Vintage ad - Gay Frères (1948)

ENGLISH

"The bracelets which are most frequently copied". A long-time supplier to Rolex, Gay Frères created such iconic products as the Oyster bracelet seen here. This ad points out that competitors did not hesitate to market virtually identical models. Fifty years later, Rolex took over Gay Frères.
Do you like vintage watch ads? Please visit the page about Watch Ads, my two-volume pictorial history of communication and design in 20th Century watchmaking. You can also watch the video about the publication and download a 20-page preview of Volume 1.
The vintage ads presented in this Blog are not featured in the Watch Ads books.

ITALIANO

"I bracciali più imitati". Fornitore storico di Rolex, Gay Frères creò prodotti inconfondibili come il bracciale Oyster illustrato. Questo annuncio fa notare che i concorrenti non esitarono a commercializzare prodotti virtualmente identici. Cinquant'anni più tardi, Rolex assunse il controllo di Gay Frères.
Ti piacciono le pubblicità d'epoca? Visita la pagina su Watch Ads, la mia storia illustrata in due volumi della comunicazione e del design nell'orologeria del Novecento. Puoi anche guardare il video sull'opera e scaricare l'anteprima di 20 pagine del Volume 1. 
Gli annunci pubblicitari d'epoca presentati in questo Blog non sono inseriti nei volumi Watch Ads.

 

New releases - De Bethune DB25GMT Starry Varius

This new adaptation of the DB25 World Traveller features a polished grade 5 titanium case with a 42 mm diameter, integrated openworked lugs, and a screw-down sapphire caseback providing a glimpse of the in-house hand-wound movement. Starting from the centre, the dial indicates the date on the first disc with the help of its jumping date hand, which can be adjusted via a corrector at 6 o'clock. The hours of the first 24-hour time zone (home or reference time) are marked by the microsphere which appears to be floating weightless in its corridor. This function can be set in both directions (clockwise/counter-clockwise) via the crown. The local time is indicated by the blued hands whose curvature follows the relief of the dial, and can also be set by the crown, in both directions.

 

Vintage gadgets - Bulova (1960s)

Directly from the golden age of Bulova - a paperweight and a keyring for the Accutron fan!

Direttamente dagli anni d'oro di Bulova: un fermacarte e un portachiavi per gli appassionati dell'Accutron!

Only Watch 2021 - A 9.5 million desk clock

The Only Watch 2021 auction raised CHF 30 million (EUR 28.5 million) for research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Five of the 53 one-off creations by 54 of the world’s leading watch brands passed the one-million barrier, with a Patek Philippe desk clock reaching 9.5 millions. Inspired by the model delivered to the American collector James Ward Packard in 1923, this unique piece features a perpetual calendar, moon phases, week-number display and power-reserve indication (31 days). It is adjusted to a precision rate of -1/+1 second per day and housed in a sterling silver cabinet with vermeil decorative elements and American walnut inlays.

 

Novità - Inceptum

 

Presentato in occasione dell’ultima mostra-mercato Watches of Italy, l’Inceptum ha un look che ricorda gli orologi militari degli Anni 30/40. La cassa d’acciaio ha un diametro di 37mm e ospita un movimento svizzero a carica manuale con platina e ponti riprogettati dai due ingegneri-imprenditori che hanno fondato la Casa.