Retro Future

I’ve been on a lucky streak when it comes to finding swinging, late 1960s and early ’70s watches in the last week. Lucky in that I love the watch designs of this era. Lucky that all three are working and keeping good time. Lucky that they all came in under $8.

The Jowissa Diamond Line bangle watch was discovered at the Thrift Town on Keele Street. We were on our way to get some late night Hakka Number 1 Number 2 food when I noticed that the thrift shop was still open. Jowissa is a Swiss brand that’s been around since 1951 and is still in business today. I found this image of my watch and its sisters on their website.

Next up is a different sort of sporty ’70s style — A Midas watch with sub seconds dial. The way the markers are applied reminds me of the original Omega Dynamics.The leather band pictured here was dried out and about to crack, so I’ve put it on a brown NATO strap for the time being. I am searching for an orange NATO or perhaps a black rally strap for the future.

I have been unsuccessful in finding out much about Midas as a brand or company. Just some depth gauge chronographs of the same era popping on eBay. I’ve had better results with this Old England acrylic case and see through strap watch.

I have had a few Old England watches — the first being a gift from my Aunt Nance. But I’ve never had one as nice as this.

Old England was a fashion watch brand that was established in 1967 and born out of the pop asthetic of Swingin’ Sixties London. Old England itself was a sub brand of British watchmakers Accurist. They were like the Pop Swatch of their day, meant to be fun more than historically important horologically. This means that they weren’t built to last. Any model that I’ve come across so far either had a destroyed strap or wasn’t running. While the strap on this one is yellowed and is missing its little loop thing, its still super cool.