LARGE MOLNIJA AVAITOR MILITARY GENTS WRISTWATCH

SIMILAR MOVEMENT WITH ROLEX CAL. 526 SEE MY BLOG ON ROLEX CORTERBERT

ROLEX CAL. 5513

This gorgeous, men’s watch is a very handsome specimen and features ORIGINAL METAL DIAL With arabic and roman numbers with fluorescent paint (luminous in dark). With original mineral glass and black hands with fluorescent paint (luminous in dark).

Chromoplated case - diameter with crown 50 mm (without crown 45 mm), is in excellent condition.

The ORIGINAL nickel plated manual wind 18 jewels movement caliber 3602. Excellent working, very clean.This beautiful military wristwatch has the original movement in an excellent status which was very well saved, considering age of this watch. Movement has been recently serviced to ensure it winds and sets smoothly while keeping great, accurate time.

This beautiful wristwatch has the movement analogous ROLEX 1930-40's. 3 units available. 2 units sold to Hamizan from Penang and Mohd. Rezal from Gombak

PRICE: RM850.00 (NEGOTIABLE/BOLEH DIRUNDING).

Rare military example of a men’s MILITARY WATCH ca 1959 timepiece. It is a unique and rare AVIATOR'S example of RUSSIAN AIR FORCE - wristwatch. Special edition for USSR MILITARY.

USSR hight quality mechanical wrist watch brand MOLNIJA, type Military. The movement analogous 1940's ROLEX caliber 5513. and Rolex Corterber Cal.526. The watch is produced at the Molnija Military watch factory, where instrument panel clocks for MiG aircraft and submarines are also made. The factory "MOLNIJA" is located in Chelyabinsk in the southern Ural mountains.

History:

"Molnija" CHELYABINSK Watch and Clock Factory

Clock & Watch Factory "Molnija" is one of the biggest and eldest factories in Russia. It is situated in the center of the South Urals in the city of Chelyabinsk. Chelyabinsk is surrounded by numerous lakes and wild forests. For its beautiful nature people call this region "Russian Switzerland". Watch production is another feature that South Urals and Switzerland have in common. Chelyabinsk region is one of the largest regions in the middle of Russia known for its talented masters. If you return back to the history of Russia you'll see that Russian Tzars always invited masters from Urals when they wanted to get unique and beautiful things for their palaces or presents to other countries. This region is also called "Gate between Europe and Asia".

The factory was established on November 17, 1947. At first main products were wristwatches, pocket watches, mechanical table clocks and unique technical clocks for tanks (Panzer), fighter aircraft and submarines ordered and paid by Soviet Union Department of Defense. From the end of 50-s and up to the present time the main product of the factory is mechanical 15 and 18 jewels watches "Molnija". The factory produces mechanical pocket watches "Molnija" and movements caliber 3602/3603. The cases for watches are made of "German silver", polished, plated with chrome, etc., decorated with enamels or hand-made enamel paintings. "Molnija" movement has 18 jewels, steel lever pallet escapement, off-centre small second, free-screw balance, shock resistant balance staff. Eighty percent of work is done by hand. All parts for watches, except jewels and accessories (chains and packaging) are produced by the factory itself. “Molnija” watches are more than watches: they do not just show Time, they tell you exciting stories about people, events, feelings.

This gorgeous, men’s watch is a very handsome specimen and features ORIGINAL METAL DIAL With arabic and roman numbers with fluorescent paint (luminous in dark). With original mineral glass and black hands with fluorescent paint (luminous in dark).

Chromoplated case - diameter with crown 50 mm (without crown 45 mm), is in excellent condition.

The ORIGINAL nickel plated manual wind 18 jewels movement caliber 3602. Excellent working, very clean.This beautiful military wristwatch has the original movement in an excellent status which was very well saved, considering age of this watch. Movement has been recently serviced to ensure it winds and sets smoothly while keeping great, accurate time.

This beautiful wristwatch has the movement analogous ROLEX 1930-40's.

The creation of this outstanding mechanism was clearly inspired by the legendary ROLEX caliber 5513 in 1940's and is highly valued nowadays by the watch collectors and watch enthusiasts. If you are familiar with ROLEX caliber 5513 you will notice some striking similarities, such as: very large screw balance wheel, fine timing regulation mechanism, plates layout, large and powerful mainspring, oversize jeweled stones, etc.

PREVIEW COLLECTOR ITEM ~ RARE LARGE ROLEX CORTEBERT AVIATOR WWII GENTS MILITARY WRISTWATCH

NOT FOR SALE ~ PERSONAL COLLECTION

BRIEF HISTORY OF Cortébert For Rolex watches

Cortébert has a very poorly documented history. The brand name is currently owned by Italian watch manufacturer Perseo, and production under the Cortébert brand name has stopped in the mid-1970s. Cortébert used to be one of the highest regarded premium watch brands, manufacturing their own movements, supplying movements to other brands such as Rolex and introducing the jump-hour arrangement. When the quartz crisi hit the industry in the '70s, the majority of prestige brands ceased production including Cortébert. Others have already been resurrected (Baume et Mercier admits, while most companies like to pretend their production was continuous) and today Cortébert is the only remaining brand that has potential to be restored to its historic status.

AUTHENTIC VINTAGE WEST END SECUNDUR MILITARY TRENCH WATCH

BRAND/JENAMA : LARGE AND BOLD WEST END MILITARY TRENCH WATCH

MODEL : SECUNDUS - TRENCH WATCH

MOVEMENT/ENJIN :SWISS 17 JEWELS MANUAL WINDING

ORIGIN/BUATAN : SWISS
NO. SIRI/SERIAL NO. : 9243997

CIRCA/TAHUN : 1940's

CASING/KEMASAN : SOLID STAINLESS STEEL

MOVEMENT/PERGERAKAN : SWISS 17 JEWELS MANUAL MOVEMENT
DIAL: WHITE PORCELAIN
HANDS: GREEN MERCEDES HANDS
MARKERS: LARGE & BOLD GREEN MILITARY ARABIC

MARKINGS/TANDA JENAMA : DIAL

BAND/TALI : BLACK TEXTILE NATO STYLE BAND
CROWN: ORIGINAL CROWN
LUGS SIZE: 18mm
BAND WIDTH: 18mm

LENS/CERMIN : ACRYLIC - VERY CLEAN

MEASUREMENT/UKURAN : 46mm WITH CROWN X 47mm LUG TO LUG
WATER RESISTANT: -

CONDITION/KONDISI : GOOD, WORKING AND KEEPING TIME
PRICE/HARGA: RM600 (NEGOTIABLE/BOLEH DIRUNDING)

BRIEF HISTORY OF WEST END WRISTWATCHES

West End was a good quality manufacturer that specialized in marketing to the Middle East and South Asia. There are earlier West End watches marked C.S. (I) for Civil Service in India

The West End Watch Company was created in 1886. The West End, a district of the centre of London, inspired its name to Mr. Arnold Charpié who was the Bombay representative of the Alcide Droz & Sons firm, a watch company established at Saint-Imier (Canton of Berne) in Switzerland.

In 1886, MM. Amstutz and Droz, the owner of Alcide Droz & Sons firm, began the exploitation of the trademark West End Watch Company in the Indian Market and developed the first waterproof pocket watch ever produced : "L'Impermeable" (nowadays exposed at the International Watchmaking Museum of La Chaux-de-Fonds).

During the First World War, a large task of British and Indian soldiers was sent from Bombay to the Persian Gulf to reach the Mesopotamia (the current Iraq). They received some West End Watches.

In 1917, West End Watch Company changed its name to Société des Montres West End SA and is registered in Geneva. At the same time the sub-brand Sowar was also registered.

In 1934, the Société des Montres West End SA was the first brand to introduce the Incabloc anti-shock system invented by Mr. Braunschweig.

In 1973, after several years of development, the company was finally sold, for lack of heirs, to his main supplier : "Aubry Brothers Ltd", established in Noirmont ( Jura) to keep open the Bombay West End Watch's office.

Since 2000 the workshops and the head centre of the company have been moved to Leytron , in Wallis. At the same time, the company was taken over by new shareholders and the management changed.

In 2005 West End Watch Company celebrated its 120th anniversary of uninterrupted presence in Asia with the introduction of its "Silk Road concept". This concept came from the fact the Silk Road crossed most of the regions where the brand possessed, and still possesses, counters.

Nowadays, West End Watch Company is active in Saudi Arabia, in the United Arab Emirates, in the Himalaya Range (in particular in Nepal and in Bhutan) and as well as in western half of China.

2010 A first in the Brands history, West End Watches are now exclusively distributed/sold in the USA and Canada by Empire Brands. EB is a distributor of leading products around the globe.

In 2011, West End Watch Company will celebrate its 125 years of uninterrupted activity so a commemorative book redrawing the history of the brand will be published in 2010 in association with the Centre Jurassien d’Archives et de Recherches Economiques.

The model still manufactured today is Sowar. In Hindu, Sowar means "warrior" and this name was selected in honor of Sir Thomas Edward Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) because it's said that him and his soldiers wore some West End Watch Company watches during the war.

RAREST FIND~ LIP LARGE REGULATEUR MILITARY GENT WRISTWATCH (SOLD)

SOLD TO MY BEST FRIEND TN SHEIKH FROM PJ

In 1867, Emmanuel Lipman and his sons founded a clockwork workshop under the name of Comptoir Lipmann. In 1893 it became the Societe Anonume d'Horlogerie Lipmann Frères (Lipmann Brothers Clock Factory).

The firm launched the Lip stopwatch in 1896. Thereafter Lip became the brand of the company. They built around 2,500 pieces a year. The company launched the first electronic watch in 1952, called "Electronic" (it was not electric because of the presence of a diode). The first models were worn by Chales De Gaulle and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1948, a T18 was offered to Wiston Churchill.

However, in the 1960s, this highly specialized company began to have financial troubles. Fred Lipmann brought the company public in 1967, and Ebauches S.A. (subsidiary of ASUAG, a large Swiss consortium which later became Swatch) took 33% of the shares.

Meanwhile, workers started organizing to improve labor conditions. This proved difficult. t, Chales Piaget the son of a clock artisan, who had entered the factory in 1946 as a skilled worker, became a representative of the Confederation Francais des Travailleurs Chretiens (CFTC, French Confederation of Christian Workers) trade union. He later recalled that during national strikes, only 30 or 40 workers at LIP out of a total of 1200 would go on strike. Those who did strike were listed by the management and called in to explain themselves. Semi-skilled workers on the assembly line were not allowed to talk or move more than 25 centimeters (less than ten inches) during their shifts^.

Fred Lip tried to smooth down the growing discontent. However, he offered Piaget a promotion, naming him head of the workshop. For the next year, the workers blocked attempts to eliminate the department, opposing those who tried to move the machines out of the factory.

They also registered the names Chronometre Lip and Chronometre de France, in a period when the accuracy of a watch was a major selling point. It’s widely assumed that they used these names on dials of non-chronometer watches to trick people into thinking they were chronometers. However, it’s not certain that the watches were not certified as chronometers. Lip regularly won medals, bulletins and awards from the Observatoire de Besançon (the French equivalent of the COSC), and at the start of the 20^th century claimed that their top grade watches were regulated to “a minute a month”. Movements which were chronometer-certified by Besançon, were stamped with the viper’s head, and this is probably the best indication. It’s also worth noting that some of their chronometer-certified watches do not have “chronometre” on the dial.

However, Ebauches became the biggest shareholder in 1970, taking control of 43% of the stock. Ebauches then fired 1,300 workers. The next year, the board of directors forced Fred Lip to resign, replacing him with Jacques Saint-Esprit.

From 1968 to 1973, distributed Breitling chronographs in France, including the Navitimer, Cosmonaute and Superocean. The watches were signed on the dials by both Breitling and Lip..

LIP built the first French quartz watches in 1973, but had to face increasing competition from the United States and Japan. The firm was forced to start liquidation formalities on April 17, 1973, leading Jacques Saint-Esprit to resign on the same day.

LIP watches was one of the premier French brands to invest massively in publicity and advertising. In 1914, this brand had a dream opportunity of supplying watches to the artillery officers of the French army. Then came another grand project. The company became the purveyor to the French aviation industry. In 1948 the French government was proud to present a watch of impeccable French technology to Winston Churchill. And for this the government chose an LIP timepiece.

Always a precursor of the watch world, the LIP watches were successful, despite initial financial problem to offer the market with the premier prototypes of quartz watches in 1971. But the soaring flight of the enterprise was cut down due to various adversary circumstances and in the 1980s became a dark decade for the company. Ten years later in 1990, Jean-Claude Sensemat took over the activities of the enterprise and founded the LIP France Company. There was no looking back after that. Eventually LIP watches got a new lease of life in the hands of Sensemat. There was another change in the sobriquet of LIP in 2002. LIP France became Sensemat LIP France.

AUTHENTIC VINTAGE ELECTION GRAND PRIX MILITARY GENTS WRISTWATCH

BRAND/JENAMA: ELECTION GRANDPRIX

MADE IN/BUATAN: SWISS BY ELECTION WATCH COMPANY

CIRCA/TAHUN: 1950's

MODEL: MILITARY

CRYSTAL/CERMIN: ACCRYLIC CLEAN/BERSIH

MOVEMENT/ENJIN: SWISS ELECTION 17 JEWELS MANUAL WINDING MOVEMENT

DIAL COLOR: BLACK MILITARY

FUNCTION/FUNGSI: MILITARY

HANDS/JARUM: SILVER TONE / KEPERAKAN

MARKERS/TANDA WAKTU: WHITE ARABIC

CASING : STAINLESS STEEL/KELULI SEPENUHNYA

LUGS: 16mm

MEASUREMENT/UKURAN: 33mm DIAMETER INCLUDING CROWN and 36mm LUG TO LUG

DITANDA/ENGARVED BACK CASING: S/N 929741

CROWN: SS/ KELULI

STRAP/TALI: GENUINE BROWN LEATHER BAND

SIZE STRAP/SAIZ TALI: 8.5"

EXCELLENT CONDITION, WORKING, KEEPING TIME, DISCONTINUED MODEL VERY RARE AND HARD TO FIND

PRICE/HARGA: RM700 (NEGOTIABLE/BOLEH DIRUNDING)

BRIEF HISTORY OF CUERVO Y SOBRINOS HABANA WATCHES

At the end of the 19th century, Havana, the pearl of the Caribbean, became a meeting place for intellectuals, businessmen and world figures, as well as adventurers and sailors. On this island, time has always had another dimension--a realm where awareness and a carefree lifestyle co-existed and gave rise to the freedom of being.

It was in this unique atmosphere that Armando Rio y Cuervo and his brothers ran the jewellery and watchmaking business founded by their uncle Ramon (hence the name, Cuervo y Sobrinos--"Cuervo and Nephews"). In the spring of 1882, the family opened its "La Casa" shop on Havana's prestigious Avenida Quinta (Fifth Avenue).

As evidenced by the guest book and photographs that first came to the light only a few years ago, discovered in the basement rooms of the old La Casa shop, Ernest Hemingway, Enrico Caruso, Clark Gable, Winston Churchill and even Albert Einstein were among the Cuervo y Sobrinos shop's customers.

The brand-heritage of "another time" In less than half a century, the marriage of watch quality with the brand's Latin spirit conquered the Americas. Several leading watch brands (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Election and Longines) associated their names with that of Cuervo y Sobrinos to co-produce Havana timepieces.

During the 1890s, Cuervo y Sobrinos expanded its production network and opened three other outlets in European nerve centres. At a time when most European luxury-product manufacturers were expanding to other continents, Cuervo y Sobrinos dared to go in the opposite direction. It successfully established itself on the Old Continent: at Pforzheim, Germany, where the company choose noble materials such as gold and precious stones; in the heart of Paris, on Rue Mezlay, where the most prestigious jewellery was produced; and at La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, where the watches were created.

For its select clientele--international figures from the worlds of literature, science, film and politics--a stop at La Casa in the centre of Havana became as important as a visit to the great jewellers on Place Vendome in Paris or New York's Fifth Avenue. During the 1940s, when the brand was at its peak, Cuervo y Sobrinos watches were not just high-end timepieces--they also represented a lifestyle and a way of thinking.

Any dreams Cuervo y Sobrinos had of conquering the watch world however, were dashed by the Cuban revolution of 1959. Some of the Cuervo family sought exile in Europe and the business slowly fell into oblivion. For 40 years, the brand lay dormant, remembered only by connoisseurs.

A new era of Latin time

In 2001, Italian Marzio Villa re-launched the brand that had been hibernating for four decades by buying the rights to the brand name and acquiring access to the company's archives, which had been forgotten in the La Casa basement in Havana.

Three enormous trunks were discovered, which revealed a fabulous heritage: intact watch movements and documents never made public, including watch sketches and designs. New principal premises were established in Lugano in Canton Ticino, with production entrusted to various famous watchmaking firms in the Jura Valley.

Inspired by this hidden treasure, today's watch designers have reproduced the spirit of escape, refinement and the glamorous golden age of Havana in a modern way.

Pleasure of the senses. Pleasure of time. The Cuervo y Sobrinos collection is 100 per cent Swiss-made, but with a distinctive Latin flavour.

Responding to the very essence of the 1940s atmosphere of luxury and refinement, the Cuervo y Sobrinos collection is based on projects, designs and sketches elaborated by watchmakers during this period--a time during which the concepts of elegance were completely revaluated. To recall the Latin origin of the brand, today's manufacturers integrate details like blue indigo colour markings in every timekeeper. It confers aesthetic harmony, as well as a unique and inimitable identity to each watch.

The brand presented its complete collection at the Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show in 2003.

In 2005, Cuervo y Sobrinos launched its own proprietary movement, the CYS 2450, developed with movement's specialists in the Jura watch valley. The movement was first fitted inside the Esplendido single push-piece chronograph. It was later joined by the CYS 2854 proprietary movement, which drives the Robusto Tourbillon with a silicon tourbillon cage and hands.

For five years, Cuervo y Sobrinos has manufactured several timekeepers of Haute Horlogerie like the Robusto Tricalendografo, the Torpedo 3004 or Tour de Espana and the Eplendidos Grande Date Dualtime model presented at Baselworld 2006.

AUTHENTIC VINTAGE 9K SOLID ROSE GOLD TREBEX BY BWC WRISTWATCH

BRAND/JENAMA: RARE COLLECTION ~ SOLID 9K ROSE GOLD TREBEX WRISTWATCH

CIRCA/TAHUN: 1940's

MODEL: MILITARY

CRYSTAL/CERMIN: CLEAN/BERSIH

MOVEMENT/ENJIN: SWISS BWC 17 JEWELS MANUAL WINDING MOVEMENTS

DIAL: BRONZE SALMON WITH SUB-DIAL AT 6:00

HANDS/JARUM: LUME BLUE METAL

MARKERS/TANDA WAKTU: ARABIC BLACK LUME

CASING : SOLID 9K ROSE GOLD - HALLMARKED 375 BY BWC LONDON

MEASUREMENT/UKURAN: 29mm DIAMETER WITH CROWN AND 32mm LUG TO LUG

CROWN: ORIGINAL CROWN

STRAP/TALI: 9K GOLD FILLED FLEXI BAND WILL FIT 8" WRIST

DISCONTINUED MODEL... VERY RARE AND HARD TO FIND!

WORKING, GOOD CONDITION AND KEEPING TIME/SANGAT SEMPURNA, TEPAT MASA DAN BERFUNGSI

PRICE : RM950.00 (NEGOTIABLE/BOLEH DIRUNDING)

BRIEF HISTORY OF BWC ( Buttes Watch Co.) WATCHES

BWC (Buttes Watch Company) is a small but important watch manufacturer. It was founded in 1924 by Mr. Arthur Charlet in his birthplace, Buttes, found in canton Neuchâtel, Switzerland.The company remains in existence and continues making its presence known with new watches. You can read all about BWC on their website: www.bwc-swiss.de

Charlet’s son-in-law, Mr. Edwin Volkart, took over the company in 1953 and continued to operate it with great attention until 1991. This period in BWC history is its most interesting, at least in regard to vintage chronographs. BWC made made good-quality watches in great stainless steel cases with movements from Lemania, Landeron (48,148,248) and Valjoux (7733, 7734)

Once of the reasons BWC survived the 'quartz crisis' would be its ability to quickly adapt to changing trends and fashions. There are many types of BWC watches in all kinds of shapes and colors, always produced with above-average quality. This high quality helps make BWC watches collectible.

After 1991, BWC's commercial activities were moved to Germany; there were also several changes in ownership. In 2004, BWC was successfully presented at Baselworld, and in 2009, BWC celebrated its 85th anniversary. Below is one of their recent models.

RARE COLLECTION ~ VINTAGE WEST END PRINCESS ANNE GENTS WRISTWATCH

BRAND/JENAMA : WEST END BROAD ARROW PRINCESS ANNE LIMITED EDITION MILITARY TRENCH WATCH

MODEL : QUEEN ANNE - TRENCH WATCH

MOVEMENT/ENJIN :SWISS 17 JEWELS MANUAL WINDING

ORIGIN/BUATAN : SWISS
NO. SIRI/SERIAL NO. : W9382

CIRCA/TAHUN : 1940's

CASING/KEMASAN : SOLID STAINLESS STEEL

MOVEMENT/PERGERAKAN : SWISS 17 JEWELS MANUAL MOVEMENT
DIAL: WHITE PORCELAIN
HANDS: BLUE METAL
MARKERS: LARGE & BOLD BLACK MILITARY ARABIC

MARKINGS/TANDA JENAMA : DIAL

BAND/TALI : BROWN LEATHER BAND
CROWN: ORIGINAL CROWN
LUGS SIZE: 18mm
BAND WIDTH: 18mm

LENS/CERMIN : ACRYLIC - VERY CLEAN

MEASUREMENT/UKURAN : 46mm WITH CROWN X 47mm LUG TO LUG
WATER RESISTANT: -

CONDITION/KONDISI : GOOD, WORKING AND KEEPING TIME
PRICE/HARGA: SOLD TO MR SHEIKH FROM PJ

BRIEF HISTORY OF WEST END WRISTWATCHES

West End was a good quality manufacturer that specialized in marketing to the Middle East and South Asia. There are earlier West End watches marked C.S. (I) for Civil Service in India

The West End Watch Company was created in 1886. The West End, a district of the centre of London, inspired its name to Mr. Arnold Charpié who was the Bombay representative of the Alcide Droz & Sons firm, a watch company established at Saint-Imier (Canton of Berne) in Switzerland.

In 1886, MM. Amstutz and Droz, the owner of Alcide Droz & Sons firm, began the exploitation of the trademark West End Watch Company in the Indian Market and developed the first waterproof pocket watch ever produced : "L'Impermeable" (nowadays exposed at the International Watchmaking Museum of La Chaux-de-Fonds).

During the First World War, a large task of British and Indian soldiers was sent from Bombay to the Persian Gulf to reach the Mesopotamia (the current Iraq). They received some West End Watches.

In 1917, West End Watch Company changed its name to Société des Montres West End SA and is registered in Geneva. At the same time the sub-brand Sowar was also registered.

In 1934, the Société des Montres West End SA was the first brand to introduce the Incabloc anti-shock system invented by Mr. Braunschweig.

In 1973, after several years of development, the company was finally sold, for lack of heirs, to his main supplier : "Aubry Brothers Ltd", established in Noirmont ( Jura) to keep open the Bombay West End Watch's office.

Since 2000 the workshops and the head centre of the company have been moved to Leytron , in Wallis. At the same time, the company was taken over by new shareholders and the management changed.

In 2005 West End Watch Company celebrated its 120th anniversary of uninterrupted presence in Asia with the introduction of its "Silk Road concept". This concept came from the fact the Silk Road crossed most of the regions where the brand possessed, and still possesses, counters.

Nowadays, West End Watch Company is active in Saudi Arabia, in the United Arab Emirates, in the Himalaya Range (in particular in Nepal and in Bhutan) and as well as in western half of China.

2010 A first in the Brands history, West End Watches are now exclusively distributed/sold in the USA and Canada by Empire Brands. EB is a distributor of leading products around the globe.

In 2011, West End Watch Company will celebrate its 125 years of uninterrupted activity so a commemorative book redrawing the history of the brand will be published in 2010 in association with the Centre Jurassien d’Archives et de Recherches Economiques.

The model still manufactured today is Sowar. In Hindu, Sowar means "warrior" and this name was selected in honor of Sir Thomas Edward Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) because it's said that him and his soldiers wore some West End Watch Company watches during the war.