This quite unusual pattern dial model is powered by the automatic Swiss ETA 2472, 25 jewel movement from around 1960’s. In it’s day, the calibre 2472 was pretty much state of the art and this one’ date is positioned @3 and is what you’d call a ‘semi-quick’ date setting function.
To set the date you move the time back & forth from 20.30 – 24.00 and the date is an instant change at 24.00hrs. It is 18,000 a/h beat with 2 x Incabloc protection and a 2 way self winding rotor. It has a 42hrs reserve. And so far it’s proved surprisingly accurate – one of the reasons I love automatics.
I particularly like the sweep seconds hand being more prominent than most and the perimeter track is nicely detailed. The hour and minute hands are luminous filled.
The case is stainless steel, screw back with seal and marked as water resistant. Unsure of the rating for this one but Darwil was known in the 1970’s for their 100ATM divers model, so I certainly expect it to be absolutely fine for every day use.
Whilst there are quite a considerable number of pre-owned Darwil models around, it is rare to find one is such good condition.
Darwil started life in 1910. The founder was Darko Wilfan who in association with the Tanis Watch Company produced watches in the Grenchen Valley in Switzerland. They were later also located in Trieste in Italy and from the Darwil Palace store, sold an amazing 2 million watches at that period.
I mentioned a patterned dial at the beginning on the Post and it tends to be seen in certain light. My last image shows it up quite well, but it doesn’t detract from the legibility or clarity of the dial when worn at all.
I liked the fact that the dial pattern ideas of Swatch and others today were beaten to it, with this 1960’s ’70’s period piece – quite modern for it’s day.
The company still trades and have a web site too – https://www.darwil.ch/watches/all/
Watch space 