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Vintage NOS Lip Retrograde Watch, 1970s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Vintage NOS Lip Retrograde Watch, 1970s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Lip (maker)
Date
1970s
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 36 mm
Stock no.
W-606
Credit line
Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-606)
Catalogue title (original)
Vintage NOS Lip Retrograde Watch (English)

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

Record summary

Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number W-606), this is a wristwatch by Lip, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) 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 — Bulang & Sons

The Rare Lip Two Time-Line Funky Golden Watch This is a very rare Lip watch, made even rarer by the fact that it is in brand new, never worn condition! Measuring 36mm, this unusual looking watch features retrograde minutes and hour hands. Essentially the hands sweep a small section of a circle, in effect telling the time in a linear fashion, before springing back to the beginning of the arc. The minute hand has an orange tip and the hour hand has a line of vibrant yellow - against the vertical brushed brown dial the effect is pure 70’s cool. The date aperture is a porthole design. The watch will come on its original strap and box. This watch is in completely untouched condition and we have decided to not even open this time capsule. The watch is running fine, but for everyday wear a service might be recommended! We are happy to assist with this if the buyer would prefer the watch to be serviced. Specifications - Lip Retrograde - Dates to the 1970s - NOS condition - 36mm gold-capped case - Original strap and box

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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