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Sandoz Monsoon (Ref. 1776Z-84-8) "Roulette", 1970 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Sandoz Monsoon (Ref. 1776Z-84-8) "Roulette", 1970

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Sandoz (maker)
Date
1970
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 39 mm
Stock no.
SDZMNS1776
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (SDZMNS1776)
Catalogue title (original)
1970's Sandoz Monsoon (Ref. 1776Z-84-8) "Roulette" (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number SDZMNS1776), this is a wristwatch by Sandoz, dated 1970. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 39 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 — Craft & Tailored

Henri Frédéric Sandoz born in 1851, founded Henri Sandoz & Cie., in the 1870s and would later produce complicated watches under the name of Cyma. He later created a watchmaking firm in Malleray, Switzerland with the Schwob family. Their new business was known as Tavannes Watch Co. By the time of Sandoz's death in 1913, many of the watches produced by the firm were made under the name of Henri Sandoz & Fils. The scant and scattered history of the Sandoz brand is palpable and becomes further diluted, as the Tavannes company also went by many other names such as Tavannes-Cyma, Bijou Watch Co., Tacy Watch Co., and Lisca. But it doesn't stop there... Since 1971 the Sandoz brand has been parceled off into four lines of production. This created four separate brands, Sandoz Swiss, Sandoz Singapore, Sandoz Hong Kong, and Sandoz Spain, with each brand having their own line of watches, and Sandoz Swiss being the highest quality of them all. This stylish underdog presents some handsome and quirky features: a checkered, faceted crystal, a triple date complication featuring both a Farsi and English day wheel, a double crown, and a perfectly 70s color palette on the dial. Interestingly the month wheel is changed with the rotation of the top crown, the day and date complication is can easily be changed through a quick-set setting within the bottom crown. SPECS Stock # SDZMNS1776 Brand Sandoz Style Monsoon Model 1776Z-84-8 Serial N/A Size Men's Material SS Dial Grey/Orange Millimeters 39mm Bracelet 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The strong, unpolished case remains in excellent condition, with very light signs of honest use and sharp edges. The interior black bezel reveals no signs of age. The original faceted crystal shows minimal signs of wear. The case retains its original twin "Sandoz" signed crowns. The caseback retains a partially worn-off factory sticker and all engravings are fully intact and legible. The watch comes on a two-piece hand-made leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The dial is in beautiful condition, with all lume still intact, exhibiting no degradation under U.V. light inspection. The dial, markers, and date windows are in excellent condition, showing no signs of age. The original tritium dauphine hands are in excellent condition as well, exhibiting no degradation under U.V. light inspection. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time and functioning perfectly, previous service history is unknown.

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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