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Gübelin Square Dress Watch, 18k Pink Gold — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Gübelin Square Dress Watch, 18k Pink Gold

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Gübelin (maker)
Date
c. 1950s
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
gold
Stock no.
Product 9990242468116
Credit line
Dealer listing, Collectors Corner NY (product 9990242468116)
Catalogue title (original)
Gübelin Square Dress Watch - 18k Pink Gold (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 Product 9990242468116), this is a wristwatch by Gübelin, dated c. 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. 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

Gübelin’s legacy dates back to 1854, beginning as a watchmaker’s workshop in Lucerne, Switzerland, founded by Jakob Breitschmid. The business took a new direction in 1886 when Eduard Jakob Gübelin, Breitschmid’s apprentice and later his son-in-law, assumed control and renamed it the House of Gübelin. Over time, the company expanded beyond watchmaking into fine jewelry and, in 1923, established a gemological laboratory, earning a reputation for excellence in both horology and gemstones. This particular dress piece on offer is circa 1950s, featuring a square shaped case in 18k pink gold. It boasts a unique scalloped pattern on its outer edge and the "ice cube" style crystal it houses screams mid-century design. Notably, the dial also features geometric style markers for its logo and indices. For anyone looking for the charm of a "true vintage" dress watch at a good value in today's market, this Gübelin has excellent build quality and is perfect for the collector who enjoys venturing off the beaten path.

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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