Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Minerva Chronograph Salmon Dial Cal 13-20ch Ref 1335, 1940s
- Maker / attribution
- Minerva (maker)
- Date
- 1940s
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 34 mm
- Stock no.
- W-2728
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-2728)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Minerva Chronograph Salmon Dial Cal 13-20ch Ref 1335 (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number W-2728), this is a wristwatch by Minerva, made in Switzerland, dated 1940s. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 34 mm. 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 — Bulang & Sons
Founded in 1858 by Charles Robert and his brother in Villaret, Switzerland, as H. & C. Robert, the company later registered as the Minerva brand, and by the early 20th century, it had established itself as a premier chronograph maker with the release of their first chronograph movement, making the reference 1335 particularly significant. This example couldn’t be any better thanks to the amazing vertical brushed salmon dial ! The case remains in outstanding condition with an octagonal screw case back, pump pushers and large winding crown. The salmon dial has a vertical brush finish and looks wonderful with its Minerva scroll-signature, a tachymeter scale in blue and aged radium hours. The blued syringe hands have nicely matching lume. The watch will come fitted with the picture Bulangandsons strap and the rare calibre 13-20CH manual wind movement has been fully serviced by our watchmaker. We have a lot of love for cool vintage chronos. Please get in touch and let us share our passion with you! Specifications: - Minerva Chronograph - Dates to 1940s - 34mm steel case with screw case back - Salmon dial with radium Arabic hours - Syringe hands with matching lume - Minerva calibre 13-20CH manual wind movement - Comes on pictured strap - Fully serviced by our watchmaker
Historical context
Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.
The wristwatch overtook the pocket watch. Military use in the First World War, aviation, water-resistant cases (1926), automatic winding (1923–31), rectangular Art Deco designs and early chronographs and calendars defined the period.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution
Atlas type guide
Chronographs and split-seconds watches
A chronograph is a watch with an additional seconds hand that can be started, stopped and returned to zero independently of the timekeeping. Louis Moinet built an early example in 1816 and Nicolas Rieussec a recording 'chronographe' in 1821; Adolphe Nicole's heart-shaped reset cam (patented 1862) made the modern return-to-zero possible. Split-seconds (rattrapante) chronographs add a second hand that can be stopped for intermediate times; flyback chronographs restart instantly.
Chronographs were essential tools for doctors (pulsometer scales), artillery (telemeter), engineers and sport. In wristwatches, Valjoux, Venus, Lemania and later the automatic chronographs of 1969 (Zenith El Primero, the Chronomatic Calibre 11 group and Seiko 6139) are milestones.
What to look for
- Push-pieces on the case band or a single button in the crown (monopusher).
- Subsidiary registers for minutes and hours; tachymeter, telemeter or pulsometer scales.
- Column wheel versus cam control visible in the movement.
- Calibre markings of specialist makers (Valjoux, Lemania, Venus, Landeron).
Dating clues
- Pocket chronographs with heart cam reset: after 1862.
- Wrist chronographs: from c. 1910; two-button designs from the 1930s.
- Automatic chronographs: from 1969.
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.
Read next:Flyback chronographChronograph
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