For sale we have a good quality circa 1927 Recta Silver Dennison cased Semi-hunter pocket watch, size 27S. It has a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and railroad track, with the thermally blued spade & whip hands. The front cover has roman numeral enamel inlay. The inside of the case is signed with British hallmarking from Birmingham assay office, dating to 1927. Inside is a good quality Recta 15 jewel calibre, with 3 adjustments, which is keeping accurate time to within +45 seconds a day.
The Silver case is a size 27S and is of semi-hunter design. The front cover has a small window to allow the user to see the hands, whilst protecting the inner dial. It is surrounded by a hour/minute track with Roman numerals and black enamel inlay. The crown is depressed to open the front cover. The dial is protected by another crystal. It is an enamel dial with railroad minute track and italic stylised Arabic numerals indicating the hours. It has an inset sub-second with 10 second graduations and individual second track. Above it is signed with the Recta branding. The inside of the front cover has clear hallmarking.
The stem, crown and loop are in very good condition, with clear hallmarking and very little wear. The onion crown is nicely designed and the loop is a lovely shape.
To the rear, the outer case back has some scratching associated with age. Inside it has clear hallmarking from Birmingham assay office, dating it to 1927. It is signed with the ALD makers mark for Dennison. The inner cover also has a polished finish with some light scratching. Inside it has matching hallmarking with the Dennison signing and is marked 2 Oz.
The movement is a joy to look at. It is a 15 jewel calibre from Recta, which is marked as having 3 adjustments. It is also marked as non-magnetic which is an added bonus for the period. It has a high-quality ratchet adjustment system for the regulating arm. It is finished with perlage to the bridges which catches the eye.
The service history is unknown, but the movement is a reliable timekeeper and has been well tested. It keeps time to within +45 seconds a day, with a strong amplitude of 332 degrees and a beat error of 1.6 m/s.
If you are looking for a classic, good quality Semi-hunter pocket watch at a good price, this is a lovely addition to any collection.
Recta Watch Company:
Recta Watch Company were founded by Antoine Muller and Alcide Vaucher in Bien, Switzerland in 1897. In 1898the name Recta was registered and they built their own factory in Bien in 1902. Eduard Tieche jouned as head of sales in 1905 and remained until 1946. They expanded to a larger factory in 1913 to keep up with demand.
Recta watches could be found with the Geneva seal in their early days, indicating that they were capable of the highest level of quality. They also participated in multiple chronometer competitions held by the Neuchatel Observatory.
In 1915, Recta added compasses to its product line. In 1941 they developed the world-famous liquid compass, known as the DP model, which was used by the Swiss army and is still used today by armies around the world.
The company ceased production in 1984, one of the many victims of the quartz crisis. They were acquired by Suunto, a Finnish clock and compass manufacturer in 1996. More recently Recta has been revived, offering modern watches.
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
A further condition report is below.
Dial:
The dial is enamel and is in very good original condition. It has good and clear railroad track, with Arabic numerals and the Recta signing. It is a bright white tone. There are no chips or hairline fractures.
Hands:
The hands are original. They are of Spade and Whip style with a thermally blued finish. The blued finish is in good condition, with a bright shine. There is no bending to the hands. The sub-second hand is also original.
Glass:
The crystal is a modern replacement, which is in good condition with only light marking.
Loop:
The crown, stem and loop are original and are in good condition, with clear hallmarking.
Case:
It is a silver case of semi-hunter design. It is in good original condition, with light surface scratching. It has some light nicks associated with age. It is a good tone, with little tarnishing.
Front cover:
The front hinged cover is good, with light surface scratching and original polished finish. It springs open when the crown is depressed. It opens to a 90-degree angle. The hinge in good condition. The enamel in-fill to the roman numerals is good and original. The crystal is in good condition.
Caseback:
The hinged case back is in good condition and closes tightly. It has a polished finish which is original. It has some scratching associated with ageing. The hinge is good. Inside it has British hallmarking from Birmingham Assay office.
Inner hinged back:
The inner hinged back is in good condition, closing tightly. It has light surface scratching associated with age and opening. Inside it has matching hallmarking from Birmingham assay office.
Movement:
The movement is a good quality 15 jewel calibre from Recta. It is marked as having 3 adjustments and being non-magnetic. It has a ratchet adjustment regulator and the bridges have perlage finishing.
The service history is unknown, but the movement is functioning well. It keeps time to within +45 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 332 degrees and a beat error of 1.6 m/s.
Case dimensions:
Case width: 52mm
Case length: 52.25mm
Case length with crown: 66.75mm
Case length with crown loop: 71.75mm
Case Depth: 15.25mm