For sale is a striking and historically significant piece of Swiss watchmaking: a 1930s Vintage Tavannes Art Deco wristwatch. Tavannes, famously associated with its sister company Cyma, was once one of the largest and most important watch manufacturers in Switzerland. As a true "manufacture," they produced their own movements in-house rather than assembling third-party parts. This elegant timepiece is not just a watch; it is a wearable piece of serious horological history from the jazz age.
The aesthetics of this watch place it firmly in the Art Deco period, representing the era's architectural shift away from converted round pocket watches to purpose-built wristwatches. The watch features a rectangular/cushion-shaped case with perfectly proportioned, stepped sides. The dial boasts an honest, original condition with a slight, even patina. It showcases stylized Arabic numerals that gently follow the curvature of the dial, paired with classic blued steel "Breguet" or "Pomme" style hands featuring their signature hollow apple tips. A classic sub-seconds dial sits elegantly at the 6 o'clock position.
Turning the watch over reveals a fascinating detail for horological historians. The case back is stamped with "STAYBRITE". Before modern 316L stainless steel became the industry standard, watchmakers in the 1920s and 1930s experimented with early rust-resistant alloys. Staybrite is one of the most famous and highly sought-after early forms of stainless steel in Swiss watchmaking.
Brand: Tavannes
Era: 1920s–1930s (Art Deco Period)
Case Shape: Rectangular / Cushion with stepped sides
Case Material: Early "Staybrite" Stainless Steel
Dial: Original condition with honest patina and stylized Arabic numerals
Hands: Blued steel "Breguet" / "Pomme" style
Complication: Sub-Seconds at 6 o'clock
Movement: In-House Mechanical (Manual Wind)
Size: 26×30mm
Right now, the vintage watch market is experiencing a massive shift toward smaller, elegantly shaped, time-only watches. Collectors are fatigued by massive, chunky dive watches and are returning to the refined, classic proportions of the mid-20th century. This Tavannes perfectly captures that "neo-vintage" and classical resurgence. It appeals to the "Purist" who values the honest, unpolished patina of a watch that has lived a real life, as well as the "Horological Historian" who appreciates the in-house movement and the rare Staybrite steel case. It is an absolute time capsule that serves as a sophisticated daily wearer or a stunning dress watch.
All watch purchases from Arrows Vintage Watches include a 48-hour return window. If you’re not fully satisfied, you may return the watch at your expense using the same insured shipping method it was sent with, and in the same condition it was received. Once the watch is returned and inspected, refunds will be issued within 7 days via the original payment method.
All returns and cancellations will be charged a restocking fee around 3% of the total item price. This is the cost of using a payment processor on the site.
For sale is a striking and historically significant piece of Swiss watchmaking: a 1930s Vintage Tavannes Art Deco wristwatch. Tavannes, famously associated with its sister company Cyma, was once one of the largest and most important watch manufacturers in Switzerland. As a true "manufacture," they produced their own movements in-house rather than assembling third-party parts. This elegant timepiece is not just a watch; it is a wearable piece of serious horological history from the jazz age.
The aesthetics of this watch place it firmly in the Art Deco period, representing the era's architectural shift away from converted round pocket watches to purpose-built wristwatches. The watch features a rectangular/cushion-shaped case with perfectly proportioned, stepped sides. The dial boasts an honest, original condition with a slight, even patina. It showcases stylized Arabic numerals that gently follow the curvature of the dial, paired with classic blued steel "Breguet" or "Pomme" style hands featuring their signature hollow apple tips. A classic sub-seconds dial sits elegantly at the 6 o'clock position.
Turning the watch over reveals a fascinating detail for horological historians. The case back is stamped with "STAYBRITE". Before modern 316L stainless steel became the industry standard, watchmakers in the 1920s and 1930s experimented with early rust-resistant alloys. Staybrite is one of the most famous and highly sought-after early forms of stainless steel in Swiss watchmaking.
Brand: Tavannes
Era: 1920s–1930s (Art Deco Period)
Case Shape: Rectangular / Cushion with stepped sides
Case Material: Early "Staybrite" Stainless Steel
Dial: Original condition with honest patina and stylized Arabic numerals
Hands: Blued steel "Breguet" / "Pomme" style
Complication: Sub-Seconds at 6 o'clock
Movement: In-House Mechanical (Manual Wind)
Size: 26×30mm
Right now, the vintage watch market is experiencing a massive shift toward smaller, elegantly shaped, time-only watches. Collectors are fatigued by massive, chunky dive watches and are returning to the refined, classic proportions of the mid-20th century. This Tavannes perfectly captures that "neo-vintage" and classical resurgence. It appeals to the "Purist" who values the honest, unpolished patina of a watch that has lived a real life, as well as the "Horological Historian" who appreciates the in-house movement and the rare Staybrite steel case. It is an absolute time capsule that serves as a sophisticated daily wearer or a stunning dress watch.
All watch purchases from Arrows Vintage Watches include a 48-hour return window. If you’re not fully satisfied, you may return the watch at your expense using the same insured shipping method it was sent with, and in the same condition it was received. Once the watch is returned and inspected, refunds will be issued within 7 days via the original payment method.
All returns and cancellations will be charged a restocking fee around 3% of the total item price. This is the cost of using a payment processor on the site.
