Every so often, the world of vintage watches presents you with something truly unexpected. While we all know and love the big names, there is a special thrill in discovering a piece from a smaller, lesser-known brand that possesses a singular, breathtaking quality. This Austin De Luxe is one such watch. Austin was one of the many savvy, private-label brands of the mid-20th century that offered stylish, reliable Swiss watchmaking to a broad audience. They created handsome, well-made timepieces, but it’s what the last 50 or 60 years have done to this particular watch that has elevated it into the realm of art.
Let’s be clear: the dial on this watch is extraordinary. What likely started as a standard, deep blue sunburst dial has undergone a radical and beautiful transformation. The original lacquer has crystallized over decades, creating a fractured, almost marble-like pattern that is utterly mesmerizing. Light dances across its textured surface, creating a sense of depth and complexity that is simply stunning. This is not damage—this is the poetry of time. It is a one-of-a-kind patina, a chaotic and beautiful process that can never be replicated. In our opinion, it’s this kind of “accidental art” that makes vintage collecting so thrilling.
This spectacular dial is housed in a classic 34mm stainless steel case. With its simple polished bezel and clean, straight lugs, the case is the perfect, understated frame that allows the dial to be the unquestioned star of the show. The applied, silver-toned indices and sharp dauphine hands are in excellent condition, providing bright, legible points of contrast against the wild blue backdrop. It’s a design that is at once simple and infinitely complex.