Mens 1920s A. Wittnauer TIFFANY & CO Vintage 14k SOLID GOLD Art Deco Swiss Watch
Item History & Price
Founded in 1866 by Swiss immigrant Albert Wittnauer in New York City, the Wittnauer Watch Company became “official” in 1880 when the brand was formally introduced in its present form. Albert, along with his brother Louis (and later Emile) imported complete watches or just mechanisms from its Geneva, Switzerland factory. In 1889 the company ran its very first advertisement. Appearing in the twentieth anniversary issue of the Jewelers’ Weekly, the ad notes that the company sold b...oth plain and complicated watches, suggesting that it was a source for chronographs and repeating watches.By the 20th century they were firmly established as providing watches, chronometers and military timing devices to the military, famed early explorers and the general public, and are on record for producing the first waterproof watch called the All Proof in 1918. Long associated with the Longines Watch Co. via a US partnership the firm is now owned by Bulova, once a great competitor.I am happy to offer for sale a less often seen early Art Deco model from Albert Wittnauer, a men’s late 1920s cut corner Tank watch in excellent condition. This 14kt Solid Yellow Gold model perfectly illustrates how close the Longines and Wittnauer brands were at the time; Longines offered a near identical model of the same quality. This one is of special interest as it’s a private label model made for Tiffany & Co. of New York. Tiffany primarily commissioned A. Wittnauer, Longines, Agassiz and IWC for its private label timepieces and this one is absolutely correct.Its cut corner, rectangular case measures 36.5mm lug tip to lug tip and 22mm in width (23.7mm with winding crown). This works out to be 1-7/16 inches in length by 7/8 of an inch wide (not including the crown) My trusted watchmaker David has fully serviced its original 15 jewel, 3 adjustment manual wind Caliber 54 mechanism, ensuring it winds and sets smoothly while keeping accurate time.The enamel finished dial is in flawless condition, the original that’s been professionally refinished/restored to its correct, original status. It features a 60 minute outer track border, applied gold hour markers, original gold metal hands and a rectangular subsidiary seconds dial with ‘sweep’ blue steel seconds hand. Signed TIFFANY & CO. below the 12 marker. The solid glass crystal is in flawless condition. The 14 Karat Solid Yellow Gold case is in excellent order – photos do not do it justice. The matching yellow gold winding crown is excellent too, winding and setting smoothly. Turning the watch over I find that the snap down back lid is excellent shape, no wear whatsoever. This watch has been personally engraved and is signed “William Tannenbaum”. Peeking inside I find a fully serviced, manual wind mechanism that is signed A. Wittnauer Co., Fifteen 15 Jewels, Swiss – C.54. The inside of the case lid is finely engine turned and stamped A.W. – 14K - 79466. The “A.W.” stands for A. Wittnauer. This fully disassembled, cleaned, oiled & regulated watch winds and sets smoothly while keeping accurate time. It is fitted on a new and high quality 16mm black smooth calf leather strap with matching color buckle handcrafted by Fluco of Germany. Folks, I haven’t had a solid 14k gold Art Deco men’s Tiffany & Co. timepiece like for at least a dozen years. This is a very fine example.Watch sizes: I provide exact case measurements in millimeters (the watch industry standard) and inches, and include a U.S. quarter in one photo as a size reference. Draw the measurements on a piece of paper to help visualize the watch on your wrist. Remember, men’s vintage watches are noticeably smaller than oversized timepieces you see today. Prefer a brown strap instead of black? For most men’s watches I can switch the color before mailing; just let me know. U.S. winners pay $15.75 for fully insured, safely boxed USPS shipping with door-to-door tracking. Washington State residents are required to pay sales tax. Residents of states where eBay collects sales tax are also required to pay this.Canadian winners pay $44.00 (actual cost) for Global Priority Express with insurance. Other international buyers pay $64.00 (actual or below cost) for Global Priority Express Mail with door-to-door tracking. I cover any additional insurance fees and always pay MORE for shipping than what I charge.International buyers: Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are your responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to confirm any additional costs prior to bidding. I ship within 24 hours of receiving cleared payment, but your local custom authorities can cause delays.Payment is due within three days of auction end, unless you have contacted me prior to auction end to arrange otherwise. In accordance with eBay policy, payments not received in four days will initiate an unpaid item case through the Resolution Center.All of my watches are under warranty. In the rare event that a watch needs further service upon receipt, return the wristwatch to me (or mail it to my watchmaker, David, in New York City) at my expense. It will be corrected and quickly mailed back to you. Note: I will not pay for or offer a partial refund for work done by another watchmaker. I am a proud member of the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (NAWCC). If you like unique and collectible vintage or antique wristwatches, add me as one of your favorite sellers. I specialize in American and Swiss timepieces from the 1900s to 1970s. My selection changes weekly, and is comprised of manual wind and automatic watches from the following categories: WWI trench; WWII; military; fancy case, art nouveau; art deco; mid-century modern; stainless steel; sterling silver; white, yellow and rose gold; solid gold; platinum; and diamond, ruby and/or sapphire ladies cocktail watches. Need accessories for your watch? Our sister store, Holben's Fine Watch Bands, offers an extensive selection of sport, military and dress straps, buckles, deployment clasps and other wristwatch accessories from European and American manufacturers.
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