I know what you must be thinking, “I got this; I totally know what a record is.” Unfortunately, I’m not talking about the vinyl disc used to store and play music. I’m talking about the defunct Swiss watch company that used to make some pretty sweet timepieces. Once again, I’d like to shed some light on a watch manufacture that fell victim to electric and battery-powered watches, so let’s take a look at Record Watch Company.
Photo courtesy of Bukowskis
The genesis of Record’s origins is coincidentally with one of their most sought after watches, the Sector watch. It was a pocket watch with a retrograde display reminiscent of an old speedometer. Quite an interesting timepiece, these pocket watches can fetch over $2,000 in good condition. After the Sector watch brought Record into existence, they quickly began making a variety of watches, clocks, and calibers, both for themselves and other companies.
Around 1916, Record merged with several other watchmakers to form the company Record Dreadnought Watch Co. The other brands involved still marketed their products under their own names, but leveraged Record’s movement-making capabilities. Digging through eBay, you’ll likely find pocketwatches and trench watches bearing “Record Dreadnought” signed bridges with a variety of dial signatures (e.g. Trenton). Into the 1940s, Record was one of the dozen watchmakers contracted to make W.W.W. watches for the MoD. Record utilized one of their simple time-only calibers, the caliber 022-18, which was of high quality for its time. I can’t be sure if all W.W.W. watches were without shock protection, but I’ve certainly seen other 022-18 calibers with Incabloc shock protection. Records with this caliber can be had on eBay for just a couple hundred dollars, which is a steal if in good condition.
Photo courtesy of WatchesToBuy
Shortly after producing the W.W.W. watches, Record Dreadnought would become simply Record Watch Co. They would continue to not only make their own watches, but watches for other companies, notably Ball Watch Co. In the 1950s, Record produced a standard railroad pocketwatch for Ball, which was the only service pocketwatch with Incabloc protection used in the US. Then in 1961, Longines purchased Record, where it would continue to operate until 1991. Like so many other brands, Record was unable to compete against quartz watches. Though they may have kept their doors open through the quartz crisis, their glory days had long since expired.
For those looking to scoop a Record watch, there are a few to keep an eye out for. The first is probably the most recognizable, which is the Datofix (as seen in the feature photo courtesy of European Watch Co). Record made a great looking triple date moonphase that can be found in poor condition quite easily, but takes some patience to find a nice one. Expect to see lots of redials under $500, with original examples costing a couple thousand, specifically in gold. I had my hands on a rose gold one that was an absolute stunner.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Bain
Another Record to look out for is the W.W.W. I mentioned above. Omega, Jaeger, IWC, and Longines are typically the more popular W.W.W. brands, and I think Record is a great under-the-radar option. Finally, the grail Record to hunt is a 1940s or 1950s split-second chronograph. They’re only slightly more common than hen’s teeth, but they’re out there. Like just about every other rattrapante wristwatch of its time (except Patek, of course), Record utilized the Venus 179, which is a gorgeous and highly respected movement. I’m not even sure what a good example would sell for, but I can’t imagine it being below $5,000. Hell, if you find a Venus 179 from any brand, it’s worth a look.
Digging up info on these defunct brands, is one of my favorite parts of being a vintage watch lover. With so much focus being on vintage Rolex, Omega, and Patek Philippe, it’s easy to overlook these formerly beloved watchmakers. Record’s days of respected watchmaking may have been comparatively abbreviated, but they truly made some fantastic timepieces.
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Chris
Enjoyed the write-up of a fairly obscure brand. I’ve seen a handful of them on the eBay, but the rattrapante is one I’d never seen even a mention of. Very cool, even if I have zero chance of ever finding one.
Shane Griffin
I hear you on the split-second. They are incredibly rare, as are basically any split-second from that era. If you find them, it’ll most likely be in Switzerland or Italy.