Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Türler Monopusher Chronograph, 1930s
- Maker / attribution
- Turler (maker)
- Date
- 1930s
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- 40993032
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40993032)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Türler Monopusher Chronograph (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40993032), this is a wristwatch by Turler, dated 1930s. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Wristwatches collection. 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
Chronographs didn’t always feature dual pushers — one for start, and the other for stop/reset. In fact, it wasn’t until 1934 that Willy Breitling invented the first one. Before that, a single pusher started, stopped, and reset the chronograph. Though this single-pusher system has long been considered far harder to execute than the dual-button arrangement, there are certain exceptions we’re willing to make in order to honor horological history… Türler, founded in Switzerland in 1883 was a renowned retailer known to stock many of the most prestigious brands of the previous era including Omega, Rolex, Vacheron, IWC and more. Frequently, Türler would place their signature on watches they stocked. That's the case with this brilliant monopusher chronograph. This piece is an excellent representation of 1930s chronos--- patinaed, beautiful, and utilitarian. Featuring a charcoal dial with lovely 'cakey' patinaed 'Breguet' numerals, and a single 'punchy' pusher at 2 o'clock to control the chronograph functions. Outbound, the dial displays a telemeter scale and inbound, a gorgeous 'Breguet' handset ties the pieces all together. Powered by a manual movement, it’s paired to a brown leather strap with a stainless steel pin buckle via a unique lug system that's incredibly 1930s-coated. After a chronograph with some historical cachet? Look no further!
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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