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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

GUB Glasshutte Art Deco Style Vintage Watch, circa 1950s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
GUB (maker)
Date
c. 1950s
Country of origin
Germany
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
vws2707
Credit line
Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws2707)
Catalogue title (original)
GUB Glasshutte Art Deco Style Vintage Watch - c.1950s (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 vws2707), this is a wristwatch by GUB, made in Germany, dated c. 1950s. 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 — Vintage Watch Specialist

A Charming and Rare Art Deco Style GUB Glasshutte Vintage Watch With Beautiful Styling and Attractive Patina, c.1950s Officially named VEB Glashutter Uhrentrieber, meaning Glashutte Watchmaking plants, and short named Glashutte, GUB is the predecessor company of Glashutte Original, and the heir of previous Glashuette (German village) independent watchmakers. What’s On Offer This beautiful GUB vintage piece has all four characteristics that make it quintessentially Art Deco in style - symmetrical, streamlined and pleasing to the eye - which it definitely is! The dial is simple by design but very effective with its bold design features and Arabics at 12 and 6 o'clock. The dial has taken on some patina, giving it a really unique look - you'll never find another exactly the same, as is the joy with vintage watch collecting! This watch wears beautifully on the wrist with its rose gold plated case, and will almost certainly pique the interest of admirers. A nice piece that will be a beautiful addition to any collection.

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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