
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Wittnauer Automatic (Ref. 506 2) "Honeycomb Dial", 1950s
- Maker / attribution
- Wittnauer (maker)
- Date
- 1950s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- WTNAUT5062
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (WTNAUT5062)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1950s Wittnauer Automatic (Ref. 506 2) "Honeycomb Dial" (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number WTNAUT5062), this is a wristwatch by Wittnauer, dated 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) 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 — Craft & Tailored
Normally when hunting for vintage Wittnauer timepieces it's the chronographs that get most of the attention. But who cares about normal anyway? In the 1950s Wittnauer produced gorgeously designed watches that walked the fence between sport and dress and that even now, 70 years later, hold up both mechanically and aesthetically. SPECS Stock # WTNAUT5062 Brand Wittnauer Style Automatic Model 506 2 Serial N/A Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Black Honeycomb Millimeters 34 Bracelet 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The stainless steel case measures 34 millimeters, which may seem modest for the modern wrist but in this case, is practically perfect. Wittnauer designed this watch with both a wide sloped bezel and a long and broad set of lugs, giving the compact size some real-life presence. The watch also features a screw-down case back for improved water resistance and is worn on a beautiful 2 piece leather strap. DIAL & HANDS As special as the case feels, there's no doubt that the dial is the main event. The once dark black has aged beautifully with some light gold and cream flecks, due in part to the outrageous texture of the waffled surface. The fantastic set of applied art-deco steel hour markers is a mix of bold numerals and radium-notched arrowheads, with nearly all the radium plots remaining. The original dauphine hands have been professionally restored with radium in a cream coloration. No matter the angle this Wittnauer is sure to stun. ACCESSORIES Non. The watch is keeping time, previous service history is unknown.
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
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.
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