Here we have a charming 1950s Cyma Navystar Cymaflex reference 25678-6. It has a 34mm Stainless Steel case which has nicely designed facetted lugs, with a gilt black dial, with eye-catching applied arrow hour markers. It has a signed crown to the right-hand side, with a steel screw back. Inside is the calibre R.459 movement, which is keeping time to within 20 seconds a day. 
 
This is a watch that shows you don’t need to break the bank to get a quality piece of design, with a strong level of quality. The watch is capable of being a jack of all trades, suitable as an everyday wear, sportier wear or dress piece.
 
The dial is a gilt black dial which has a lightly spotted patination with age. The hour markers are of arrowhead shape, with Arabic 12 and 6. They are a gold tone, with aged lume plots to the base. The elegant mix of black and gold continues with the minute dashes, Cyma Navystar signing and the applied Cyma logo. It is a really enjoyable dial, with the stealth of the black base tone a welcome contrast from more common silvers. 
 
The 34mm Stainless Steel case is a sleek and considered design, which is one of my favourite mid-century cases. 
Firstly, the sizing is excellent for any wrist. It has strict measurements of 34mm width, 9mm depth and the lug-to-lug measurement of 41mm. The width makes it’s a neat wear, with the crown adding to the presence, bringing the width to 36mm. The 41mm lug to lug length makes up for sizing that some may view as petite, by adding presence to the case. The elegant lugs taper inwards, with a bevelled finish that catches the eye. They also curve towards the wrist, making the watch a very comfortable wear. The relatively slim depth, combined with the taper to the wrist, give the watch a low profile which further adds the neat look and comfort. 
The notched smooth bezel breaks up the watch, rising slightly above the lugs to create a clear surround to frame the dial. The sides of the case are curved, continuing the polished finish. To the right-hand side there is a notched recess for the signed crown to sit within.  Between the lugs, there is a brushed finish with the reference number 25678-6 at 6 O’clock. 
To the rear is the 12-sided screw back which has a polished finish. On the inside it has perlage finishing and is signed with the Cyma logo, with the reference 25678-6.
 
This example has fixed bar lugs which is somewhat uncommon.
 
Inside is Cymas own calibre, the R.459. It is a manual wind movement, with a jewel count of 17. It has a 42-hour power reserve and has Cymas own patented Cymaflex shock protection. It’s keeping time to +20 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 230 degrees.
 
We are big fans of Cyma due to their quality, design cues and in-house movements. They offer significant value for money and are a joy to have in a collection.
 
Full condition report below. Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
 
Dial: 
The dial is original and is in fair condition for the age. It is a gilt black dial and has some spotted lighter patination. The lacquer has lifted slightly around the applied hour markers. The applied markers and signing are in good condition, with the original aged radium lume plots.
 
Hands: 
The hands are original. They are of Dauphine style, with luminous in-fill. They are a gold tone, which is good, with some areas of light corrosion. The central second hand is also original. 
 
Glass: 
The acrylic crystal is a replacement which is in good condition with no obvious marking.
 
Crown: 
The crown is original and is in good condition with the Cyma logo clearly defined. It has some light surface scratching. 
 
Case:
The case is Stainless Steel and is in good condition for the age. It has a polished finish with light surface scratching associated with ageing. The bevels to the lugs are good and defined.
 
Caseback:
The case back is formed of steel and is in good condition with polished finish. It has light surface scratching associated with age. 
 
Strap: 
The watch comes on a new genuine leather strap for fixed lugs.
 
Movement: 
The movement is a Cyma Calibre R.459. It is a manual wind movement, with a jewel count of 17. It has a 42 hour power reserve and has Cymaflex shock protection.
 
The service history is unknown, but the movement is cosmetically clean and is keeping good time. It’s keeping time to +20 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 230 degrees and a beat error of 0.3m/s.
 
Case dimensions: 
Case width: 34mm
Case width with crown: 36mm
Case length: 33mm
Case length lug to lug: 41mm
Case Depth: 9.5mm
Lug width: 19mm