Designer: Constant Droz
Established: 1886
Brand: West End Watch Company
The fascinating history of the West End Watch Company starts with the family firm Alcide Droz et Fils which in 1864 develops the technology for l'Impermeable, the world's first water-proof watch. It finds an unlikely market in British India where its popularity leads this francophone Swiss brand to be renamed West End Watches in 1886. Particularly well suited to the weather and rugged conditions, its watches are adopted at first by the Indian Railways, and then by the Indian military. West End Watch Co. produced 50,000 Sowar watches in 1917 for the Indian Cavalry during the First World War. Another important year for West End Watches was 1934 becoming that year the first watch to adopt the Incabloc shock protection system, and incorporating the Taubert-Borgel decagonal steel case--a cork stem seal and 10 flat steel case back system that rendered the watch 100% waterproof which is seen in the Sowar Prima watch. Today, West End Watches still enjoy its greatest popularity in India, the Far East as well as the Middle East, and deserves to be known in North America.
Sowar: Originally released in 1934 with major innovations in the functional performance, the styling also captures modernism with sans-serif Arabic numerals and thin straight hands, and details reminiscent of automobile instrument dials.
Band: Stainless steel band and clasp
Crystal: U-Shaped scratch-resistant sapphire glass
Case: Ø: 39 mm x 12mm
Case Material: Solid 316L Everbright stainless steel case
Back Case Material: Decagonal caseback
Display: Date window at 6
Hand Color: Super-Luminova luminescent hands and hour marks
Movement Type: Automatic ETA 2836-2 movement
Movement Brand: West End
Dial Color: Grey graded burst
Water Resistant: 50m (5 ATM)
Warranty: 2 yr international warranty
Made In: Leytron, Switzerland
All West End watches watches are equipped with the Incabloc Anti-shock system and are calibrated to 5 wrist positions for higher accuracy between 0-15 s/day.
