WRUW Today?

Different moonwatch…today with correct phase

Happy Speedy Tuesday 😀

In solidarity with my Speedy bros & sisters 😀

For what it's worth, those are actual clouds reflected in the crystal -- somewhat of a rarity for mid-Summer in Southern California.

HA HA ... Clouds and actual "rain" at 0700 in Thousand Oaks, CA. Sadly, lasted about 10min and was dry in about 20min.... still in a drought.
Keep safe! 👍

Havent worn this Speedie for a few weeks - take out it’s case, wind here up and find that it’s within a minute of the actual time - no adjustment needed…either the best power reserve in the history of watchmaking or dumb luck!

Back to this. It has been a while. Brand name Alanbury, about which I have not found any information, but examples of the brand can be found on line. This one reposed in my stash for more than 45 years (a VERY large stash), until I checked it out. It was in a terrible, ratted out gold colour case, but the dial and movement showed possibilities. Back to my stash, and I found an undistinguished Swiss junker in a good gold filled case with steel back. A perfect fit! I performed a marriage ceremony, and put a good quality Buffalo hide strap on it. The movement is a German Durowe model from the 1950s. The German firm LACO (not Lanco) began about 90 years ago, using Swiss movements. They became associated with the German maker, Durowe, and were major suppliers to the German military in WW11. After the war was over, German products weren’t popular in North America. Many Durowe movements arrived in this hemisphere, marked FOREIGN (rather than Germany). I conditioned this one, fitted a generic crown and acrylic crystal. Result? One of a kind.

The German firm Durowe were in the vanguard of makers working on battery watches in the 1950s. When Timex wanted into the battery watch market in the early 1960s, they became interested in the Durowe Electric, so they bought the company. The first Timex Electrics had German Durowe movements in them. They sold for $29.95 in a chrome case, with a faux leather strap.





Here is the Durowe movement (I have two of them) from another watch. A LACO, as it happens. Notice the this 1950s movement is marker FOREIGN, (not Germany).

Switch!

Sent my Speedy to the long overdue spa time. The Datejust will get plenty of wrist time