1930s 18ct gold rectangular vintage ‘Duo-dial’ watch

Date:           1930s

Case:            18ct gold, 22 x 40.5mm (including lugs)

Movement: Manual wind FHF 29

Dial:             Silvered dial

Lugs:            17mm

This style of watch is referred to as a ‘Doctors watch’ and is very similar in style to a ‘Rolex Prince’. A very rare and collectable watch!

A 1930s, 18ct gold rectangular vintage Duo-Dial watch. The case measures 22 x 40.5mm (including lugs) with 17mm lugs. The case is marked 18ct gold and numbered to the back. The manual wind movement is an FHF29 calibre, Swiss Made, with 15 jewels. The silvered dial, with original patina has black Roman numerals the top dial, with Arabic numerals to the large seconds dial below and fine blued steel hands. The dial is signed Duo-Dial to the centre.

‘Duo-dial’ / Doctor’s watches

Duo-dial /doctor’s watches became particularly popular during the Art Deco period in the 1920s. The evolution of the ‘doctors watch’ can be seen in the design of the Rolex Prince in 1928, with the large subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock. The watch was designed to assist doctors with measuring heart rates. Several watch manufacturers produced similar designs and all had a shared common purpose – to provide functionality and legibility for doctors.  The watches were primarily designed to be used to take a patient’s pulse or measure their respiration. The large subsidiary seconds dial ensured that the seconds could be seen and noted more easily.