Era

Deco and wartime Swiss watches, 1930–1945

The years when the wrist chronograph grew up. Longines began making the 13ZN in 1936, a column-wheel movement with a flyback that few rivals tried to copy for two decades. IWC's first Portugieser followed in 1939, a big watch built around a pocket-watch movement for Portuguese importers. Luminous dials from this period were painted with radium.

2 references we cover.