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1960s Waltham Incabloc 17J Swiss 33mm Gold Tone Manual Wind — view 1 of 4
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

1960s Waltham Incabloc 17J Swiss 33mm Gold Tone Manual Wind

DocumentedDocumented from an auction catalogue; attribution as stated by the auction house.
Maker / attribution
Waltham (maker)
Date
1960s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Lot
Item 225823548
Credit line
Auction lot record: lot 179, EXCLUSIVE WATCHES AND POCKET WATCHES 7, Sphere Auctions LLC (2026), via LiveAuctioneers
Catalogue title (original)
1960s Waltham Incabloc 17J Swiss 33mm Gold Tone Manual Wind (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by LiveAuctioneers auction archive (lot Item 225823548), this is a wristwatch by Waltham, made in Switzerland, dated 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 4 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Lot description — Sphere Auctions LLC

Vintage Waltham Watch Company manual wind wristwatch, circa 1960s. Silver dial signed Waltham Incabloc 17 Jewels with applied baton markers and subsidiary seconds.Movement marked Swiss, 17 Jewels, Seventeen Unadjusted, Waltham Watch Company.Caseback marked Waltham Incabloc Stainless Steel Back Swiss Made Unbreakable Mainspring. Interior case marked Swiss 550 X.Watch starts and stops.Service recommended.No guarantee of accuracy, power reserve, or continued runtime.Itemized DetailsBrand: WalthamEra: 1960sMovement: Manual windJewels: 17 jewelsCase Material: Gold tone case with stainless steel backCase Size: approx. 33 mm (as shown)Dial: Silver with applied baton markersSubdial: Small secondsCrystal: AcrylicStrap: Black leather strap (replacement)Condition: Starts and stops; plating wear and age-related dial patina presentService: Service recommended

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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