1945 LONGINES WITTNAUER REVUE THOMMEN

1175 Buford Highway. Suite 120
Suwanee, Georgia. 30024
www.goldsmithworks.com
770.831.1257 - 1.800.438.6894

Number …..022612.FN7Y. Item: 1945 LONGINES WITTNAUER REVUE THOMMEN

Description of item: VINTAGE NEAR MINT ORIGINAL CONDITION VINTAGE 1945 LONGINES WITTNAUER REVUE THOMMEN GOLD FILLED WRIST WATCH WITH SIGNED WITTNAUER REVUE CALIBER 73 17 JEWEL MANUAL WIND MOVEMENT 24.50 X 38.80 W/O CROWN WITH ORIGINAL PERIOD GOLD OVER STEEL STRETCH BRACELET

.Estimated Retail Replacement Value $675.00

Reports are supplied at the request of the customer and it is for the customer's exclusive use. Reports express an opinion of the time of the examination of the jewelry. This report is for customers use only for the following two purposes, indicating estimated retail replacement value to obtain insurance coverage, or for the purpose of providing geological information. goldsmith Works does not guarantee that the appraisal valuation will result in a sale at the price. Estimated retail replacement value is arrived after analyses of what the approximate high retail cash asking price is for labor, materials, and design. These prices may be substantially higher than actual transaction or warranty with regards to any item described in the report, since jewelry grading is not an exact science, this report represent the best opinion of the company. GoldSmith Works is in no case responsible for differences that occur by repeated grading by other experts in the field and/or use of other standards, norms, methods or criteria other than those used by GoldSmith Works. GoldSmith Works is expressly held harmless by customers including, but with out limitation for any claims or actions that may arise out of negligence in connection with the preparation of this laboratory report, or actions based upon the customer's use of the report. The information on the carat weight, clarity grade, color grade on the report is approximate due to the limitations in jewelry grading. The item was tested, graded, and examined under 10x magnification using the techniques and equipment available to GoldSmith Works, including fully corrected triplet loupe, binocular microscope, master color comparison guides, diamond color comparison tools, electronic carat balance, non-contact optical measuring device, and ancillary instruments necessary at the time of Exam

NEAR MINT ORIGINAL CONDITION
VINTAGE
1945
LONGINES WITTNAUER
REVUE THOMMEN
GOLD FILLED
WRIST WATCH

Albert Wittnauer was a Swiss immigrant who arrived in New York City in 1872 at the age of 16. He began working for his brother in law, J. Eugene Robert. Mr. Robert was an importer of fine Swiss watches. With the help of his younger brother, Albert Wittnauer decided there was a need for a watch designed with all of the durability and function the American public demanded but with local production to help keep costs down.

The Wittnauer brand was formally established when Mr. Robert gave the title to Albert Wittnauer under the name The "A. Wittnauer Company." is born as a small family business. The company began to cater to the ever growing world of both scientific and private exploration, which gained them a reputation for use by those who needed reliability: navigators, explorers, and astronomers.

The A. Wittnauer Co. teamed up with longines in 1936 and then became further involved with the US Military in the field of aviation and navigation.

Horologist Marvin E. Whitney wrote, "No one company has been more involved in the design and production of so many different types of navigational timepieces and been involved in so many history making expeditions..."

1917-1918 During the War, servicemen learn to prefer wristwatches to pocket watches. The Swiss watch industry responds quickly, giving Swiss-made Wittnauer an edge in the US market.

1918 The Wittnauer All-Proof appears - the world’s first waterproof, shock-proof, anti-magnetic watch.

1926 NBC, America’s first radio network, chooses Wittnauer for official timing for radio broadcasting.

1927 Wittnauer produces a navigation watch for aviators. Watchmaker J.P.V. Heinmuller was also official timekeeper of the U.S. National Aeronautical Association, and developer of Wittnauer’s navigational timepieces, dashboard clocks and aviation instruments.

1936 Wittnauer watch company joined with Longines watches and became the Longines-Wittnauer Co.

1937 Howard Hughes, sets a coast-to-coast speed record of seven hours, twenty-eight minutes. His Hughes Aircraft racer, “Winged Bullet,” is equipped with Wittnauer.

1941 Wittnauer receives war-time contracts to produce compasses, lab timers, aircraft clocks and military watches. The company hires watchmakers forced to flee Europe. Wittnauer craftsmen working on their own time make watches with movements from neutral Switzerland.

1949 Wittnauer introduces a self-winding watch that is slimmer and more durable than previous models.

The “Société d’ Horlogerie à Waldenburg” was founded in 1853 in the Jura town of Waldenburg by Gédéon Thommen & Louis Tschopp. In 1859 the company was taken over by Gédéon Thommen, who became the sole owner. The company originally used the brand mark “G.T.” and its improved manufacturing and assembly methods were used in the production of quality watches. In 1885 the company patented the G.T. “Springeruhr”, pocket watch with a mechanical digital display. By 1870, the company manufactured 4,000 watches per year, which increased to an output of 13,000 in 1890. From 1875, as well as cylinder watches, the company also produced lever pocket watches.

In 1889, Société d’ Horlogerie à Waldenburg was awarded a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.

After Gédéon Thommen’s death, his son Alphonse took over the business and in 1905 registered the company name, “Thommens Uhrenfabriken AG” . Alphonse continued as the company’s president until 1932. In March 1910, the company registered the trademark, “Revue” and due to the increasing demand for wristwatches Thommen opened an additional factory in Waldenburg as well as others in Gelterkinden and Langenbruck.

The company supplied watches for the U.K. market under the name "Vertex". The U.K. agent for Vertex watches was Claude Lyons whose office was at 28 Hatton Garden, London.

When the demand for watches dropped during the depression in the 1930s, the company began manufacturing precision instruments for industrial applications.

In 1936 the company formed the subsidiary “Thommen” who specialised in the development and manufacture of aviation navigational instruments. The company supplied timepieces and instruments to both the British & German armed forces.

As well as “G.T.”,” Revue”, "Vertex" & “Thommen”, the company has also made timepieces under the brand names, “Vulcain”, “Cyrus” & “Sola

THIS WITTNAUER REVUE THOMMEN
GOLD FILLED EVENING WEAR WRIST WATCH
IS SIMPLY AWESOME
AND
IN FINE CONDITION

A TRUE COLLECTORS WRIST WATCH
BEARING PROUDLY THE HISTORY OF
FOUR TOP OF THE LINE
WATCH COMPANIES

AN EXCEPTIONAL FINELY CREATED
TOP CLASS LUTRINGER & KAMMERER
GOLD FILLED WATCH CASE

WHAT A BEAUTY
THIS
WITTNAUER
REVUE THOMMEN
IS

AN
IN-HOUSE
BUY

IT COST US
$200.00
BEFORE
MOVEMENT & CASE
RESTORATION
DIAL CLEANING
HAND RESTORATION
BRACELET RESTORATION

WOW
NO SEPARATIONS OF GOLD IN CASE
LUGS CLEAN WITH NO MARS FROM STRAPS
FINISH IS SMOOTH AND DEEP
CASE HAS SUPER LINES
DIAL IS IMMACULATE
HANDS WERE RE-GILDED
NUMBERS AND MARKERS LIKE NEW
CRYSTAL IS ORIGINAL DOUBLE BEND
GLASS IN 90% CONDITION
OVERHAULED MOVEMENT IS
IN PRISTINE CONDITION
ALL PARTS REPLACED ARE ORIGINAL

BUT THIS ORIGINAL PERIOD BRACELET IS AWESOME
IT IS SMOOTH AND SLINKY EVEN THOUGH IT IS
A STRETCH TYPE GOLD OVER STEEL BRACELERT

THIS DIAL IS IN IMMACULATE CONDITION
SIGNED
WITTNAUER
&
REVUE

IMG_1699.JPG (96069 bytes)

GOLD FILLED CASE
AFTER RESTORATION
&
CYANIDE BOMBING
DELIVERED
AN OUTSTANDING FINISH

ca. 1945: AXA, 73 Revue, Wittnauer Watch Co Inc, Swiss, 17 Jewels

WITTNAUR WATCH CO INC
SEVENTEEN 17 JEWELS
73
REVUE
*AXA
UNADJUSTED
SWISS

Revue-Thommen
73

Features
manual wind
sub second

Data
7.75 x 11'''
Dm= 17.5 x 25.05mm
H= 3.5mm
17 jewels
f = 18000 A/h
power reserve 44h

CONDITION
- EXCELLENT-
WATCH WINDS SETS & KEEPS TIME
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