I have this Helvetia I bought about 15 years ago

 

Nice! Can you say any more? Going purely by appearance, this is the most recent Helvetia I have seen - probably produced not that many years before the quartz crisis, I should think.

 

According to the serial number and the inscription inside the case back, it is dated 1973.

I can't read it well, but think te calibre is an ETA 2790. The case is 36 mm. wide

Some bad pics:

 

My post 6 above yours shows the Helvetia 837 auto movement. They had a range by the 1950s. I think the reason the 830 is laid out the way it is is because it is a progression from the 820 and 800 which were both indirect drive centre seconds watches and the 830, though it has a directly driven centre seconds hand, retains an intermediate wheel.

 

Hi, nice Helvetia. You are correct, the date is 1973 and the movement is 2790. If you look at the case ref on the back they start with the movement number at this time.

Thanks. Carl.

 

I'm pretty sure it's an ETA. I'll have a look when I get home.

 

I suspected It coud be the number of the calibre, not just pure coincidence, but also tried to read it in the plate.

By the way, I knew where to find the date by your previous post and your web page. Thank you

 

No problem glad it's of use. 1973 seems to be the first year they used the two digit date format on the case back.

 

Just got my similar watch back from the re-platers. They've done a brilliant job. It looks like new. Any marks that you think you can see are reflections the actual watch is flawless.

Her is a before with almost all the plating worn away:



and after:



Thanks. Carl.

 

Looks great I have a totally de plated 831 Britannia. Could re-plate. How much did yours cost and who did it and to what thickness?

 

If that dial showed up on a 1950s VC, folks would be raving over it. Beautiful.
(PS I too would be interested like @eternalover about your GP specialist.)

 

I used Replate It from Canada https://www.replateit.com/

I did look for somewhere in the UK but the prices were all high and reviews so-so,

It cost $65 for a single 5 microns coat and refinish and $35 for additional coats. I went for one as I will only be wearing it occasionally as it has to fit in with all my other Helvetias. Of course there is postage as well but it was still cheaper than anything else I was quoted. There are loads of good reviews about them and I can't fault the service or the result.

It took a little while, about 3 months, but as it had been sat in a drawer waiting for about 2 years I thought it best just to send it off and forget about it and it would be a surprise when I got it back.

I also got a chrome case that was too far gone to wear redone. I normally don't mind a bit of wear on a chrome case but this one would have just sat there forever so I thought it was worth an experiment. They obviously had to polish this one down to remove the pitting so it has softened the edges a bit but again I can't fault the finish. It is nickel with a rhodium finish as they don't do chrome.

 

Thanks, Helvetia had some really interesting designs in the 1950s.

It's part of what interests me about them, they have several distinct phases.

In the 1920s and 1930s they were pioneers of shock and waterproof watches as well as coming up with designs for date watches and chronographs.





Then during the war it was military and pilots watches and in the late 1940s they branched out into some very nice large solid gold dress watches.




Then as I say in the 50s they obviously decided to get a bit experimental as evidenced by the two watches of mine in this thread from 1953 and 1955 before becoming more mainstream in the 1960s.




Thanks, and just a reminder to check out my site for more on Helvetia: https://www.helvetiahistory.co.uk/

Carl

 

Thanks for this - sounds very good.

I love this thing- it was only £100 and ticks at about 2.88 bph but has charm and the engraving is cool

 

Here's mine, interesting how the radium hands left a mark onto the dial....

 

I've been looking for a Helvetia since reading up on their movements and history, though I wanted an all-stainless variant.

Tracked this down on ebay.de, lovely 35mm size and with the lesser-spotted 831 movement. I love the subtle sunburst dial, lume aging on the hands (rectangle and triangle for hours and minutes - genius!) and the finish of the movement. Can't wait to have this serviced and on the wrist!



Gasket had completely disintegrated:

 

I saw this one as well. I have to agree, its a really lovely design. I even like the unusual lume design on the hands. Please post some pics when you get it back.
Regards
Chris

 

Very nice.

Similar to this one I wouldn't mind getting my hands on!

 

Wouldn't it be great to find an example of this watch in the vintage ad @Helvetia History showed above?



Yes - it is!



Reference 319, manual calibre 64, GP case, probably made 1958.

Why do I like it? 1. This is the sort of watch an ordinary Joe could have aspired to back then, and worn with pride around his office or on a family "occasion", in front of folks who couldn't afford Longines and had never even heard of Vacheron. 2. It's really distilled essence of good clean 1950s design. 3. The dial really would do justice to more expensive brands - it's quite beautiful, particularly the well-judged hour markers, which really need video rather than still to show them properly. Nevertheless, here is an attempt:



Not an expensive acquisition, at least by Omega collector standards, and I can see this being in exactly the right zone for "new normal" everyday office wear.

 

Lovely watch!

I agree it is really hard to capture how nice some of these watches are in pictures. They are designed to catch the light in a way that is very difficult to demonstrate.

Thanks. Carl.