A very high spec watch for the day, this Bumper Automatic from Richard would have been quite the thing in the day.

HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?

The movement in this example was in production between 1935 and 1945, and the earlier ones had the word Brevet on them.  This one therefore must be a later one and no later than 1945.

CONDITION

The first watch with automatic winding was patented by Harwood in 1924.  Rolex later apologised to Harwood after the Rolex advertising falsely claimed this feat.  The movement in this watch was developed from the Harwood idea of a bumper automatic, so the rotor turns through about 230 degrees before bouncing back the opposite way.  These are a unique part of horology, abandoned now for the more efficient full rotor automatics, and as they were not around for long are quite collectible.  This watch has the 17 jewel movement nicely decorated, and sits behind the original anti magnetic shield that is so often lost over the years.  The watch was also claiming to be waterproof, helped by the screw down case back in the stainless steel case, and it also has shock protection on the balance.  All these features were still in development at this time, which shows what a top end watch this was.  The original black dial has a military look to it, and while it does have several marks on it overall it still presents well.  The hands have lost a little of the lume, but better that than replacement hands.  The leather strap is new, and could be swapped for a different colour if preferred.

This watch will be supplied with our branded presentation box and our Certificate of Authenticity.

Please see the HD video for more detail.  All photos and videos are part of the description and are of the actual watch unless mentioned.  We do not photoshop any pictures, and the images are copyright of birthyearwatches.com and should not be used without permission.

​SIZE

Width with crown  35.1 mm

Width without crown  32.7 mm

Between lugs  18 mm

Lug to lug length  41.8 mm

Case Thickness  9.7 mm

All sizes are approximate.

Included with this watch is a 3 month guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses.  If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries.  Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us.   Payment can be made by most credit or debit cards, bank transfer or PayPal.

From 1st September 2021 we will be planting a tree for every watch we sell, working with the International Tree Foundation (Est 1922) to make this business positive on carbon.  By buying anything pre owned you are effectively reusing what already exists, but this takes it further and makes us feel good.

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