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wilderbeast
·Warning: this is a long post! But I promise I’m not going to ask for a valuation and then never be seen again. This is a keeper!
In July of last year I bid on and won a mid-1960s Avia Chronograph, which was part of an estate clearance sale. At just under £250 plus service costs it was a nice addition to the stable for not much outlay.
I sent my mum a photo of the watch and she said that the Avia brand (which I hadn’t come across before) was the same as the watch my grandfather (her dad) had worn back in the day. I found that interesting and it gave an extra association to the Chronograph I hadn’t factored in and thought no more of it.
About a month later, my mum messaged again to say that she had found the watch my grandfather wore and, knowing that I have a passion for vintage watches, would I like to have it? I replied yes, of course, and then came the photos:
It was clearly in need of a clean, the crystal was scratched, the chrome plating had worn off in places and the crown was either a replacement or completely worn down. More worryingly, the top left lug was bent out of place. My grandad wore it up until he passed away in the mid-1990s, and it looks to me like a mid- to late-1960s automatic. I duly sent it off to my watchmaker for a trip to the spa and full service, and then did some more digging on Avia watches.
It seems that Avia was one of the brands heavily marketed in the UK by the Newmark company of Croydon (well known from the 1950s in its own right as a UK manufacturers of watches, notably one of the “Fab Four” brands of HM Forces VJ7733 chronographs in the 1970s). Avia was a respected brand, often with generic movements (My grandad's Avia-matic uses an ETA 2472). Some British ads from the period bear this out:
My grandfather, as a working class man supporting three children, would not have been able to afford one of the more “luxe” Swiss watches, but it seems that Avia was one of the lower-end Swiss brands that were marketed at those who wanted a quality watch without the price tag of one of the big names. Note that the adverts above make a big feature of the reliability and build quality, aspects that equate to value for money! Even so, for him this would have been a considered purchase - probably around a week's wages.
My mum knew that grandad wore the watch a lot, and loved it - but he wouldn’t wear it to work (he had a number of manual jobs, including working as a floor layer, as a mechanic on London buses and as a craftsman for the MoD). It clearly got a lot of wear, though - hence its rather “lived in” look. Despite my watchmaker's suggestion, I declined him trying to bend back the lug or re-plate it, choosing to keep those aspects of the case exactly as they were. They are part of the character of the watch and part of his history, too. I also asked my watchmaker to return the original parts replaced, of course.
Here's a photo my mum took of my grandparents when she was a teenager, sometime in the late 1960s or very early 1970s. The Avia is probably on grandad's wrist here, but it’s impossible to tell for sure, as it’s just peeking out underneath his left sleeve.
So, finally, last week it came back from service. A lot of internal parts were replaced, and a new crystal and crown were fitted, and it now ticks away like a dream and is once again a presentable watch that I can wear in his memory. And my mum is thrilled that it’s been made wearable again.
Here are some “after” photos. The Avia box was picked up on eBay for a mere £3.99 (I was the sole bidder!):
I know many of us are lucky to wear high-end and luxury pieces that have been passed down to us and wear them with pride. I am very happy to own and wear a humble Avia watch that my grandad was proud to have on his wrist.
In July of last year I bid on and won a mid-1960s Avia Chronograph, which was part of an estate clearance sale. At just under £250 plus service costs it was a nice addition to the stable for not much outlay.
I sent my mum a photo of the watch and she said that the Avia brand (which I hadn’t come across before) was the same as the watch my grandfather (her dad) had worn back in the day. I found that interesting and it gave an extra association to the Chronograph I hadn’t factored in and thought no more of it.
About a month later, my mum messaged again to say that she had found the watch my grandfather wore and, knowing that I have a passion for vintage watches, would I like to have it? I replied yes, of course, and then came the photos:
It was clearly in need of a clean, the crystal was scratched, the chrome plating had worn off in places and the crown was either a replacement or completely worn down. More worryingly, the top left lug was bent out of place. My grandad wore it up until he passed away in the mid-1990s, and it looks to me like a mid- to late-1960s automatic. I duly sent it off to my watchmaker for a trip to the spa and full service, and then did some more digging on Avia watches.
It seems that Avia was one of the brands heavily marketed in the UK by the Newmark company of Croydon (well known from the 1950s in its own right as a UK manufacturers of watches, notably one of the “Fab Four” brands of HM Forces VJ7733 chronographs in the 1970s). Avia was a respected brand, often with generic movements (My grandad's Avia-matic uses an ETA 2472). Some British ads from the period bear this out:
My grandfather, as a working class man supporting three children, would not have been able to afford one of the more “luxe” Swiss watches, but it seems that Avia was one of the lower-end Swiss brands that were marketed at those who wanted a quality watch without the price tag of one of the big names. Note that the adverts above make a big feature of the reliability and build quality, aspects that equate to value for money! Even so, for him this would have been a considered purchase - probably around a week's wages.
My mum knew that grandad wore the watch a lot, and loved it - but he wouldn’t wear it to work (he had a number of manual jobs, including working as a floor layer, as a mechanic on London buses and as a craftsman for the MoD). It clearly got a lot of wear, though - hence its rather “lived in” look. Despite my watchmaker's suggestion, I declined him trying to bend back the lug or re-plate it, choosing to keep those aspects of the case exactly as they were. They are part of the character of the watch and part of his history, too. I also asked my watchmaker to return the original parts replaced, of course.
Here's a photo my mum took of my grandparents when she was a teenager, sometime in the late 1960s or very early 1970s. The Avia is probably on grandad's wrist here, but it’s impossible to tell for sure, as it’s just peeking out underneath his left sleeve.
So, finally, last week it came back from service. A lot of internal parts were replaced, and a new crystal and crown were fitted, and it now ticks away like a dream and is once again a presentable watch that I can wear in his memory. And my mum is thrilled that it’s been made wearable again.
Here are some “after” photos. The Avia box was picked up on eBay for a mere £3.99 (I was the sole bidder!):
I know many of us are lucky to wear high-end and luxury pieces that have been passed down to us and wear them with pride. I am very happy to own and wear a humble Avia watch that my grandad was proud to have on his wrist.
Edited:
