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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Enicar Sherpa Ultrasonic, Stunning Gilt Dial, 1950s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Enicar (maker)
Date
c. 1959
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
SQ8254607
Credit line
Dealer listing, Collectors Corner NY (SQ8254607)
Catalogue title (original)
Enicar Sherpa Ultrasonic - Stunning Gilt Dial - 1950s (English)

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

Record summary

Catalogued by Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York (stock number SQ8254607), this is a wristwatch by Enicar, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1959. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. 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 — Collectors Corner NY

The Enicar Sherpa (Seapearl) holds a significant place in horological history. It was tested by the United States Navy in the 1950s along with Rolex and Blancpain watches for potential issued use. While it never became an issued watch, it still made it on the wrists of many divers and was touted for its water resistance and compact build. More significant to the Seapearl's story was Enicar's use of the watch for an expedition to summit Mount Everest in 1956. Later iterations of the Seapearl showed the "Sherpa" moniker as a nod to the success of the expedition and the watch's capabilities. Sherpa of course later became the most successful line of watches that Enicar produced, cementing the Seapearl as a major piece of Enicar's story. This particular example comes from circa 1959 and features a stunning glossy gilt dial with a striking set of trapezoid indices. Perhaps its most unique feature is the seconds hand which is not seen on other models. We look forward to finding this collector grade example the right home.

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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