
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Roy King, Silver Gilt Watch with Guilloché Dial, Integrated Bracelet, circa 1976
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- c. 1976
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- silver
- Stock no.
- vws3953cs
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws3953cs)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Roy King - Silver Gilt Watch with Guilloché Dial - Integrated Bracelet - c.1976 (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws3953cs), this is a wristwatch, dated c. 1976. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: silver. 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 — Vintage Watch Specialist
What's on Offer This striking Roy King dress watch is a wonderful example of 1970s British design. Dating to approximately 1976, it features a sterling silver case finished with gold plating and paired with a matching gold-capped integrated bracelet, creating a luxurious and cohesive appearance. The watch's most distinctive feature is its beautifully guilloché textured gold dial. The repeating woven pattern mirrors the design of the bracelet, creating an elegant visual flow from case to clasp. Minimalist black hands provide excellent contrast against the dial while maintaining the clean, sophisticated aesthetic that defined many premium dress watches of the era. The softly rounded square case shape perfectly captures the styling trends of the mid-1970s, offering a design that feels both vintage and surprisingly contemporary. Turning the watch over reveals a fully hallmarked sterling silver caseback bearing the Roy King maker's mark (RCK), British silver hallmarks and a date letter corresponding to 1976. Powered by a manual wind mechanical movement, the watch offers the traditional charm and interaction that vintage watch enthusiasts appreciate. A beautifully textured gold dial featuring an intricate woven mesh pattern that echoes the design of the integrated bracelet. Combined with its integrated bracelet and distinctive textured dial, this Roy King stands out as a particularly attractive period piece. Presented in very good vintage condition, the watch remains highly attractive throughout. The gold-plated finish retains a strong appearance, while the textured dial is exceptionally well preserved and remains the focal point of the watch. The hallmarks to the caseback are crisp and easily legible. Light signs of wear are present, consistent with careful ownership over the past five decades, but overall the watch displays beautifully on the wrist.
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
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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