SPECIFICHE
Charming Concord Royal Mariner with a slim 18Kt yellow gold case and ETA 959.001 quartz movement, from the 1980s.
18Kt yellow gold case measuring 27.3mm x 32.1mm
Vetro zaffiro originale
Original cabochon crown
Original buckle strap
ETA 959.001 quartz movement inside
ANALISI
The Concord Watch Company of Biel first appears in records in 1908, when the name was registered in Switzerland on November 4th under the number 24,549. Just a few days later, Concord registered two sub-brands, “The Cardinal Watch” (registration number 21431) and “Belmont Park” (registration no. 24549). Little is known about its original founding, which is traced back to the Kohner family. The company operated extensively under the two sub-brands, especially in the United States. By 1941, Concord had, in addition to its headquarters in Biel, Switzerland, at 35 Rue de Nidau, an operational branch in New York, at 10 West 47th Street. It produced primarily women’s jewelry watches and high-quality desk clocks, using the finest materials. The Swiss company’s commercial breakthrough came in the second half of the 1970s, when the advent of the “quartz crisis” devastated the entire market and forced many manufacturers to close their factories due to a lack of technological adaptation. Concord, farsightedly for its time, embraced the advent of quartz crystal movements and designed models that are still iconic today, such as the “Delirum,” which was advertised as the thinnest watch in the world, measuring just 1.98mm thick. The movement was mass-produced by ETA that same year and measured just 1.68mm thick. A world record; a true revolution. Thanks to this new and cutting-edge technology, Concord established itself on the European and US markets with watches of the highest quality possible. The use of gold for cases and bracelets, and often even dials, was the foundation of its success in the high-end segment between the 1980s and 1990s. Models like the “Saratoga” and the “Mariner” quickly established themselves on the market, directly competing with giants like Cartier.
This Royal Mariner embodies the essence of this market revolution.
Its rectangular, TV-like dial is crafted from a few elements: baton indexes at the hours; Concord signature with the double “C” logo at 12 o’clock; pencil-shaped hands; and the absence of a seconds hand. Everything is completely free of frills and extravagance. There is an absolute purity of design. This was the stylistic hallmark of the 1980s and 1990s, contrasting, almost like a counterweight, with the more opulent and baroque designs. These two stylistic poles represented the two sides of the entire history of costume and design during those splendid twenty years.
The solid 18K yellow gold case is rectangular in shape and features a satin-finished bezel secured to the central case body by eight screws (two on each side). All the lines are beveled, which – despite being a rectangular watch – makes the composition soft to the eye and to the touch.
The smooth, brushed caseback is secured to the case with ten screws. The outer face features a circular logo with the words “Royal Mariner,” a reference to the construction of a water-resistant case.
The movement inside is the ETA 959.001, the thinnest quartz movement ever made at just 1.48mm. It measures 9″ in diameter, has 6 jewels, and features a perlage.
