Category: Gold Watches

Status: Available for USD $2245 / CAD $2650

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This is a rare self winding bumper movement Harwood wristwatch in 18k gold which was presented to Herbert Peck Fales of the US State Department circa 1928. The first self winding wristwatch was invented and patented in 1923 by John Harwood, a watchmaker from the Isle of Man, UK. Harwood designed the self winding watch without a wind/set crown, it is set by turning the bezel. The company was not very successful, a good idea at a bad time is one explanation, and after only a few years closed their doors in 1931 with the onset of the great depression, and having only produced 30,000 watches (very few in 18k gold cases). As is often the case some of the biggest failures of the past result in today’s rarest collectable watches. With the failure of the company, the patent expired and other companies were now free to enter the market, Rolex modified and improved the Harwood design and it was the basis of their first automatic movement. Continue reading “#5501 Rare 18K Harwood – world’s 1st Automatic watch c1928”