This is a fantastic and genuinely complicated vintage Kingston Watch Co. Datofix, combining a triple calendar, moonphase, pointer date, and small seconds in a beautifully detailed mid-century dress watch.
The Kingston Watch Co. name is particularly interesting. Kingston was used as a North American trade name for watches produced by the prestigious Swiss Record Watch Company, allowing Record to market its watches in North America under an alternative name. Beneath the Kingston branding, this watch carries a genuine Record Caliber 107C movement, making it considerably more interesting than the Kingston name alone might suggest.
The dial is an incredible example of 1950s design. It features applied gold Arabic numerals and markers, a moonphase display at 12 o'clock, day and month apertures, an outer 1–31 date scale, and a red-tipped central calendar hand. At 6 o'clock is a traditional small-seconds register, giving the dial an exceptionally balanced appearance.
The watch's complications are what really set it apart:
Day: Displayed through the aperture at approximately 10 o'clock.
Month: Displayed through the aperture at approximately 2 o'clock.
Pointer Date: The long central hand points to the 1–31 scale around the outside of the dial.
Moonphase: Positioned at 12 o'clock, displaying the current phase of the moon.
Small Seconds: A subsidiary seconds register sits at 6 o'clock.
Together, the day, month, and pointer date constitute a triple calendar, while the moonphase adds another layer of mechanical complexity. In an era when most watches simply told the time, this was a remarkably sophisticated wristwatch.
Inside is the 17-jewel Record Caliber 107C, a Swiss manually wound mechanical movement specifically associated with complicated calendar watches. The movement is beautifully laid out, with traditional bridges, exposed gearing, jewelled bearings, and a classic mechanical regulator.
The gold-filled case adds another layer of period elegance. Combined with the applied gold numerals, curved lugs, ornate case design, and richly detailed dial, it has all the visual hallmarks of a high-end 1950s dress watch.
What I particularly love about this watch is the combination of obscure branding and serious watchmaking. The Kingston name might initially make this look like another lesser-known vintage watch, but underneath is a genuine Record 107C, powering one of the most entertaining complications of the period.
This is exactly the sort of vintage watch that rewards a little research. A Kingston on the dial, a Record underneath, and an impressive collection of mechanical complications on the wrist.
A beautiful mid-century Swiss triple-calendar moonphase with Record 107C movement, 17 jewels, gold-filled case, applied gold numerals, pointer date, day/month displays, and an unmistakable 1950s character.
This is a fantastic and genuinely complicated vintage Kingston Watch Co. Datofix, combining a triple calendar, moonphase, pointer date, and small seconds in a beautifully detailed mid-century dress watch.
The Kingston Watch Co. name is particularly interesting. Kingston was used as a North American trade name for watches produced by the prestigious Swiss Record Watch Company, allowing Record to market its watches in North America under an alternative name. Beneath the Kingston branding, this watch carries a genuine Record Caliber 107C movement, making it considerably more interesting than the Kingston name alone might suggest.
The dial is an incredible example of 1950s design. It features applied gold Arabic numerals and markers, a moonphase display at 12 o'clock, day and month apertures, an outer 1–31 date scale, and a red-tipped central calendar hand. At 6 o'clock is a traditional small-seconds register, giving the dial an exceptionally balanced appearance.
The watch's complications are what really set it apart:
Day: Displayed through the aperture at approximately 10 o'clock.
Month: Displayed through the aperture at approximately 2 o'clock.
Pointer Date: The long central hand points to the 1–31 scale around the outside of the dial.
Moonphase: Positioned at 12 o'clock, displaying the current phase of the moon.
Small Seconds: A subsidiary seconds register sits at 6 o'clock.
Together, the day, month, and pointer date constitute a triple calendar, while the moonphase adds another layer of mechanical complexity. In an era when most watches simply told the time, this was a remarkably sophisticated wristwatch.
Inside is the 17-jewel Record Caliber 107C, a Swiss manually wound mechanical movement specifically associated with complicated calendar watches. The movement is beautifully laid out, with traditional bridges, exposed gearing, jewelled bearings, and a classic mechanical regulator.
The gold-filled case adds another layer of period elegance. Combined with the applied gold numerals, curved lugs, ornate case design, and richly detailed dial, it has all the visual hallmarks of a high-end 1950s dress watch.
What I particularly love about this watch is the combination of obscure branding and serious watchmaking. The Kingston name might initially make this look like another lesser-known vintage watch, but underneath is a genuine Record 107C, powering one of the most entertaining complications of the period.
This is exactly the sort of vintage watch that rewards a little research. A Kingston on the dial, a Record underneath, and an impressive collection of mechanical complications on the wrist.
A beautiful mid-century Swiss triple-calendar moonphase with Record 107C movement, 17 jewels, gold-filled case, applied gold numerals, pointer date, day/month displays, and an unmistakable 1950s character.