Introducing
Wittnauer Longines Cal 9 Rope Bezel "Wrinkles"
Circa 1950s
Art deco watches are amazing. Their makers bring to many variations to the table that it's virtually impossible to have seen all of them. Lugs, bezel, dial, hands, hour markers and crystal go through so many permutations.
Wrinkles here is so-named because of his dial. For something from the 1950s, this guy has a pretty clean dial with a wrinkle-like texture. Take it into the sun or under the loupe and you've got yourself a conversation starter.
Because of the subtle dial texture, the rope bezel will be the one to catch your eye. People who love art deco timepieces are invariably searching for a particularity in certain pieces that make them stand out from the rest on the shelf. The rope bezel did it for me.
Not too garish, and in small amounts, leaving the rest of the watch to be admired,
Also on the dial is a window-in-window effect given by the obviously planned out mini-seconds subdial. The bevelled edges of the tiny windows give loupe-lovers a little more to admire, as does the dew drop of a counter balance on the mini-seconds hand.
On the dial are tapered hour markers and arabic numerals, both applied. The Wittnauer logo sits at 12'O in place of numerals, which to me is always a nice touch given the little space accorded to the dial for decorations.
Also the stick minute hand grazes the edges of the hour markers, something I always look out for because it shows consideration on the designer's' part (and also of it's original hands).
But the main event for Wrinkles has got to be the dial texture. Spreading out from the dial centre are curved lines that cross and mesh into an artistic display of rises and nooks. In my mind I imagine rope texture to be as such when scrutinized under a microscope, so that more or less completes the artistic interpretation of the watch's concept.
And as with all art deco watches, this guy is a great size delivered in a small package. Who needs large garish blocks on one's wrist anyway?
1950s Vintage Wittnauer Longines
Cal 9 Rope Bezel "Wrinkles"
Hour, minute and mini-seconds hands
Gold dial with guilloche
23mm 10k gold-filled stainless steel case
32mm lug-to-lug
18mm lug-width
Cal. 9 WNG manual wind movement @ 18,000vph
Thick domed acrylic crystal
Black aftermarket leather strap
S$360
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