Men's vintage 1940's 17J Swiss Helbros gold dress wristwatch, running well and keeping time!

If you remember America few decades ago, a simpler time in the world, you have an appreciation of the well-made, less-complicated, tools around us, and it brings back fond memories.

Manufactured in Switzerland in the 1940's by Helbros Watch Company is an excellent example.

This one is a beauty, featuring a 10K rolled gold fancy square case that measures 25.7 mm X 30.4 excluding crown and lugs.

The Art Deco dial is in remarkable condition, with a brushed silver dial complimented by raised gold Art Deco numbers, beautiful gold leaf hour and minute hands, black outer chapter and sub-second dial at 6 o'clock, all under a bright, clear crystal.

The 17 jewel, cal. 101, Swiss movement sets and winds as it should, is running great, and keeping very good time.

It has a snap-down, stainless steel back, and is matched with an age-appropriate gold capped stainless steel, flex bracelet.

STOCK CODE: H109

ABOUT THE BRAND:

Helbros

Helbros watches are a fantastic American story. William Helbein, one of the founders and later long-time company president, arrived in the US in 1911, coming through Ellis Island. He became a naturalised US citizen in 1916, and embarked on a career as, at first, a diamond importer (his father was a diamond merchant) and later a watch assembler.

Helbein and his family escaped tragedy by coming to the US. In the town in Russia from which they came, Jewish people were persecuted. Most of the people Helbein’s parents knew would have died in a pogrom in 1919, or in a Nazi massacre in WWII.

In the US, Helbein used all the mediums available to him to sell watches. He used print advertising, radio advertising and later TV advertising. He distributed watches through catalogues, shops, dealers, approval and any other way he and his company could find. Helbros made watches for any taste, and pretty much any pocket.

At its height, Helbros was a major US watch company, and Helbein was an important figure. Helbein was the first chair of the American Watch Assemblers Association, and was a Director of the American Watch Association. When he died at the age of 70 in his home in Park Lane, he left a successful company. Perhaps in recognition of the challenges of his early life, a memorial scholarship was established in his name at Brandeis University.

The watch company seems to have flagged after his death, and was effectively closed by the early 1970s. Despite some revivals of the name, no one has made it flourish as it did during Helbein’s lifetime.

We are Stonehenge Watch Company and have been selling vintage timepieces and new watches on the internet for over 17 years with hundreds of happy, satisfied, often repeat, customers.

Seller information

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