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Wristwatch by Glycine Watch S.A., Switzerland, c. 1965 — view 1 of 4
View 1 of 4 · Image: Deutsches Uhrenmuseum; photo: Deutsches Uhrenmuseum · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Wristwatch by Glycine Watch S.A., Switzerland, c. 1965

DocumentedDocumented from the holding institution's catalogue record.
Maker / attribution
Glycine Watch S.A. (Created); Ebauches Bettlach AG (Created); Portescap (Created)
Date
c. 1965
Country of origin
Switzerland
Place
Biel/Bienne
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Höhe: 4.20 cm, Breite: 3.60 cm, Tiefe: 1.10 cm, Durchmesser: 3.40 cm
Holding institution
German Clock Museum
Accession / object no.
1998-020
Credit line
German Clock Museum
Catalogue title (original)
Armbanduhr, Glycine Altus Automatic, Biel, um 1965 (German)

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Record summary

Held and catalogued by German Clock Museum (object number 1998-020), this is a wristwatch by Glycine Watch S.A., made in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, dated c. 1965. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Höhe: 4.20 cm, Breite: 3.60 cm, Tiefe: 1.10 cm, Durchmesser: 3.40 cm. 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

Catalogue description from German Clock Museum (German)

Armbanduhr Glycine „Altus“, Automatikwerk mit Datum, Biel (CH), um 1965

Shown in the original language of the source catalogue. An editor-reviewed English translation has not yet been published; we do not publish machine translations as authoritative text.

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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