1950s CYMA Executive Automatic 'Bow Tie' 32mm

Here, we have a rare 1950s CYMA Executive "Bow Tie" R485 featuring a 32mm stainless steel case. The case has a very rare and distinctive shape with “Bow tie” lugs that make the watch wear larger than its 32mm dimensions would suggest. A lug-to-lug length of 40mm and a thickness of 10.5mm will ensure a comfortable fit on the wrist. A stepped, smooth bezel holds a domed crystal above a sunburst silver dial. Long bevel-edged baton indexes at 12, 6, and 9 and lines and Tritium pips in between mark the hours. At 3 o’clock, a framed date window. Slender sword hands with  Tritium fill are complemented by a tapered, sweeping second hand. The text is minimalist with a Cyma motif at 12. On the reverse, a screw-down case back, inside an automatic CYMA Cal. R485.2, 27 jewels, 18,000 beats per hour. It comes with a well-suited 18mm suede strap that sits snugly between the “Bow Tie” points.

This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and, therefore, comes with no original CYMA box or paperwork. It comes with a well-suited 18mm suede strap that sits snugly under the “Bow Tie” points. The watch is from Circa. 1950s, and is sold in worn vintage condition, but overall, it is in fair condition with signs of wear around the case. As you can see, the dial, bevel-edged batons, hands and Tritium are all in very good condition. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on one of these rare CYMA Executive 'Bow Tie' watches in 2021, and since selling that one, I had not even seen another, never mind being offered one. So when this example appeared in my inbox, with a crystal covered in scratches and no strap, having been sat in a drawer for years, I jumped at the opportunity. After a good clean, tidy and service with my watchmaker, here it is, an even better example than the one I sold 4 years ago, with a perfect tritium dial and hands and the 'Bow Tie' case being sharp and strong. I would not hesitate to add this fun watch to your collection today, a real oddity amongst the vintage watches of the '50s and '60s!

Reference : 2.2158.6
Movement : Automatic CYMA Cal. R.485.2
Age : Circa. 1950s
Year : Circa. 1950s
Case Size : 32mm
Case Thickness : 10.5mm
Lug to Lug : 40mm
Lugs : 18mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box and Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
The wrist model's wrist size is 7inch

Cyma was founded in 1862 by the brothers Joseph Schwob and Theodore Schwob, in the town of Le Locle, Switzerland. In 1871, Henri Sandoz established Sandoz & Cie in Le Locle. Sandoz moved to Tavannes in 1891, just North of Biel, where he manufactured highly desirable repeaters and chronographs. Sandoz soon saw the potential of Cyma forming a business relationship with the Schwob brothers and Cyma was officially registered in 1903. During the 1940s Britain's Ministry of Defence (MOD) needed watches to be issued to the Army during World War II. Rather than relying on one watch manufacturer, they invited many Swiss brands to build a watch to a tight specification. Out of those submitted, 12 brands were chosen: Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger Le-Coultre, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor, and Vertex. This is where the “Dirty Dozen “ derives from. The watches had engraved into them the W.W.Ws, a code established by the British Army to distinguish these from other military equipment, and it simply stood for Watch. Wrist. Waterproof. Two serial numbers were engraved, one being the manufacturer’s number, and the other (with the letter) being the military store number. A Broad Arrow (pheon) was also put on the watch to indicate British Government Issue property. They were delivered by 1945, which was the closing period of the war, therefore many of these watches never actually saw action. Cyma produced an estimated 20,000 watches. In 1943, Cyma unveiled its first automatic wristwatch, endowed with a 420 calibre featuring a unidirectional rotor. In 1966, the company was bought by the ASUAG Chronos Holding, and production continued under their Synchron group in 1968. Cyma became a sister company to Doxa and Ernest Borel throughout the 1970s. The company is currently owned by Stelux International Ltd, a Hong Kong holding firm that invests in jewellery and watches.