Minerva

Founded in 1858 in Villeret, Switzerland Minerva has long been a cornerstone of Swiss horology, celebrated for its hand-crafted, high-precision movements. While most famous for chronographs, the brand’s dress watches also defines its vintage appeal for today's collector. The brand first started using its name on the dial in 1923 and the production of wristwatches started about the same time. It's undergone a number of owners in its time and most recently was bought out by Montblanc which uses Minerva's chronograph movements in its own output.

At the heart of this legacy sits the legendary Calibre 48. Introduced in the 1940s, this in-house, hand-wound movement became the gold standard for mid-century dress pieces. Renowned for its distinct bridge layout and robust reliability, the layout of the bridges in straight lines was supposed to  mimic Pythagoras's golden ratio of beautiful symmetry.

Tech Specs.

Reference: unknown

Year:   c. 1950s

Movement: Probably Cal. 48, manual winding

Case material:
 Gold plated stainless steel

Service History:  unknown

Dial:   cream white

Measurements (approx.):  38mm (case diameter), 45mm lug-to-lug, 10mm thickness

Water Resistant:  No

Crown: unsigned

Strap/Bracelet: new tan leather strap by Watch Gecko

Lug Width:  19mm

Box & Papers: no

Warranty:  1 month

Watches modelled on a 7” (18cms) wrist

Condition:

This is a lovely vintage Minerva dress watch in stunning condition, its as though it has sat in a drawer for decades protected from the rigours of daily life. The dial is in excellent condition and despite some wear on the lugs the gold-plated case is also in fine condition.It's also big for its time at a 'jumbo' 38mm in case diameter so it has real presence on the wrist.

The movement is signed Minerva, even though there is no sign of a 'Cal 48' printed on the baseplate, the layout however matches the correct calibre. The case back is also signed Minerva. There are no serial number lookups for Minerva so dating this watch is difficult; it is probably from the 1950s. I've matched the watch with a brand new 'Watch Gecko' tan leather strap.