West End Watch Co. Sowar Prima Automatic Day-Date

A Swiss watch with a deeply Indian story — the West End Watch Co. Sowar Prima, in its automatic day-date form. West End was founded in 1886 by Arnold Amstutz and Constant Droz out of the Saint-Imier watchmaking tradition, and built its entire business around the Indian and wider Asian market. The Sowar line takes its name from the sowar, the trooper of the Indian cavalry, and the brand's watches went out with British and Indian soldiers deployed to Mesopotamia in the First World War. West End was also the first brand to adopt the Incabloc anti-shock system, in 1934 — a company that built for heat, dust and hard wear rather than for display cabinets.

Specifications

• Brand: West End Watch Co., Switzerland (est. 1886)
• Model: Sowar Prima — dial marked AUTOMATIC
• Movement: Swiss automatic (self-winding) mechanical; the automatic Sowar Primas were built on ETA 2824 / 2836-family calibres
• Display: Day and date windows at 3 o'clock, red sweep seconds hand
• Dial: Black, full Arabic numerals with luminous fill
• Case: Stainless steel, faceted lugs, men's size
• Crystal: Acrylic
• Bracelet: Steel expansion bracelet, fitted

Condition

• Cosmetic: Good for its age. Case and bezel carry light marks and polishing wear consistent with the vintage; the dial is clean and legible. The hands show slight rust.
• Functional: Automatic movement working and running. Day and date advance.

Included

• West End Watch Co. Sowar Prima automatic watch
• Steel expansion bracelet (fitted)

One of the great India-market Swiss names, and the automatic day-date is the version collectors go looking for. Black dial, glowing numerals, a red seconds hand sweeping over it. The hands carry slight rust and the case wears its years openly — a watch to put on, not to shelve.