1950s Chronographe Suisse 18ct Gold Landeron 48 36.5mm
Ref: 813545

Name: 1950s Chronographe Suisse 18ct Gold Landeron 48 36.5mm
Brand: Chronographe Suisse
SKU: 813545
Price: 1250.0 GBP
Availability: InStock

Regular price: £1,250.00
Sale price: £1,250.00
Unit price: per

Specification

Reference : 813545

Movement : Manually Wound Landeron Cal. 48

Age : 1951/1960

Specific Age : Circa. 1950s

Case Size : 36.5mm

Case Thickness : 12mm

Lug to Lug : 44.5mm
Lugs : 19mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : 18ct Yellow Gold
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty

The wrist model's wrist size is 7inch

Points of Mention

This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and therefore comes with no original box or paperwork. It comes paired with an 18mm well-suited leather strap. The watch is from Circa. 1950s and is sold in worn, vintage condition, with an even patina, as you can see. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.

For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15gfAmLrkia9ruzuM3N0lOOguef4qZRy9?usp=drive_link

4K YouTube video, skip to 25:40 - https://youtu.be/GjVuaxMAuMg

The Watch

Here we have a distinguished 1950s Chronographe Suisse 18ct Gold Landeron 48 with a round 36.5mm 18ct Gold case that gently curves over your wrist with tapered lugs. Its curvaceous flanks lead to a lug-to-lug length of 44.5mm and a case thickness of 12mm, ensuring a comfortable fit. Down the right side, we have the rectangular pushers and a coin-edged crown in the centre, its stepped smooth bezel holding a domed crystal above a stunning golden hue bicompax dial. An outer Tachymeter scale surrounds a minute track, and a Telemetric scale is precisely executed. Arabic numerals have a sheen to them that plays with the light, marking the hours; at 3 o’clock, a recessed 30-minute register and at 9 o’clock, the running seconds register each with concentric circular patterns. Elegant gold leaf hands are complemented by a teardrop counterweighted chronograph hand; at 12 o’clock, we have the Chronographe Suisse motif and “Antimagnetic” at 6 o’clock completes this amazing vintage bicompax. On the reverse, a snap-off case back hallmarked, inside a manually wound Landeron Cal. 48, 17 jewels, beating at a leisurely 18,000 beats per hour, this two-button cam-switching chronograph was manufactured from 1937 until 1970. It comes paired with a 19mm well-suited leather strap.

Personal Note

If you are after a vintage mechanical chronograph, in a larger size, 18ct gold and affordable, unfortunately, all those checkpoints don't typically go together, but with a 1950s Chronographe Suisse, they do. This lovely example comes in an impressive 18ct gold 36.5mm case and is powered by the manually wound Landeron 48 with squared pushers, the top pusher starting and the bottom pusher stopping and resetting. All this for not much more than £1,000, and this is possible due to the 18ct gold case being less heavy and solid than most cases, but this doesn't take away from the fit and feel on the wrist. I would not hesitate to add this lovely example to your collection today!

The Brand

Chronographe Suisse was once a significant supplier of watch components to many prestigious names in Swiss watchmaking. As the quartz crisis loomed in the late 1970s, threatening the survival of countless watch manufacturers, Chronographe Suisse was known for producing elegant manual-winding timepieces, including this particular model. These watches were crafted for a diverse range of retailers across Switzerland and broader Europe, with some pieces showcasing the retailer’s name delicately printed on the dials, while others remained entirely unbranded, embodying a sense of understated elegance.

From the 1940s through the 1970s, these timepieces were relatively abundant and came in a myriad of casing materials, movement types, and dial designs, reflecting the artistry and craftsmanship of the era. Most models were constructed with gold plating or brushed steel finishes, although a select few were made from solid gold, elevating their status as luxury items. The watches gained immense popularity among tourists visiting Switzerland during the 1950s and 1960s, who sought to bring home a piece of authentic Swiss craftsmanship without breaking the bank.

At its height, Chronographe Suisse boasted a network of over 500 workshops dedicated to producing exquisite timepieces, all utilising parts sourced from their facilities. This contributed to the establishment of a rich heritage in watchmaking, even as the industry faced the impending wave of quartz technology.

1950s Chronographe Suisse 18ct Gold Landeron 48 36.5mm Ref: 813545