Movado M95 'Mappin & Webb'

Today, Movado is probably best known for producing accessibly-priced fashion watches such as the always-popular Museum Watch collection. But from the 1930s through the 1960s, Movado was producing tough, purpose-driven timepieces that stood up against anything being produced by the larger, more well known brands. The company released water-resistant wristwatches as early as 1935, and by the 1960s was producing dive watches to compete with the era's better known offerings from companies such as Rolex or Omega. The Sub-Sea range consisted of divers and chronographs alike, with plenty of variety in case size, dials, and movement offerings. Dating to mid century, this M95 Sub-Sea Chronograph is an absolute gem of a piece to rival the best. Housed in a roughly 33mm yellow gold case with dual pump pushers, an acrylic crystal, and a screw-down caseback, it features a lovely brushed silver dial with an outer chronograph scale, applied indices, recessed chronograph totalizers, and a Mappin & Webb signature. Powered by the brand's famed Calibre M95 manual-winding chronograph movement, it comes paired to a leather strap with a gold pin buckle. Perfectly sized for both men and women and beautifully preserved, this gorgeous chronograph combines 1940s aesthetics with 1960s technology in a package that still looks modern today. Try it on for size, and we're sure you'll agree!