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Movado Jumbo Field Watch, 1950s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Movado (maker)
Date
1950s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 36 mm
Stock no.
40990280
Credit line
Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40990280)
Catalogue title (original)
Movado Jumbo Field Watch (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40990280), this is a wristwatch by Movado, made in Switzerland, dated 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 36 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 — Analog/Shift

Never underestimate the power of a simple, time-only watch. Especially a great vintage one from the likes of Movado. In the mid-20th century, Movado turned out some of the best watch designs full stop , from robust chronographs to handsome stunners such as the one we have here. This Reference 18636 dates to the 1950s, though it’s in such good condition, you’d be hard-pressed to date it. Housed in a 36mm stainless steel case with holey lugs, an acrylic crystal, and an unsigned crown, it features a satin white dial with applied, gold Arabic and dot indices, a thin, matching sword handset with a red-tipped seconds hand, and an outer ‘railroad’ 1/5th-seconds track. Everything you need, nothing you don’t! Powered by a hand-wound movement, this oversized midcentury masterpiece was clearly intended as a dress watch, but given its perfect sizing, will work well on ladies’ wrists as well. Give it as a classy gift or keep it for yourself — either way, you’re picking up an attractive vintage watch that’s already stood the test of time!

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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