1930s Gander Watch Monopusher Chronograph, 18ct gold

1930s Gander Watch Monopusher Chronograph, 18ct gold - Image 2

1930s Gander Watch Monopusher Chronograph, 18ct gold - Image 3

1930s Gander Watch Monopusher Chronograph, 18ct gold - Image 4

1930s Gander Watch Monopusher Chronograph, 18ct gold

£4,750.00

includes our 24 month warranty

The 1930s Gander Watch monopusher chronograph in 18ct gold is a product of the early era of wrist-worn chronographs, when complications previously confined to pocket watches were being miniaturized for the wrist. The defining feature of this watch is its single-button (monopusher) chronograph mechanism, typically operated via a pusher integrated into the crown or placed at 2 o’clock. This simplified interface controls start, stop, and reset functions sequentially, a design common before the widespread adoption of dual-pusher systems in the 1940s. The dial is likely to feature a telemeter or tachymeter scale—practical tools in an interwar period increasingly defined by mechanical precision and utility.

Gander Watch was a lesser-known name in Swiss horology, likely functioning as a private label or small-scale brand sourcing movements and cases from established workshops. In this period, it was common for small manufacturers or retailers to assemble watches using ébauches from major movement suppliers such as Landeron or Valjoux. The movement in this Gander monopusher chronograph was likely a variant of the Valjoux 22, Valjoux 23, or an early Landeron monopusher calibre, adapted for single-button use. These manually wound calibres were mechanically reliable and relatively compact for the time, facilitating the elegant proportions expected in a gold chronograph wristwatch.

From a collector’s perspective, the 1930s Gander Watch monopusher is notable both for its technical layout and its period-correct case material. Solid 18ct gold chronograph cases were uncommon during the Great Depression, making this example particularly scarce. Its monopusher design places it among the transitional chronographs that paved the way for the more complex tool watches of the mid-20th century. As interest in early chronograph development grows, watches like this serve as valuable records of innovation, craftsmanship, and the spread of precision timing from industry and sport to the personal wrist.