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Cyma Navystar Cymaflex, ref. 2-5729-6, circa 1950 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Cyma Navystar Cymaflex, ref. 2-5729-6, circa 1950

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Cyma (maker)
Date
c. 1950
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 35 mm
Stock no.
VWS2965
Credit line
Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (VWS2965)
Catalogue title (original)
Cyma - Navystar Cymaflex - Model Reference: 2-5729-6 - c.1950 (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number VWS2965), this is a wristwatch by Cyma, dated c. 1950. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 35 mm. 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 1950s Cyma Navystar CymaFlex in Beautiful Vintage Condition with Gold Dial Furniture and Dauphine Hands Cyma Watches, a brand with a rich heritage, traces its origins back to 1862 when it was established in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland, a region renowned for its watchmaking prowess. The founders, Joseph Schwob and Theodore Schwob, embarked on their journey by setting up a watch assembly workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds, initially named "Schwob Frères." Their vision was clear: to craft watches that embodied precision and elegance. Throughout the 20th century, Cyma solidified its reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality timepieces that combined Swiss craftsmanship with stylish design. The brand became synonymous with durability and precision among soldiers during both World Wars due to their reliable military watches. The Navystar range was introduced in the 1950s and encompassed many different designs and movements, the common denominator being a robust waterproof watch in a slim case. The Cymaflex logo at the bottom of the dial refers to the patented anti-shock system used on the balance staff. What's on Offer This charming Cyma Navystar is in beautiful vintage condition with a very attractive (originally) white dial which has aged to a beautiful ivory colour. The dial furniture is particularly nice with applied gold hour markers including arrowheads at 12, 3, 6 and 9.which is a nice detail. The dial is completed with elegant Dauphine hands and a central seconds needle hand and encapsulated underneath a shatterproof acrylic crystal which is then encased in stainless steel. The case and lugs are in nice shape with just a few signs of previous wear - given the watch is over 70 years old, we expect to see this kind of light wear and it simply adds to the charm of vintage watches. The caseback is engraved with Cyma Navystar within a lifebuoy emblem, it also denotes non-magnetic. This is a charming vintage watch with plenty of character, at 35mm it is mid-size and very wearable - perfect for all occasions and ideal as an everyday wearer.

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

Military, pilot and travel watches

The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.

In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.

What to look for

  • Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
  • High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
  • 24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
  • Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
  • Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
  • GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.

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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