Lemme see your Rotary(s)

[Dr.Sascha]

 

[TexOmega]

Only one. Has more facets than any Watch I’ve seen.

20 atms Aquaplunge
"Waterproof" so pre 1968, roughly

Edited: Apr 9, 2022

 

[Nupero]

What's the deal with Rotary? Unknown brand to me.

 

[Spruce]

Bought this new 36mm quartz as a beater. Classic design and slim case (choice of dial colours).

I sometimes wonder why, if Rotary can (re) issue such a classic design, other manufacturers can’t.



Signed crown



……. and an attractive and explanatory caseback 😉



This is a 1970s model

Edited: Apr 9, 2022

 

[noelekal]

Rotary is one of those brands that I like because of their logo with the winged wheel. I don't know much about them or their history. Just like their logo. Guess I ought to watch Ebay for a stylish vintage Rotary for I'm not likely to find one in Texas.

 

[Dr.Sascha]

Nupero

What's the deal with Rotary? Unknown brand to me.

It's a British-owned Swiss brand that's been around since 1895. Their most well-known pieces are military watches (like mine, pictured above--that's actually a very cool early bumper movement, dating to the same time when they were commonly found in Omega Seamasters), and dive watches, including the iconic Rotary Aquaplunge. The diamond-shaped tip of the sweep seconds and their winged logo are their most recognized features. IMHO, they're undervalued right now. They make quite nice watches either with in-house (e.g. the Aquaplunge's microrotor) or ETA movements, and there is a wide variety of elegant and interesting dial configurations.

A little bit from their website:

The history of Rotary watches is long and dynamic. Rotary is one of the key Swiss made watch brands, crafting watches since 1895. For fans of the brand or those looking to find out more, here is a look into the history of Rotary watches.

The Beginning 1895 – 1920s
Rotary’s tale begins in La Chaux de Fonds, a city found amongst the Jura Mountains in Switzerland. This location is a hub of Swiss watchmaking excellence and Rotary is no exception. The brand’s founder, Moise Dreyfuss, opened their first factory in 1895 and the Dreyfuss family has owned the company since. To this day, the brand’s core values are grounded in accuracy and distinction at a reasonable price.’ Moise Dreyfuss generated the brand’s success due to his commitment to making merchandise of excellent quality and selling it at a reasonable cost.


Twelve years after the company was founded, Moise Dreyfuss’s sons, named Georges and Sylvain, moved to Britain in order to open an office. This move aided the company’s ability to import and distribute watches to a larger customer base so that they could further grow the brand.

The Logo
By 1925, Rotary has developed significantly as a brand and its expansion into the UK meant that its name was becoming more well-known. It was time for them to create a logo to make the brand more recognisable and memorable. The logo the family settled on was a winged wheel, a symbol often associated with the Ancient Greeks. The Greek god Hermes was denoted by this symbol as it can be read to mean movement and progress, two concepts that mirror Rotary’s values.


The winged wheel has been adopted by many other organisations, such as the Institution of Municipal Engineers and the Swift Cycling Club, but most people will recognise it as being a symbol of the Rotary brand.

Innovation and Military Connections
With 1934 came the birth of Rotary’s first shockproof watches. These early models made use of innovative technology to ensure the high-quality product that Rotary had built their name around. These new models made watch wearing practical for people in manual labour jobs, as they no longer had to worry about damaging their timepiece with any little knocks and bumps. The wearability and durability of this watch led to Rotary becoming the official watch supplier of the British Army in 1940.


As the Second World War progressed, soldiers needed timepieces to be able to synchronise action and Rotary’s reputation of excellence made them a reliable supplier. The war-time campaign featured non-magnetic watches and focused on aviation and accuracy to exhibit the full potential of Rotary watches.

To maintain their popularity, Rotary sponsored British Racing Motors in the F1. This made the brand appealing to a new audience. The success of this campaign encouraged the brand to continue to launch fashionable and adventurous styles that would allow them to continue to support sporting events.

At the turn of the millennium, Robert Dreyfuss (the fourth generation of this family company) led Rotary to move its Head Office to 13-16 Elm Street, London. The office is still in this location today.

Edited: Apr 9, 2022

 

[Spruce]

Dr.Sascha

It's a British-owned Swiss brand that's been around since 1895. Their most well-known pieces are military watches (like mine, pictured above--that's actually a very cool early bumper movement, dating to the same time when they were commonly found in Omega Seamasters), and dive watches, including the iconic Rotary Aquaplunge. The diamond-shaped tip of the sweep seconds and their winged logo are their most recognized features. IMHO, they're undervalued right now. They make quite nice watches either with in-house (e.g. the Aquaplunge's microrotor) or ETA movements, and their is a wide variety of elegant and interesting dial configurations.

A little bit from their website:

The history of Rotary watches is long and dynamic. Rotary is one of the key Swiss made watch brands, crafting watches since 1895. For fans of the brand or those looking to find out more, here is a look into the history of Rotary watches.

The Beginning 1895 – 1920s
Rotary’s tale begins in La Chaux de Fonds, a city found amongst the Jura Mountains in Switzerland. This location is a hub of Swiss watchmaking excellence and Rotary is no exception. The brand’s founder, Moise Dreyfuss, opened their first factory in 1895 and the Dreyfuss family has owned the company since. To this day, the brand’s core values are grounded in accuracy and distinction at a reasonable price.’ Moise Dreyfuss generated the brand’s success due to his commitment to making merchandise of excellent quality and selling it at a reasonable cost.


Twelve years after the company was founded, Moise Dreyfuss’s sons, named Georges and Sylvain, moved to Britain in order to open an office. This move aided the company’s ability to import and distribute watches to a larger customer base so that they could further grow the brand.

The Logo
By 1925, Rotary has developed significantly as a brand and its expansion into the UK meant that its name was becoming more well-known. It was time for them to create a logo to make the brand more recognisable and memorable. The logo the family settled on was a winged wheel, a symbol often associated with the Ancient Greeks. The Greek god Hermes was denoted by this symbol as it can be read to mean movement and progress, two concepts that mirror Rotary’s values.


The winged wheel has been adopted by many other organisations, such as the Institution of Municipal Engineers and the Swift Cycling Club, but most people will recognise it as being a symbol of the Rotary brand.

Innovation and Military Connections
With 1934 came the birth of Rotary’s first shockproof watches. These early models made use of innovative technology to ensure the high-quality product that Rotary had built their name around. These new models made watch wearing practical for people in manual labour jobs, as they no longer had to worry about damaging their timepiece with any little knocks and bumps. The wearability and durability of this watch led to Rotary becoming the official watch supplier of the British Army in 1940.


As the Second World War progressed, soldiers needed timepieces to be able to synchronise action and Rotary’s reputation of excellence made them a reliable supplier. The war-time campaign featured non-magnetic watches and focused on aviation and accuracy to exhibit the full potential of Rotary watches.

To maintain their popularity, Rotary sponsored British Racing Motors in the F1. This made the brand appealing to a new audience. The success of this campaign encouraged the brand to continue to launch fashionable and adventurous styles that would allow them to continue to support sporting events.

At the turn of the millennium, Robert Dreyfuss (the fourth generation of this family company) led Rotary to move its Head Office to 13-16 Elm Street, London. The office is still in this location today.

That’s really informative. Thanks

 

[Fallout Boy]

Nupero

What's the deal with Rotary? Unknown brand to me.

Its more common in Europe; bought my first in Malta long time ago.

A good market-place is eg:

Ebay Kleinanzeigen (Germany)



https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/rotary-super-25-rotomatic-herrenuhr/2071371443-156-1095

Just search for ROTARY (Accessoires und Schmuck) = jewelry

 

[JwRosenthal]

Fallout Boy

Just search for ROTARY (Accessoires und Schmuck) = jewelry

 

[Vercingetorix]

 

[Dr.Sascha]

Vercingetorix

I'll see that and raise you . . .

 

[Spruce]

Probably just being silly but can you see and raise?

When I used to play, it was either “See” or “Raise”

😕

 

[Dr.Sascha]

Spruce

Probably just being silly but can you see and raise?

When I used to play, it was either “See” or “Raise”

😕

<shrug> not sure what the official line is, I'm no card shark. When we play, you always have to see the highest bet so far that round before you can raise. Player 1: "I raise 50." Player 2: "I see your 50 and raise you 50." Player 3: "I call (or match) that 100" or, more simply "I'm in at 100." This also makes the raise more transparent, since you first put in the original bet, then follow it with the raise. If you only match the highest bet without raising it, you're "calling."

I've also seen people do it the other way and just say "I raise you 50," which means the "see" is assumed, and they put in 100. But we've never played that you can just "see." It's call (match), see + raise, or fold. You can check (pass), but only if there have been no raises in that round so far.

I should also add that this is all low-stakes, private games. I avoid casinos and high-stakes poker like the plague. They say it's the worst kind of addiction possible, and everything I've seen confirms this!

 

[ghce]

My latest Rotary from a time when Jewels meant something 😁.

Haven't got a strap on it yet but it has been repaired and serviced.

I do have photo’s of where all those Jewels are but some thing's should remain private 😜

Edited: Apr 18, 2022

 

[Dr.Sascha]

Just back from the shop, now on a Marine Nationale 2-piece RAF NATO. Three curious elements about this watch. Firstly, the white numerals at 6 & 9 (vs. yellow at 12) are original, as confirmed on several other dials from the same period. Secondly, this has the older, plainly inscribed caseback, but with the A. Schild 1700/01 mvt. that came with later Aquaplunges, making it a bit of a transitional model. And lastly, this is the only model of watch that I have purchased twice. I had a mint-condition one that I foolishly sold to fund another purchase. I missed it so much that I remained on the lookout until this one came up. It's not as pristine as the previous one . . . but I did get it for 1/3 the price 👍

Edited: Apr 19, 2022

 

[dandog]

Add my Rotary to the list. Too bad someone tried to open the case with a crescent wrench!

 

[dandog]

Or worse, pliers!

 

[Norfolk]

Here are a few of mine. I collect Rotary.
Monza Jo Siffert
Aquaplunge.
I’ll find some more pics later. You can see more examples on my IG - RalStra_International.

 

[p.giannakis]

It's by far my favourite watch.

 

[Eddie K]

Does this count...