Men's vintage 1950's 1 7 jewel Swiss Saxony Jura military wristwatch, running well!

This is a rare Saxony, vintage 1950's, military wristwatch in very good cosmetic and mechanical condition.

Manufactured in Switzerland in the 190's by Saxony / Sheffield Watch Company features a polished steel 33.6 mm / 1.32" diameter case, excluding crown and lugs. It surrounds a two-tone black dial complimented by, once luminous but now dimmed, gold syringe hour and minute hands, red center sweep, raised Arabic numbers, and olive outer chapter.

It is signed Saxony Deluxe, antimagnetic, shock resistant, and Swiss made, all under a bright new clear crystal.



The 7 jewel, Swiss movement sets and winds as it should, is running great, and keeping very good time.



It has a snap-down, back, and is matched with a new olive NATO, ballistic nylon, strap with stainless hardware and buckle which fits it perfectly!



STOCK CODE: S-19



ABOUT THE BRAND:

As I researched the history of the Saxony/ Sheffield Watch Co., I found that information was hard to come by and had to use European newspapers and other archived documents to piece together the story of this mysterious brand.

The Saxony/ Sheffield Watch Co. was founded in New York in the 1950s. The company specialized in producing low-price point, quality watches. They later expanded their production to include civil mechanical watches with European components.

To reach a wider audience, the company marketed all their products under the Sheffield brand in high-end stores, but also had other brands such as "Sheraton" and "Norbee" for distribution in major chain stores, and "Saxony" watches for wholesalers.

In 1969, Sheffield/ Saxony had a large advertising budget of $1.05 million (equivalent to approximately $8.8 million in 2023) and spent it on ad placements in 350 American newspapers and international watchmaking magazines. This was quite a feat at the time, and Sheffield Watch Co. seemed to be thriving.



However, on May 11, 1970, the company suddenly announced a deficit of $4.5 million. According to "North American News" of September 9, 1970, Sheffield had planned to make a $13.5 million turnover in 1970, indicating the failed ambitions of the company and its large scale advertising campaign.



The company's fortunes took a further turn for the worse with the introduction of quartz watches in 1970. This period, known as the Quartz Crisis, saw many mechanical watchmakers, including Sheffield/ Saxony, struggle to compete with the more accurate and affordable quartz watches. The crisis was caused by the advent of new technology and the development of cheaper, more efficient quartz movements. This led to a dramatic decline in demand for mechanical watches and caused many companies to go out of business.



Despite the challenges faced by Sheffield/Saxony and the company's eventual bankruptcy, this watch remains special to my collection as a reminder of the history of the mechanical watchmaking industry and the impact of the Quartz Crisis on it. It serves as a reminder that market changes can happen at any time, and that companies should always be looking to the market to predict trends and stay competitive.



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.

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