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Trematic Bidynator Triple Calendar Moonphase, 1950s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Trematic Bidynator Triple Calendar Moonphase, 1950s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Trematic (maker)
Date
1950s
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 37 mm
Stock no.
Product 4368130342999
Credit line
Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 4368130342999)
Catalogue title (original)
Trematic Bidynator Triple Calendar Moonphase (English)

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

Record summary

Catalogued by S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (stock number Product 4368130342999), this is a wristwatch by Trematic, dated 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 37 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 — S.Song Watches

The nice part about collecting vintage pieces is that there is always more to learn and the Trematic Bidynator Triple Calendar Moonphase you see here today was one of these moments for me. When I was first offered this piece I had never heard of Trematic before. As is often the case with vintage watches, there were hundreds of brands making watches back then that do not exist today and so every now and then something completely foreign to me pops up. That being said, I was immediately drawn to this piece for a few reasons. Firstly, the 37mm stainless steel case is unusually large for its era, and something that is prized by vintage collectors. On top of this, the form of this Trematic’s case struck me as well, with high quality bevels and thick lugs it had a very nice presence on my wrist. The two tone silver dial, combined with the triple calendar function made this watch too attractive for me to turn down- I mean just look at that moon phase! This watch is powered by a Felsa Bidynator 963 movement, which is a self-winding bi-directional calibre with a triple calendar and a moonphase. This is an ideal dress piece, with the right amount of complications and enough presence on the wrist to keep things interesting. I am definitely a fan.

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

Calendar, moon-phase and perpetual calendar watches

Calendar complications range from a simple date to the perpetual calendar, which automatically allows for months of different lengths and leap years until 2100. Pocket watches with perpetual calendars were made in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; Patek Philippe made the first perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1925, and series production followed in 1941. The annual calendar (Patek Philippe, 1996) needs correction only once a year.

Moon-phase displays use a disc with two moons and 59 teeth advanced daily, approximating the 29.5-day lunation; more precise trains reduce the error to one day in over a century.

What to look for

  • Apertures or subsidiary dials for day, date, month and leap year.
  • Moon disc under a 'bosom' shaped aperture.
  • Recessed correctors on the case band for setting the calendar.

Dating clues

  • Triple-date wristwatches: popular c. 1940–1955.
  • Perpetual calendar wristwatches: from 1925 (unique) and 1941 (series).

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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