Here we have an unusually designed Waterproof 'Clamshell' Felca watch, dating to the 1950s. It is signed as the reference 4066, with a two-piece stainless-steel case. The curved square case fits the wrist snuggly, with the front and rear held together with two screwed wedges to the top and bottom of the rear. This sandwiches the pieces of the case and the crystal with the seal, to create a waterproof design. This is further aided by the crown with is a tight fit, with a split stem. The dial is eyecatching with its silver satin tone and use or raised silver dots markers and silver foil Arabic numerals. The rear has the brushed finishing, with the inside marked with the Felca name and ‘Brevet’. The movement is an ETA 1080 which is manual wind. It has been recently serviced and is keeping reliable time.
Felca:
Felca began as Felco Watch Co. which was founded in 1919. In 1943 it was renamed Felca and in 1981 it changed to Titoni.
Felca watches were sold all over the world and were a well-known Swiss brand. The second brand attached, Titoni, was created and became a hit in the Asian market. With the success of Titoni in the Asian market, the independent family company integrated Felca into Titoni.
The design:
The dial is a beautiful design. The silver satin tone has a subtle brushed finish within it that catches the light. The satin tone provides a lovely shine which is fresh and bright. It provides precise time keeping with the seconds track having 5 second Arabic markers, single second markers and 1/5th of a second graduations. The hour markers consist of raised silver dot markers with balanced arabic 12, 3, 6, 9 silver foil markers. These are pleasing as they catch the light and are of a stylish font with the curvature, flat topped 3 and open 6 and 9. It is simply signed below 12 with the ‘Felca’ name in the font of the era. Below it is proudly signed with its features ‘Waterproof’ with ‘Incabloc’ above 6 O’clock. The stick style hour and minute hand are a silver tone and are a neat design. The red central second hand is clear and has a neat taper.
The case is well proportioned for a vintage watch, measuring 28mm wide by 29mm in length. It has a good lug-to-lug measurement of 38mm, whilst maintaining a slim profile at 8.5mm deep. The lug width of 20mm allows a well sized strap to be fitted. It is formed of Stainless Steel and is an unusual Clamshell waterproof design from the period. It is designed of a curved front piece, with the solid back which holds the movement and dial. It is wedged in place with the piece to the top and bottom, which are screwed in. This pulls the case together and ensures a tight seal with the crystal which sits over the dial with a rubber gasket. The crown sits tightly over the long crown tube, which helps to waterproof it. To expose the movement, it has a split stem, with the crown being removed by pulling it.
The crystal is the original complex curve, which sits proud of the dial and adds depth to the design.
The case is a stylish design with a square bezel design with the polished finish framing the dial nicely. The lugs neatly turn in to create a more compact styling as the case meets the strap. It has a brushed finish to the top and bottom of the case which helps to break up the finishes. There is a bevel to each side which is polished, with the brushed finish to the flat sides. From the side you can see the curvature of the case with the downturned lugs, which makes it a comfortable wear. To the rear is the flat case back which is a solid piece. It has the original brushed finishing with the reference signing ‘4066’. To the top and bottom are the screwed case clamps. Inside the rear is signed with the Felca name and the Brevet signing, indicating the patented nature of the design.
The movement is an ETA calibre 1080. It is manual wind, with sweep centre second and a jewel count of 17. It has a frequency of 18,000 BPH and a 40-hour power reserve. It benefits from shock protection. The movement has been recently serviced and is keeping time to +40 seconds a day.
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 very good original condition. It is a Silver satin base tone which is fresh and even. The signing is good and unworn with silver foil Arabic markers. There are some light marks.
Hands:
The hands are original and are in good condition. The hour and minute hands are Silver with the red second hand.
Glass:
The acrylic crystal is original and is in good condition for the age with only some light marking.
Crown:
The crown is original and is in good condition with the coin edge finish. It has some light surface scratching. It is a split stem design which is secure.
Case:
The case is Stainless Steel and is in good condition for the age. It has brushed finishing with polished bevels. It has light surface scratching associated with ageing. It is unpolished.
Caseback:
The case back is formed of steel and is in good condition for the age. It is a solid piece which holds the movement and dial. It is held in place with the steel inserts screwed to the top and bottom. It has the original brushed finish with some light scratching. The signing and reference number are clear. It is unpolished.
Strap:
The watch comes on a new genuine leather racing style strap.
Movement:
The movement is an ETA calibre 1080. It is manual wind, with sweep centre second and a jewel count of 17. It has a frequency of 18,000 BPH and a 40-hour power reserve. It benefits from shock protection.
The movement has been recently serviced. It’s keeping time to +40 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 290 degrees and a beat error of 2.5 m/s.
Case dimensions:
Case width: 28mm
Case width with crown: 31mm
Case length: 29mm
Case length lug to lug: 38mm
Case Depth: 8.5mm
Lug width: 20mm