Art Deco, Cyma Watersport wristwatch, 1930s.

Last Updated on September 15, 2024 by Jason

This is a classic Art Deco Cyma Watersport wristwatch in 9ct gold dating to 1937. The dial has a nice even patina, with no signs of restoration, which gives no doubt to its originality. The Art Deco Arabic numerals sit inside the outer-minute tracking, this is mirrored in the subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock. Original hands with aged lume are at the centre pinion.

The hermetic, Art Deco-style case is in great condition. Housed inside the 28 x 40mm case is Cyma’s in-house manual wind, lever escapement calibre 364K, with bi-metallic compensation balance and Cymaflex shock protection. The movement is keeping good time. The watch is paired with a black lizard-grain leather strap.

Cyma

Schwob Freres (Schwob Brothers) was founded in 1862 in La Chaux-de-Fonds by Joseph and Theodore Schwob as an etablisseur, an assembler of watches. They purchased ebauches (blank movements), cases, dials and hands and assembled these into watches. Schwob Freres trademarked several brand names over the years and developed an extensive overseas distribution network to market and sell their watches.

In 1891, the brothers went into partnership with a watchmaker called Henri-Frédéric Sandoz (1851-1913) who had created a new watch company, Tavannes, in the Jura municipality of the same name. Sandoz had originally started out running a watch manufacturing company in his name in 1870 in Le Locle. Henri departed from the company in 1889, for unknown reasons, and another family member, Jules Sandoz, continued the business. In 1891, Henri Sandoz set up a watchmaking company in Tavannes, a small municipality in the French-speaking canton of Bern in the Jura mountains.

Partnership

The partnership between Schwob Frères and Tavannes was mutually beneficial. Schwob Frères benefited from modern manufacturing processes and volumes. Tavannes benefited by being able to access the well-developed distribution network of Schwob Frères. Both of the companies remained separate entities and both exist in some form today.

In 1903, Schwob Frères registered the brand name Cyma pronounced “see-mah”. The name is derived either from the French word “cime”, meaning “crown” or from the Latin word “cyma”, meaning “sprouts”. By 1908, Cyma was advertising the resilience of their timepieces when exposed to electricity, magnetism and varying temperatures. Even basic models were very accurate and many were sold as officially tested chronometers.

During the 1940’s Britain’s War Department needed watches to be issued to the Army during World War II. Rather than relying on a single watch manufacturer, they invited a series of Swiss watchmakers to build a watch to a tight specification. Cyma was one of the 12 brands chosen, this is where the name “Dirty Dozen “ derives from. They were delivered by 1945 which was near the end of the war, as a result, many of these watches never actually saw action. Cyma produced an estimated 20,000 watches for the British War Department.

In 1943, Cyma unveiled its first automatic wristwatch, using a calibre 420 featuring a unidirectional rotor. In 1966 the company was bought by the ASUAG Chronos Holding and production continued under their Synchron group in 1968. Cyma became a sister company to Doxa and Ernest Borel throughout the 1970s. The company is currently owned by Stelux International Ltd, a Hong Kong holding firm that invests in jewellery and watches.

Cyma calibre 364K

The manual wind Cyma calibre 364K has 15 Jewels with a barrel (Tonneau) shaped movement. The term “tonneau,” which is French for “barrel,” perfectly describes the shape of these watches, characterised by their rounded, barrel-like silhouette. The movement includes a pinned regulator, a frequency of 18,000 bph, Cymaflex shock protection and a 35 hour power reserve.

The Cyma 364 calibre is a mechanical, hand-wound movement featuring a unique design with six train wheels instead of the usual five, which is quite unusual for manual wind watches. This design includes the mainspring barrel (first wheel), the centre wheel (second wheel, off-centre and turning counter-clockwise), the third wheel, the fourth wheel, the fifth wheel (which carries the sub-seconds hand), and the escape wheel (typically the fifth wheel in most watches). The exact date production range for the Cyma 364 calibre is not known. However, it appears that it was available from the early to mid-1930s. The 364K variant included the Cymaflex shock protection system which was launched in 1937.

Watersport case

This vintage Cyma watch has a water-resistant type rectangular case. The case is made to the specifications of Swiss patent 189190 which was lodged on the 11th of May 1936 and was granted on the 15th of February 1937 to Schmitz Frères & Co. S.A. The patented design was licenced to a number of different manufacturers. This included Gallet, which marketed the design under the name ‘Clamshell’. Essentially, the design was comprised of a two-part case with 4 screws fitted to the underside which clamped the upper and lower case components together. This worked in conjunction with a synthetic crystal, which had a broad lip underneath the bezel, and a water-resistant capped winding crown. This formed what was considered an impermeable seal at the time. However, by no means should it be considered waterproof now.

The design is not as watertight in principle as a screw back. This is because the clamping force is applied to four separate points. A screw back is a better solution for a round case because the pressure is applied evenly around the case by the screw thread. Typically, these cases were made of stainless steel. This is a rare example of a gold case. The slightly curved case back provides a comfortable fit on the wrist. The relatively small size of the watch means that it would be suitable for men or women.

Dial

The silvered dial has faded black Arabic numerals which are separated from the black outer minute track by a silver foil frame. The original hands have traces of luminescent paint, which has long lost its ability to glow in the dark. The signed dial is in its original finish with an a ge-related patina. Despite the Watersport name, like all vintage timepieces, the watch should be kept away from water and moisture. The acrylic crystal is in good condition with only some very light marks.

Summary

This Cyma Watersport wristwatch is a well-made and designed dress sports watch from 1937. However, the “sports” aspect of this watch is name only and it shouldn’t exposed to water or shocks. It has a quality 9ct gold case, a standout dial in a salmon tone and good quality movement. The Art Deco style is timeless and this elegant timepiece would go well with formal or casual wear. Sadly, this watch was sold before I had the opportunity to buy it.