World Time Ref. OR 4001

TISSOT, NAVIGATOR, WORLD TIME, LIMITED EDITION, 18K GOLD

ICONEEK price: SOLD

Iconeek is proud to introduce here a rare, uncommon and hard-to-find original, limited edition, Tissot Navigator World Time automatic wristwatch from the 1950s.

The model is a large automatic wristwatch with indications for 24-world locations.  The original Tissot Navigator watches were available in stainless steel, 14K gold capped and 18K solid gold, such as the present watch, and prices at the time vary widely from around $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the condition and metal used.

Made in June 1953, the present model comes with two-body construction: a 36 mm diameter circular plain gold case with straight down turned lugs, wide inclined bezel engraved with a 12-hour division with alternating dart and Arabic numerals, snap on plain case back, inside engraved with ref.  «  OR 4001 » and signed «  Chs Tissot & Fils » . The case back is engraved « 51/100 ». The size between the lugs is 18 mm.

Under the hesalite glass, a mint and attractive, original finish, silvered dial with applied gold dart indexes and radial arabic numerals  for the 24-hour, minute division, inner rotating silvered disc bearing the name of 24 towns, luminous blued steel Dauphine hands, gilt sweep second hands. The dial is signed « Tissot, Swiss Made ».

The inner revolving disc is calibrated in blue for 24 world locations, the time in each location is indicated against the applied Arabic and triangular numerals which are divided into 24-hours. Clean of any cosmetic enhancement, the present original dial is  spectacular and  breathtaking.

This watch is powered by a  caliber 28.5-N-21T, rhodium-plated, with 17 jewels,  automatic with bumper. The movement of this watch  is very similar in design, layout and finishing to Omega’s early bumper automatic movements. Based on Tissot’s first automatic calibre 28.1,  launched in 1944, caliber 28.5-N21 features an additional pusher to allow the local time to be set. Dial, case and movement are signed. A very similar one, in 14K gold, is illustrated and described in Collezionare Orologi da Polso, by Madeleine & Osvaldo Patrizzi, Mondani Editore, page 242.

Rare, mint, complicated and limited edition, a collector !

Condition: 9.5/10, rarely seen and found in such excellent and original condition