Men’s 1918 Tavannes Signal Corps Trench Watch

Clients of Strickland Vintage Watches expect nothing short of excellence; consequently, we spend our days scouring the world for exceptional timepieces, searching for watches that not only keep time but rise to the level of wrist art. It's no secret that we prefer examples from the first half of the 20th century: these 50 years, in our opinion, constitute the golden age of wrist watch design.

In the course of many years in business we've come across a handful of examples that not only please, they astonish: this early Tavannes "Signal Corps" is just such an example.

Founded by Henri Sandoz, Tavannes was actually a group of companies, the namesake of which being after the Swiss village of Tavannes. By 1891 Tavannes was producing 150 repeaters, grand complications and chronographs a day, using advanced machinery that would later earn the consortium status as the largest watchmaker in Switzerland. It was, however, during WWI, with Tavannes contribution to the war effort — in the form of new -fangled "wristlets" — that made the company a loved, familiar name among those who valued fine, dependable timepieces.

Crafted in solid sterling silver an era when watch designers were channeling the finest of the Art movements, this hinged-lug example flows gracefully along the wrist. Its mint porcelain dial reads "Tavannes Watch Company/Signal Corps/U.S.A."; featuring read 24 hour inner chapter, stained glass hands and micro-regulated sub-seconds register.

Open its hinged sterling case - which measures 33mm wide (not including crown) by 50mm from lug to lug - and you'll find another triumph: a completely original, professionally cleaned, oiled and calibrated high grade Swiss movement by Tavannes, a marvel of the machine age that can be wound up, set, and expected to keep good, accurate time without the need for batteries – quite impressive for a mechanism that was manufactured 80 years ago.

We've taken the liberty of fitting this historic work of wrist art with one of our own correctly re-created two-piece straps in black cordovan leather – with matching sterling buckle.

You needn't spend any more time looking for that perfect vintage timepiece to proclaim your excellent taste of the world: you've found it.