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Cyma Cushion Case Breguet Dial Watch, Dennison 9k Gold Case, circa 1940s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Cyma Cushion Case Breguet Dial Watch, Dennison 9k Gold Case, circa 1940s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Cyma (maker)
Date
c. 1940s
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
gold
Stock no.
vws3611cs
Credit line
Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws3611cs)
Catalogue title (original)
Cyma Cushion Case Breguet Dial Watch - Dennison 9k Gold Case - c.1940s (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws3611cs), this is a wristwatch by Cyma, dated c. 1940s. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. The record is illustrated with 6 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

Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist

A Charming Vintage Cyma with a Beautiful 9k Gold Dennison Case and an Exquisite Sector Dial with Breguet Numerals and Blued Steel Hands, c.1940s Cyma, founded in 1862 in Switzerland, became renowned for its precision and elegant dress watches. By the early 20th century, the brand was producing refined timepieces featuring high-quality manual-wind movements and sophisticated designs. During the 1930s and 1940s, Cyma’s dress watches often featured sector dials, Breguet numerals, and Dennison gold cases, particularly for the British market. The post-war era saw the introduction of slim, understated models with mechanical and automatic movements, appealing to professionals and gentlemen alike. Today, vintage Cyma dress watches are prized for their craftsmanship, timeless aesthetics, and historical significance in the world of Swiss horology. What's on Offer The epitome of a charming gold dress watch - this vintage Cyma is a stunning example of mid-20th-century craftsmanship, housed in a 9k gold TV-shaped case made by the renowned British case maker Dennison. The case, with its softly curved edges crafted from opulent yellow gold, exudes an elegant yet understated presence, making it a refined dress watch choice. The dial boasts a beautiful sector-style design, divided into an inner and outer ring that enhances legibility and adds a wonderful depth. The Breguet-style numerals further elevate the vintage appeal, offering a classic and sophisticated look that was popular in high-end watches of the era. The elaborate blued steel hands contrast nicely against the ecru dial and a sub-seconds register at 6 o’clock offers functionality, emphasising the watch’s traditional layout and precise timekeeping heritage. This watch is in wonderful vintage condition and wears beautifully on the wrist. A classic gold watch with bags of charisma, a great addition to any collection.

Historical context

Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)

The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.

The wristwatch overtook the pocket watch. Military use in the First World War, aviation, water-resistant cases (1926), automatic winding (1923–31), rectangular Art Deco designs and early chronographs and calendars defined the period.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution

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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