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Sold for: £50
A vintage ladies manual wind wristwatch by Avia, dating to 1949. The timepiece features a tonneau-shaped case with a 9 carat yellow gold case back and a base metal front. The silvered dial is set with black Roman numerals at the twelve, three, six, and nine o’clock positions, interspersed with dot indices and finished with two blued steel hands. The dial bears a cursive script reading “Avia” above the centre and “SWISS MADE” below the six o’clock mark. The manual wind movement is visible and carries the stamps “SWISS MADE” and “15 JEWELS”. The interior of the gold case back is marked “BRITISH MADE” and carries a sponsor’s mark of “B & S” within a double-circle cartouche. It is further struck with Birmingham hallmarks including an anchor, a “9” and “.375” for 9 carat gold, and a lowercase “z” date letter for 1949, alongside the serial number “11406” over “Z”. The watch is presented on a distressed tan leather strap with a gold-tone buckle.
Condition report:
The watch is in poor condition and is currently untested for working order. The crystal is missing entirely (photo 2). The dial shows significant surface oxidation, spotting, and wear to the edges (photo 6). There is considerable wear to the gold plating on the front of the case, exposing the base metal beneath (photo 2), and the gold case back exhibits heavy surface scratching and scuffs (photo 3). The movement shows visible dust and oxidation (photo 5). The leather strap is heavily worn and cracked, with prominent green verdigris corrosion around the metal rivets and buckle (photo 4).
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