Here we have a good example of a classic early 1950s Abercrombie & Fitch Co “Shipmate” tool watch. It has a compact 30mm stainless steel case with the original chunky crown to the right and the 6 notched screwback to the rear. The dial is an aged silver tone, with the detailed 1/5th second track and bold luminous Arabic numerals. The hands are of thermally blued pencil style with the radium luminous and the tapered central second. Inside it has full Abercrombie signing with the reference 1105. The movement is protected with the dustcover and once removed you will see the Manual wind ETA 1080 movement, with a jewel count of 17 and shock proofing. It is signed with the AXF Abercrombie import code.
 
Abercrombie & Fitch weren’t always the Mike Jeffries styled, trendy, topless, body image focused, elitist outlet, aimed at teens. 
The brand has a long heritage as an outfitter for outdoorsmen and those participating in sporting pursuits. The flagship store on Fifth Avenue featured taxidermy elephants at the entrance, quite the contrasts from the fashionable clothing and aftershave of today. 
 
Abercrombie have distanced themselves from the history and heritage the company developed. To choose not to celebrate a history with clientele such as Teddy Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart and Ernest Hemingway, seems a strange move. But luckily objects from Abercrombies history, baring the quality and design offered during those eras, survive. 
 
The most sought after A&F watches come from the 1940s and 50s, when they collaborated with Heuer to produce specialised timepieces for outdoor and sporting pursuits. The Solunar was designed for hunters and fishermen, indicating optimal times for these activities based on lunar and solar positions.  The Solunar evolved into the Seafarer Chronograph which was designed for sailors with tide and yacht timer complications.
 
They also worked alongside other Swiss manufacturers to create ranges of more simplistic yet robust, time only watches. These pieces vary in quality and design, with full steel models with good quality movements, the most pleasing. Examples of original Abercrombie & Fitch watches that sport the triple signing of the dial, case and movement are less common and much more desirable. The Shipmate was one such quality tool watch. 
 
This example:
The dial is an aged silver tone which has some areas of darkened ageing. It is a classic tool watch dial with the detailed seconds railroad track, with the 1/5th of a second markings and Arabic 5 second graduations. The hour markers are bold Arabic numerals with the original, puffy luminous in-fill with the aged tone. The dial is proudly signed with the curved ‘Abercrombie & Fitch Co’ name, with the ‘Shipmate’ model name. To the base of the dial, it is signed ‘Made In Switzerland’. The hands are of pencil/index style with the thermally blued finish. The blued tone is good and bright, shining in the light. The hands are in-filled with the original, aged luminous paint. The central second hand is also bright and thermally blued, with the neat tapered profile. 
 
The stainless-steel case is compact, measuring 29.5mm x 29.5mm. It has a width with crown of 31.75mm. The lug-to-lug length is in proportion, measuring 36mm. The 16mm lug width allows a choice of strap or bracelet options. 
It is a nicely designed tool watch with the circular case shape. It has a notched, bevelled bezel which catches the eye. The case has the smooth tapered lug design with the brushed finish to the top. It has the light polished bevel to the sides, with the brushed finishing to the sides. It has the drilled lug holes which are well formed and allow for easy strap change. The chunky crown has the notched coin edge finish, for ease of use, with the polished flat domed face. To the rear is the screwback with has the brushed face with the polished bevelled edge. It has six notches which are well defined. It has a personal engraving of the original owner’s initials ‘L.D.P.’. Inside it is signed ‘Abercrombie & Fitch Co’ with the reference 1105. It has the original lead seal around the lip, which is a good indicator of originality. 
The movement is further protected by the inner cover, which gently lifts off. Underneath is the movement which is an ETA 1080 manual wind movement. It is fully signed, with the Abercrombie name and is marked with the AXF Abercrombie US import code. It has a jewel count of 17 and benefits from Incabloc shock protection. The service history is unknown, but the movement is in good condition and is keeping time to within 20 seconds variation a day.
 
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below. A further condition report is below.
 
Dial:
The dial is original and is in good, lightly patinated condition. It has a light darkened patination in areas. The original silver tone has darkened. The signing is clear and the radium is original and complete to the hour markers. It has some light marks associated with age.
 
Hands:
The hands are original and are in good patinated condition. They are thermally blued with a bright tone. They have some corrosion spots on the minute hand. The aged luminous is original and has darkened areas. 
 
Glass:
The acrylic crystal is a replacement which is in perfect condition. 
 
Crown:
The chunky crown is stainless steel and is original, with neat coin edge finish. It is in good condition.
 
Case:
The case is Stainless Steel and is in good unpolished condition. The case has circular brushed finishing to the bezel, with the polished bevels. It has a light brushing to the top of the lugs. The sides of the case have the brushed finish. There are light marks and nicks associated with age. The lug holes are good and well defined, without wear.
 
Caseback:
The Steel screw back is original. It is in good condition with the defined notches and light surface scratching. It has a personal engraving of the initials ‘LDP’. The brushed finish seems to have been refinished lightly. To the inside is the original lead seal. 
 
Strap:
The watch comes on a new Condor genuine leather strap. 
 
Movement:
The movement is an ETA 1080 manual wind movement. It has a jewel count of 17 and benefits from Incabloc shock protection. 
 
The service history is unknown, but the movement is in good condition and is keeping time to within 20 seconds variation a day, with an amplitude of 260 degrees and a 2.2 m/s beat error.
 
Case Dimensions:
Case width: 29.5mm
Case width with crown: 31.7mm 
Case length: 29.5mm 
Case length lug to lug: 36mm
Case Depth: 9.75mm
Lug width: 16mm