1990s Wittnauer Automatic ETA 2824-2 36mm Gold Plated
Ref: CRR 0475
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-OwnedÂ
Box & Papers : None
Case Material :Â Gold Plated
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and, therefore, comes with no original Wittnauer box or paperwork. It is paired with a well-suited 20mm leather strap and pin buckle. The watch is from Circa 1990s and is sold in worn, vintage condition, with signs of wear and age throughout. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15VxETsrvVIcK_U7E1dikpgI77TvS9xhH?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 26:59 - https://youtu.be/VIM-XjJsjko
The Watch
Here we have a 1990s Wittnauer Automatic ETA 2824-2 36mm Gold Plated with a curvaceous 36mm gold-plated round case that sits comfortably on your wrist with finely tapered lugs, and the slim profile leads to a lug-to-lug length of 42mm and a case thickness of 9.75mm. On the right side, a coin-edged crown sits recessed inside crown guards. The fixed bezel has raised numeral and baton markers and an inverted triangle at 12 o’clock. The original crystal sits above a sunburst gold-toned dial. An outer minute track and applied gold-toned baton indexes with a black stripe mark the hours; at 3 o’clock, a framed date window, slender gold-toned sword hands are tipped with lume and complemented by a tapered sweeping second hand. At 12 o’clock, we have the Wittnauer motif, and at 6 o’clock, “Automatic” in a flowing Italic font completes this striking timepiece. On the reverse, there is a stainless steel screw-down case back, inside an automatic ETA 2824-2, 25 jewels, beating at 28,800 beats per hour, a true workhorse movement with quick-set date and hand winding. It comes paired with a well-suited 20mm leather strap and pin buckle.
Personal Note
With Christmas quickly approaching the gift hunting begins and a watch like this Wittnauer Automatic 36mm Gold Plated would make the perfect gift for the newcomer to watches or the seasoned collector. Powered by the automatic ETA 2824-2 that is visible through the exhibition case back, this is no watch to scoff at. Snap it up and add it to your collection or get it ready for a gift today!
The Brand
In 1872, at just sixteen years old, Albert Wittnauer moved from Switzerland to New York to work for his brother-in-law, Eugene Roberts. Eugene ran a watch-importing business that was focused on high-end pieces such as Vacheron & Constantin and Jaeger LeCoultre. Albert had a vision of creating a watch brand that would suit the American market: his idea was to create an affordable Swiss watch that was still of high quality but at a lower price. In 1880, the first Wittnauer watches were being made. In that same year, F. Eugene Roberts & Co. became the exclusive seller for Longines in America, and this partnership lasted nearly 125 years. 1890, Eugene honoured Albert by naming his new venture "A. Wittnauer Company''. The business was an instant success and attracted watchmakers from around the world to join them, such as Ferdinand Haschka, who became the head watchmaker for Tiffany & Co. and Charles Johns, who created a perpetual calendar chronometer that was shown to the world in the 1939 World's fair. Sadly, by 1916, the brothers had passed away, and the company was left to their sister Martha. She became the first woman CEO of a watch company in America. She had no prior experience but still led the company for 20 years. In 1936, A. Wittnauer was sold to Hella Deltah, who was a pearl manufacturer. Building upon the long partnership and history with Longines, the company was renamed Longines-Wittnauer. In 1994, Longines-Wittnauer was bought by SMH, which later became the Swatch Group. SMH soon took over the distribution of Longines in the US, and the 125-year association with Wittnauer was over. They renamed Wittnauer International Inc. and now focused on building upon the Wittnauer name. Two years later, Composite Resources LLC outbid Movado and Bulova to purchase Wittnauer for $28 million. This was not to last, as in the first year, the company made a loss of $5 million. In just four years, the company had trade debts of over $24 million, it was then that Bulova bought them for $11.6 million. Bulova launched the “Nightlife” range of fashion watches under the Wittnauer brand.