Gübelin 'Oversize' Waterproof Chronograph, 1960s

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

There is perhaps no more versatile complication than the chronograph. From race cars to rocket ships, boats to battlefields, you are likely to find a chronograph being employed to measure a plethora of tasks and times. From the Greek khrónos (“time”) and gráphō (“to write”), a chronograph is a watch that has the ability to record time, generally via the addition of small sub-counters that register minutes and hours. Though many storied brands produced notable chronographs during the complications heyday from the 1930s through the 1970s, numerous other firms fell by the wayside during the Quartz Crisis, folding completely and disappearing or being rolled up into conglomerates that pillaged their stores of parts. The particular chronograph we have here is notable for several reasons: First of all, it’s oversized, at 38mm in steel. Secondly, it’s stunningly beautiful, featuring a wildly cool Arabic typeface seen in certain 1960s vintage chronographs from the likes of Universal Genève and more. Third, it was retailed (and signed) by none other than E. Gübelin in Lucerne, purveyor of Switzerland’s finest watches since 1854. Fourth, it’s likely that this piece is actually a retailer-signed version of the famed M95 chronograph, judging by its dial layout and curved “snake” hand on the 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock. M95s are absolutely sleepers in the vintage chronograph world, and to find a retailer-signed version — rather than one signed by Movado itself — is particularly rare. Also featuring a drop-through 'clamshell' case design for increased water resistance (though we do not recommend getting this wet these days); drilled “holey” lugs; an acrylic crystal; barrel pushers; a 30-minute counter with “pay phone” demarcations at 3 o’clock; a running seconds counter at 9 o’clock; and a satin silver dial with applied gold foil indices as well as a matching feuille handset, this is simply a chronograph to die for. Dating from the 1960s, its case has been lightly polished and is in very good condition, with the dial hardly showing any wear. One of the coolest retailer-signed watches we’ve ever come across, it’s doubtful that you’ll see a chronograph quite like this one any time soon!