard for design, quality, purpose, and perfection. We also think almost all of the Longines classic vintage watch dial designs were a step ahead, in terms of design, elegance and sophistication and here is another excellent example, with everything in perfect proportion and balance. Having no date window means the dial is beautifully well balanced and even the name and the brand look more ‘in place’ than any other, which incidentally is the oldest registered trademark of any watch manufacturer.

This dial is correctly signed with ‘Wittnauer’ at the very top of the dial, along with ‘Swiss’ at the very bottom of the dial below 6.

As this dial is original and unrestored, we have elected to leave this untouched by our restoration team. Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however we decided in this case to leave it alone, due to its unusually good condition and to retain its originality and charm for those who prefer this. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored. The hands, likewise, have also been left in their original condition.

Please note, studio lights, professional-grade digital cameras, and macro lenses can be very unkind to an unrestored vintage watch dial. Also the dial here measures less than 1.25 inches across, so the image you’re seeing may be between 5 – 25 times larger than the watch itself. Therefore please keep in mind you are seeing many tiny flaws which cannot be seen, or will be very hard to see with the naked eye, even under close examination. Suffice to say, on the wrist, in natural light, this dial looks much better and carries a great deal more charm than the photographs portray.

The Movement

This watch contains its original Wittnauer Cal.73, 17 Jewel hand-wound movement which is popularly regarded as one of the best ‘in-house’ automatic movements Wittnauer has ever made.

Following its restoration, overhaul and service, and as seen in the photographs, the movement is now in sparkling condition. This movement has been completely disassembled, cleaned, inspected and rebuilt using only original Longines parts where required. When tested and calibrated, this watch was running to within +9  seconds per day, which is outstanding for a vintage watch of this age, and when fully wound, this movement also has a 42-hour power reserve.

These movements are strong, accurate and very reliable making the watch appropriate for regular everyday use. This particular movement is in top condition and with regular servicing, every 3 to 4 years we would fully expect this watch to run very happily for many more decades to come! We are therefore pleased to offer a 12-month warranty on this watch movement* and servicing in the future, as required.

The movement is signed ‘Wittnauer Watch Co Inc’ with the Calibre No.73, ‘Seventeen 17 Jewels’

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the full list price is paid.

As always, our standard advice applies: Vintage Watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap & Buckle

A high quality black leather strap has been fitted, along with a plain gold-plated buckle. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige, free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin. We can also obtain most types and colours at short notice.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, all the numbers and markings on the watch are correct, dating the watch to c1951.

Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

This watch comes complete with a vintage Longines Wittnauer presentation box as shown in the photographs.

Payment and Delivery

If you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and, unfortunately, out of our control.

We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges; however, attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.

For those who happen to visit London on occasion, we are, of course, more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London, and hand your watch directly to you there.

As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no-quibble sale or return policy.

In Conclusion

Here we have a top of the line vintage Longines Wittnauer watch from one of the most collectable and highly regarded vintage watch brands of its day which will make an excellent financial investment as well as be something to treasure and enjoy! It is completely practical for use as an everyday watch and as long as it is well cared for and serviced every 2-3 years, it will last another lifetime. It carries a great deal more style, individuality and panache than a new watch and to buy the same quality today would cost at least three or four times the price here.

If treated with care this watch will remain a simply wonderful timepiece to use, wear, treasure and enjoy, providing excellent reliability as well as a sound financial investment – as long-lasting as the watch itself. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold watches expands, availability will become more limited, so prices are surely destined to climb ever higher!

A word on our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post-sales care and service. This approach means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are highly successful charging between two to three times the price you see here. We, therefore, consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

Please note, we also welcome part exchanges. If you have a watch or a small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will also be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions please call us on 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.

Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you