Record was formed in 1903 with the introduction of the 'Sector Watch,' a triangular pocket watch with retrograde. This timepiece was hugely popular, and by 1920 Record were producing wristwatches as one of the top Swiss watch brands. In the 1930s, Record moved into the production of chronograph watches of exceptional quality.
An early 20th century silver Record 'Sector' watch. With less than a handful of these examples selling at auction in the last couple of decades, these iconic timepieces are highly sought-after by collectors.
These timepieces were so well-reputed by the 1940s that they became one of the 'Dirty Dozen' watches selected by the British military to make their WWW watches for soldiers in the Second World War. These WWW watches are highly collectable at auction today, and examples can far exceed their estimates with collectors vying to complete their collection. The twelve 'Dirty Dozen makers are Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex - all of these sell exceptionally well under the hammer, so contact our specialist team for a free and up-to-date auction valuation of your Dirty Dozen wristwatch.
In 1961 Record was bought by Longines and continued to operate as an independant brand, however by the late 1980s Swatch acquired Longines and the Record operation was shut down in 1991.
Encapsulating the social history of the 20th century throughout its 88 years of production, Record watches sell well at auction and possess an enduring appeal with collectors. Particularly sought-after are early Sector watches, military timepieces from the 1940s onwards, as well as gold gents dress watches. For a free, up to date auction valuation of your Record watch, get in touch with our specialist team.
Our specialist Fine Jewellery & Watch auctions are held 4 times a year and include the whole spectrum of jewellery, from modern and designer pieces to antique jewels, coloured gemstone jewellery to fine diamond rings. Our department is headed by Liz Bailey who is FGA and DGA qualified, with many years experience in the industry. We offer a free watch valuations service through in-person appointments with our specialist, or convenient online valuation forms.
Contact our qualified specialist Liz Bailey to find out more.
The knowledge and passion of our experienced team enables us to achieve top prices for our vendors. For a free, no-obligation valuation complete the form below or click to find out how to sell in our auctions.
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