Don't miss the next drop
Every now and then, a watch appears that ticks all the boxes. A piece that represents a perfect convergence of the most desirable traits of a particular era. For connoisseurs of pre-war chronographs, this is one of those watches. What we have here is a checklist of golden-age greatness: a sophisticated monopusher complication, an intricate sector dial, and a stunning blued-steel handset. This is the kind of piece that gets us truly excited.
The 1930s and 40s were a period of unparalleled creativity and elegance in watch design. The chronograph was evolving from a simple pocket watch into a sophisticated wrist-worn instrument. One of the earliest and most elegant forms was the “monopusher,” where a single button, often co-axial to the crown, controls the start, stop, and reset functions. It’s a mechanically beautiful and streamlined solution that predates the now-common two-pusher system.
But the dial, the dial is the absolute soul of this watch. It is a textbook example of an Art Deco “sector” design, which uses concentric rings and linear markings to create a look that is simultaneously technical and exquisitely beautiful. The multi-tone finish separates the functions, while the outermost tracks feature both a Telemetre scale (for measuring distance) and a Tachymeter scale (for measuring speed). This was a scientific instrument you could wear on your wrist. While the brand “Cevrus” may be unfamiliar, it’s typical of the era, where smaller, specialist workshops assembled magnificent watches using top-tier components from the best suppliers in Switzerland.
This particular example is a stunning survivor. The complex dial is in remarkable and, crucially, original condition for its 80-plus years, showing a gentle, honest patina that speaks to its history. The printing of the intricate scales remains sharp and legible. The original, thermally-blued steel hands are a vibrant slash of color against the dial’s silvery surface, a hallmark of high-quality watchmaking from the period. The 33mm stainless steel case retains its sharp, classic lines, with the single pusher giving it a clean, symmetrical elegance.
