At hand, we have a lovely 1940s chronograph from Wittnauer, a brand with an interesting history.
The story of Wittnauer begins in New York in 1880, when Albert Wittnauer produced the brand's very first watches. Formally established as the Wittnauer Company in 1885, Albert’s vision was to create a brand offering the quality and reliability of Swiss craftsmanship while being more affordable for the American public.
Wittnauer soon became known for providing quality, affordable watches and instruments to the scientific and industrial community, collaborating with the U.S. Navy during early aviation and navigation tests. By 1885, Wittnauer had grown to become the exclusive agent for Longines products in America. Albert’s brothers, Louis and Emile, joined the company, and together, they ran it as a family business until the last of them passed away in 1915.
After the Great Depression, Wittnauer was acquired by the Hella Deltah Company, which rebranded it as Longines-Wittnauer. In the 1950s, the Longines Watch Company bought Wittnauer, producing watches under both brand names. In the 1990s, the Swatch Group decided to separate the brands again, and Wittnauer was sold to Bulova, where it continues to operate today.
This fine chronograph features an 18k pink (or “rose”) gold case, sized at 35mm, with square pushers. The champagne-colored dial boasts a charming baby blue base 1000 outer scale, complemented by a black printed minute track and painted black Arabic numerals. Powered by a hand-wound Valjoux 21 movement (signed Wittnauer), it comes on the pictured Bulang & Sons strap and has been fully serviced by our watchmaker.
Get in touch today to make this remarkable Wittnauer chronograph yours!
Specifications:
- Wittnauer 18k pink gold chronograph
- Dating to the 1930s
- 35mm case with snap-back and square pushers
- Serial: 34XXX
- Silver/champagne dial with base 1000 scale in blue
- No lume and blued hands
- Valjoux 21 hand-wound movement, Wittnauer signed
- Comes on the pictured Bulang & Sons strap
- Fully serviced by our watchmaker
- One-year mechanical warranty
- Free worldwide FedEx Priority shipping