1920-1929 Watches

Find Collectible 1920-1929 Wristwatches

The 1920s saw a continuation of the transition from keeping the watch in the pocket to wearing it on the wrist. Both men's and women's watches saw extravagance in style that was absent in later decades, making it a particularly ripe era for the fine watch collector. Many of the brands that are nearly synonymous with luxury watches now were prevalent in the watch industry then, such as Bulova, Longines, and Rolex.

Were any 1920s watches waterproof?

Advances in waterproof technology was a major focus of watchmakers during the 1920s. A moisture-proof watch was released in 1921 by Omega. But it was Rolex who produced the first waterproof watch in 1926, the Rolex Oyster. You may also be able to find military watches that are water- and shock-proof.

Did all 1920s watches need to be wound by hand?

While self-winding watch technology was available earlier, the transition to wearing the watch on the wrist propelled the refinement of this technology. While the bulk of wristwatches from this decade required manual winding, a number of brands, including Rolex, Harwood, and Omega, did include self-winding models.

What are some variations in 1920s watches?

Wristwatches in the 1920s were available with a large variety of aesthetic styles. The majority of watches featured Arabic numerals, but some had either Roman numerals or no numerals at all. It's very common to find 1920s watches that have Art Deco style numerals and other designs on the watch face. Most watches just showed the hour and minutes, but many models included a dial which marked seconds.

The Shebaka watch from high-end watchmaker Jean Dunand had some unusual features. The date, day of the week, and month were all displayed on the face. You could even track the moon phases. Other variations you'll find on 1920s watches include:

  • Case Size: 17 to 55 millimeters
  • Face Shape: Round, square, rectangular, oval, square, and barrel
  • Band Type: Leather, gold, stainless steel, and other metal alloys
  • Band Width: 8 to 24 millimeters
  • Jewels: Diamonds, sapphires
Bulova Watch Elgin Watch Omega Watch Rolex Watch
Gender Men's, women's Men's, women's Men's, women's Men's, women's
Style Casual, classic, formal, luxury Casual, classic, formal, luxury, military Formal, luxury, military, pilot/aviator Formal, luxury
Automatic Winding? No No Yes Yes
Case Size in Millimeters 17 - 28 22 - 44 20 - 52 22 - 46
Country of Origin US, Switzerland US, Switzerland, Ukraine Switzerland, Japan Switzerland
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