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Gubelin Dress Watch Stainless Steel, 1950s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Gubelin Dress Watch Stainless Steel, 1950s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Gubelin (maker)
Date
1950s
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
stainless steel
Stock no.
GUBDWST
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (GUBDWST)
Catalogue title (original)
1950s Gubelin Dress Watch Stainless Steel (English)

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

Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number GUBDWST), this is a wristwatch by Gubelin, dated 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: stainless steel. 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 — Craft & Tailored

The legendary reputation of Gubelin dates all the way back to 1854 and continues today under the same family. The brand started in Lucerne, Switzerland, in a small watchmaker's shop before later entering the jewelry business as a formal atelier. The jewelry business grew rapidly throughout Switzerland, eventually going abroad to New York City and earning the brand a comparison to New York's own Tiffany & Co. Meanwhile, the Gubelin Atelier continued its watch side of the business, primarily retailing top Swiss brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet – often with cosigned dials bearing the Gubelin name. SPECS Stock # GUBDWST Brand Gubelin Style Dress Watch Model N/A Serial 11XXXXX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Silver "Two-Tone" Millimeters 35.5 Strap 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The classical, yet large for its era, stainless steel case is in well-preserved condition, showing only light evidence of being previously polished, with gentle signs of use present. The unsigned crown is believed to be original to the watch. The snap-on case back is also in excellent condition, with no notable wear present. The watch comes supplied on a 2pc black leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The original two-tone silver dial is both subtle and striking, with a charming warmth for an overall lovely vintage aesthetic. The dial does exhibit some marks from age, most notably in the sub-seconds register and between the 4 and 5 o'clock markers. The original blued hands add a touch of color to complete the watch. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time, but the service history is unknown. A movement service can be provided upon request.

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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