This handsome tool watch grabbed my attention some time ago, I've found a reference with an unusual function so I'd like to ask the community if anyone knows more.



As you can see the bottom crown (used to adjust the time) appears to be in the "out" or adjustment position but it's always in this position. The crown, when pressed and released snaps the date function ahead one day. The action is like a chronograph pusher.
Pretty nifty, and quite quirky for a diver.

It doesn't help that there ain't much out there on Wittnauer in general.

Other brands have a variation of this feature but I'm yet to see anyone identify this on the Wittnauer Supers, and there is an overwhelming majority of these watches that do not have a quick set date on their C11KAS movement.

I don't have access to the movement yet but...

Other brands I've found that have the pull or press button date advance are some 60's Eterna-matics, Eterna Centenaire, Seiko 7018 Chronographs, and Zodiac Cal 72s

If you have a Wittnauer Super Compressor or a (push or pull)quick set date crown please chime in and help illuminate this mystery.

 

I used to have one like this with the quick set date by pushing the crown at 4 but mine didn't look so 'out' as you can see on those pics (AS1700 21R) ... Maybe the pusher need to be adjust? (Picture from previous owner)

 

Thanks Fost, I don't see how that crown in the pictures you posted has the clearance to be pressed down, and there is no recess in the case.
I don't doubt that my watch may need a small adjustment but mine looks more like this one I found, don't know how I missed it earlier on in my searches:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/barn-find-1960s-wittnauer-supercompressor.25799/

 

My skin diver has the push function to advance the date, it's with the WM right now for an overhaul so can't look at the movement.

 

@LawBrk I'd love to see a picture of the crown where it meets the case when you can get to it.

 

Here's the best I can find from my past photos.

 

wittnauer has become a new direction for my collection, I will try to find where I was reading about the different models that used the push date advance.

 

Interesting read so far...I have been close to acquiring one of these on me than one occasion and have a general appreciation for super comoressors. I saw yir has the cyclops date magnification, I have seen the same watch without that as well. I would be curious if the ones without the cyclops are just a swapped crystal (although I know it can be difficult to source super compressor crystals) or do they not have the date feature described by the OP?

 

Yes I believe they all came with the trapezoid magnifier on the inside of the crystal.

 

Sorry I'm married

 

Brand new arrival, and while mine doesn't stick out quite as prominently as your example, it definitely doesn't screw down and is more pronounced than the top crown.

 

Fantastic example you found, that was fast!
This thing wears so nicely, right?
BTW the strap looks great

 

Sorry to bump this old thread.....does anyone have definitive proof that the Wittnauer super compressor came with the cyclops crystal? For example, these two original ads both seem to show no cyclops (taken from ebay). Having worked on a ton of these plus other super compressors, my watchmaker believes that they did not have originally have the cyclops. And interestingly both ads have the non-Geneve dials.

 

Keep in mind marketing pictures back then often had no crystal in them, or used pre production models.

 

That seems anecdotal. Any evidence? It would seem odd to market one configuration of a watch and actually sell a different one. For example, Zodiac's original ads that featured the Sea Wolf show a cyclops, which is exactly what they sold.

 

Well people that worked in marketing back then confirmed the no crystsl thing, and preproduction watches are still seen to this day in marketing material.

 

Thanks, again, but any evidence, specifically for the Wittnauer? Not trying to be combative, just trying to dig into a definitive answer. Reason I'm asking is because I came across another example, and trying to decide whether its worth the hunt for a crystal with the correctly shaped cyclops, or just get a vintage styled domed diver crystal

 

In these adverts, you can see the curvature of the crystal... Could have been added later, of course.

Are there other compressor models from different brands with a cyclops?

 

Its "common knowledge" around the forums that the Wittnauer originally came with the cyclops, but I've yet to see any evidence of that. And my watchmaker, an old fellow, has been around a long time and has seen and worked on these, says these originally did not have the cyclops crystal.

 

I was not commenting on these pictures, but something to be aware of in vintage advertising.