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Agon wristwatch, centre-seconds date, circa 1975 — view 1 of 2
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Agon wristwatch, centre-seconds date, circa 1975

DocumentedDocumented from an auction catalogue; attribution as stated by the auction house.
Maker / attribution
Agon (brand / maker)
Date
c. 1975
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
stainless steel
Dimensions
height 39.6 mm; width 35 mm
Lot
Lot 348-2
Credit line
Auction lot record: LOT 2, Hong Kong, March 9th, 2022
Catalogue title (original)
Agon Watch Co. Self-winding, centre-seconds, date, day, blue dial; chromium-plated metal and stainless steel (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva (lot Lot 348-2), this is a wristwatch by Agon, dated c. 1975. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: stainless steel. Recorded dimensions: height 39.6 mm; width 35 mm. The record is illustrated with 2 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

Antiquorum catalogue description

Chromium-plated metal, self-winding, vertical “tonneau”-shaped, gentleman’s wristwatch, water-resistant with stainless steel screwed case-back, blue colour dial, centre-seconds and two horological complications:· Half-instantaneous date of the month (aperture at 3 o’clock)· Day of the week (aperture at 3 o’clock; indications given in German)

Lot specifications (Antiquorum)

Case No.: 12 345; Material: chromium-plated metal and stainless steel; Bracelet: stainless steel bracelet with deployant clasp; Dimensions: Length 150 mm. (approx.); Height: 39.6 mm.; Width: 35 mm.; Signature: dial and case

Inscriptions & marks

dial and case

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Automatic (self-winding) watches

Self-winding watches use the wearer's motion to wind the mainspring. Abraham-Louis Perrelet and Breguet made 'perpétuelle' pocket watches with oscillating weights in the late eighteenth century, but the principle only became practical in the wristwatch. John Harwood patented a bumper automatic in 1923; Rolex's Perpetual rotor (1931) winding in one direction, and later bidirectional rotors (Eterna, Felsa Bidynator), established the modern form. Micro-rotors (Universal Genève, Buren) and peripheral rotors made automatic watches thinner.

What to look for

  • A semicircular rotor turning 360° over the movement, or a 'bumper' weight that rebounds between springs.
  • 'Automatic', 'Perpetual' or 'Self-winding' on the dial.
  • A sealed screw-back case, since automatic watches are wound less often by the crown.

Dating clues

  • Bumper automatics: 1923–c. 1955.
  • Full rotors: from 1931 (Rolex); widespread after c. 1950.
  • Micro-rotors: from 1954–1958.

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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