Lucerne
Lucerne | Oval Case
A 1970s Lucerne jumping hour dominated by its oversized brushed case and narrow burgundy display.
- Movement
- Swiss manual-wind mechanical
- Current Market Value
- $100
- Year
- 1970s
- Case
- Steel-tone case
- Gender
- Men / Unisex
Condition
Visible wear to the case and crystal, with aging around the display. The burgundy dial remains clearly legible.
Why I bought it
The case is what attracted me to this one. The very large brushed-metal surface leaves only a narrow vertical section for the actual time display, a very 1970s approach to watch design.
This Lucerne takes the same basic mechanical digital idea and packages it in a much more unconventional case.
Most of the front of the watch is brushed metal, while the actual burgundy dial occupies only a narrow vertical opening in the center. Within it, a separate window shows the jumping hour alongside the rotating minute disc.
It is not a restrained design, and that is precisely why I like these watches. During the 1970s, relatively inexpensive Swiss manufacturers were willing to experiment with case shapes and proportions that would be difficult to imagine in more traditional watches. This Lucerne is a good example: a simple mechanical watch made interesting primarily through industrial design.