Vintage Helvetia Gents Wristwatch - Full Service.

This a vintage Hevetia wristwatch. It was given to me for a full service.

A full service includes:

Inspection of the timepiece

A full strip down of every part

On a vintage watch like this, a pre clean. Involving cleaning the jewels and holes with peg wood

A professional cleaning and rinsing process

Reassembly of the movement

Oiling of the necessary parts

A new mainspring is necessary

Adjustment for timekeeping

Testing over a period of time for accuracy and power reserve

A light polish of the case and glass

Reassembley of the movement dial and hands

Recasing and further testing

Unfortunately the dial on this watch is badly stained, and will require a dial restoration.

Some vintage watches can have further issues, and it is worth checking the rest of my blog for some projects I have undertaken.

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Helvetia watches, a brand name registered in 1892 by the Swiss watch company Louis Brandt & Frere, had a rich history, evolving from producing high-quality lever movement watches to supplying military watches during WWII and later developing shock-protected sports watches. 

Here's a more detailed look at the Helvetia watch company:

• Early Years (1892-1920s):

  • Louis Brandt & Frere, later known as La Generale Watch Co., registered "Helvetia" as a brand name in 1892. 

  • The company focused on producing high-quality lever movement watches, sold under the Helvetia name. 

  • In 1906, they built a new factory in Bienne with offices and workrooms for 104 workers. 

  • Helvetia produced a range of fixed lug "Trench" watches in the early 20th century. 

  • By the 1890s, the General Watch Company was producing more than 100,000 watches per year. 

  • The company produced minute repeating wristwatches in 1892, which was way ahead of its time. 

• 1920s-1940s:

  • In the 1920s, Helvetia started producing watches with shock protection for miners. 

  • They introduced their first waterproof and shockproof wristwatch in 1929. 

  • During WWII, Helvetia supplied watches to the British and German armed forces. 

  • Helvetia developed and manufactured their own in-house movements, often at the forefront of research and development. 

  • They introduced watches with central seconds rather than having seconds displayed separately in a sub dial. 

  • Helvetia also produced distinctive dress watches after the war. 

• 1940s-1970s:

  • In the late 1940s, the company began producing large wristwatches, including solid gold examples. 

  • Helvetia developed the Helvetia Stop and Sport chronograph wristwatches using their existing movements. 

  • In 1948, the company officially changed its name to Montres Helvetia or The Helvetia Watch Company. 

  • In the 1960s, Helvetia changed their logo and added model names to their dials. 

  • In 1973, the original Helvetia Watch Co. was closed down, and Silvana SA was renamed The Helvetia Watch Company. 

• Later Years:

  • In 1979, the companies within the SGT group formally amalgamated and adopted the SGT name. 

  • Helvetia was chosen as the name for SGT's premier line of watches. 

  • Today, Helvetia watches are sold on a much smaller scale through a jeweller in Vienna, Austria.