Here we have a stylish 1950s Coretbert gold capped on Stainless Steel, Grand Prix ref 9604 watch. It has a gold capped top, with stainless steel sides and steel screw back. It is a well-proportioned 34.5mm case. It has a cream matte dial, with rose gold tone applied hour markers, with applied Bottony cross logo. The rose gold tone Dauphine hands compliment the hour markers nicely. A simple and balanced, un-cluttered dial.
Inside is the in-house calibre 700 movement. It is an early bi-directional automatic movement, of good quality, known as the ‘Corterotor’. It is an excellent time keeper, to within +5 seconds a day.
The dial is a lovely balanced design. It has a cream matte white finish which has lightly aged. Around the exterior are simple dash minute/seconds markers. The hour markers are applied, in a rose gold tone, adding texture and depth to the dial. They are of arrow head design, with block head designs at 3, 6 and 9, with a double maker at 12 O’clock. This combination provides a well-balanced and attractive design. The Cortebert logo, the Bottony cross is applied in rose gold tone below 12, with the Cortebert signing in the classic Italic font. There is the ‘automatic 21 jewel’ signing above 6 O’clock, with ‘Swiss Made’ below.
The case measures 34.5mm x 34.5mm with a lug-to-lug length of 41.75mm. This makes the watch wear larger than its strict width and means its much more in-fitting with modern sizing taste.
The dial is surrounded by a flat, broad gold capped bezel, which has a good even tone. This gold capped finish continues on to the top of the long-tapered lugs. The crown to the right-hand side is also a gold tone, with a coin edge finish and domed face. The flat sides are steel, with a polished finish before it bevels to meet the stainless-steel screw back. The rear is marked ‘Grand Prix’ and has the reference 9604. It is engraved with the features of the watch ‘Waterproof Antimagnetic Swiss Incabloc”.
Inside is a Cortebert calibre 700. It is an in-house automatic movement from Cortebert. It was an early bi-directional automatic design, known as the ‘Corterotor’. It has a jewel count of 21 and a frequency of 18,000 BPH. It also has Incabloc shock protection.
Aesthetically it has a good level of finishing, with Geneve striping to the bridges and the rotor. A good reliable movement which has been recently serviced. It’s keeping time to within +5 seconds a day.
Cortebert:
Cortbert were started when Abraham-Louis Juillard opened a watchmaking store in Cortebert village in Switzerland in 1790. The brand name Cortebert was registered is 1855, using the bottony cross as a logo.
The company was particularly well known for producing jump hour pocket watches in the late 19th century. The license was obtained for the jump-hour movement, designed by Josef Pallweber. By the early 1920s, the jump hour movement had transitioned into a wristwatch and remains one of the earliest examples of a ‘digital’ watch.
They were known for producing their own movements and supplying movements to other brands. Cortebert supplied the ebauches thar Rolex altered and designated cal 618, that were used in the original Radiomir 3646 and later 6152 Panerai watches.
Sadly the company ceased trading in the late 1970s, a victim of the Quartz crisis.
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
A further condition report is below.
Dial:
The dial is in excellent original condition. It is a lightly aged cream tone with a matte finish. It has dash minute/second track is good and clear with the arrowhead arrow markers a good bright rose gold tone. The applied logo is good and bright, with clear signing in black to the dial. There are no real marks to mention.
Hands:
The hands are of Dauphine style and are original. They are a rose gold tone and are in good original condition. They have some light marking associated with age.
Glass:
The acrylic crystal appears original, fitting the profile very well. It is in good condition and has some very light marking.
Crown:
The gold tone crown appears original and is in good condition, matching the tone of the gold capping.
Case:
The case is gold capped on Stainless Steel. It is original and unpolished. The gold capped top is good, with no wear. It has some scratches between 5 and 6 o’clock and on the bottom right lug. The tone is good and even. The sides are good with the plished finish having some light marking. The drilled lugs are good and without wear.
Caseback:
The screw back is formed of steel and is a screw back. It is in decent original condition. The engraving is somewhat worn to the bottom right-hand side, however it is all still visible. It has some light marking and remains unpolished.
Strap:
The watch comes on a new genuine leather strap.
Movement:
The movement is a Cortebert calibre 700. It is an in-house automatic movement from Cortebert. It was an early bi-directional automatic design, known as the ‘Corterotor’. It has a jewel count of 21 and a frequency of 18,000 BPH. It also has Incabloc shock protection.
The movement has been recently serviced. It’s keeping time to within +5 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 260 degrees and a beat error of 0.7m/s.
Case dimensions:
Case width: 34.5mm
Case width with crown: 37.25mm
Case length: 34.5mm
Case length lug to lug: 41.75mm
Case Depth: 11.5mm
Lug width: 18mm