Waltham Swiss Automatic 17J Incabloc Date Gold-Tone 37mm Running, 1960s — view 1 of 4 — View 1 of 4 · Image: Sphere Auctions LLC / LiveAuctioneers · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Waltham Swiss Automatic 17J Incabloc Date Gold-Tone 37mm Running, 1960s

DocumentedDocumented from an auction catalogue; attribution as stated by the auction house.

Maker / attribution: Waltham (maker)
Date: 1960s
Historical period: Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Country of origin: Switzerland
Object type: Wristwatch
Auction house: LiveAuctioneers auction archive
Lot: Item 213978661
Credit line: Auction lot record: lot 59, Exclusive Watches and Jewelry, Sphere Auctions LLC (2025), via LiveAuctioneers
Catalogue title (original): Waltham Swiss Automatic 17J Incabloc Date Gold-Tone 37mm Running (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by LiveAuctioneers auction archive (lot Item 213978661), this is a wristwatch by Waltham, made in Switzerland, dated 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 4 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

Lot description — Sphere Auctions LLC

Vintage Waltham selfwinding wristwatch, circa late 1960s–early 1970s, with gold-tone case (base metal bezel, stainless steel back) measuring approx. 37.3mm. Silver dial with applied gold rectangular indices, baton hands, central sweep seconds, and framed date window at 3 o’clock.Powered by a Swiss-made Waltham automatic movement, 17 jewels, Incabloc shock protection, unadjusted. Rotor signed Waltham Watch Co. Fitted with a vintage Speidel expansion band.Maker: Waltham (Swiss license, post-1960s)Movement: Swiss automatic, ETA-based, 17 jewels, runningCase: Gold-tone, base metal bezel, stainless steel back, 37.3mmDial: Silver-tone, gold indices, date at 3Crystal: Acrylic domeStrap: Vintage Speidel expansion bandEra: Late 1960s–early 1970sCondition: Case shows wear, dial lightly patinated; movement intact; watch is running

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 timeline More wristwatches from this period Earlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Automatic (self-winding) watches

Self-winding watches use the wearer's motion to wind the mainspring. Abraham-Louis Perrelet and Breguet made 'perpétuelle' pocket watches with oscillating weights in the late eighteenth century, but the principle only became practical in the wristwatch. John Harwood patented a bumper automatic in 1923; Rolex's Perpetual rotor (1931) winding in one direction, and later bidirectional rotors (Eterna, Felsa Bidynator), established the modern form. Micro-rotors (Universal Genève, Buren) and peripheral rotors made automatic watches thinner.

What to look for

A semicircular rotor turning 360° over the movement, or a 'bumper' weight that rebounds between springs.
'Automatic', 'Perpetual' or 'Self-winding' on the dial.
A sealed screw-back case, since automatic watches are wound less often by the crown.

Dating clues

Bumper automatics: 1923–c. 1955.
Full rotors: from 1931 (Rolex); widespread after c. 1950.
Micro-rotors: from 1954–1958.

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.

Mechanisms mentioned

Jewel bearings — Component
Self-winding (automatic) mechanism — Component
Shock protection — Component

Record completeness

Maker or attributionRecorded
DateRecorded
Place or countryRecorded
MaterialsNot in source
DimensionsNot in source
Narrative descriptionRecorded
Inscriptions / marksNot in source
ProvenanceNot in source
Several photographsRecorded

Editorial status: Documented — facts as published by the source; not independently verified by Atlas editors.

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Sources & image rights

Record source: LiveAuctioneers auction archive (opens another website in a new tab).

Image rights: © Sphere Auctions LLC / LiveAuctioneers — permission required (opens another website in a new tab).

Images are hosted by the Atlas for study and credited to their owner. Rights holders may request correction, credit changes or removal, or grant permission, via the editorial office.

Cite this record

"Waltham Swiss Automatic 17J Incabloc Date Gold-Tone 37mm Running, 1960s." LiveAuctioneers auction archive, Item 213978661. Catalogue record in The Horology Atlas, WatchMuseum.org, https://atlas.watchmuseum.org/museum/waltham-swiss-automatic-17j-incabloc-date-gold-tone-37mm-running-e17c64.