# My New Old Wittnauer Electrochron Skeleton



## Guest (Nov 22, 2012)

I was looking around the site and reading about the Wittnauer Electrochron with the white and black dials, and they are truely beautiful watches. Seeing these awesome watches made me want to post some pics of my Wittnauer to show you my first electric style watch. The short of the story is that my brother found it years ago at a garage sale and bought it for dirt cheap and gave it to our dad thought it never worked.

Many years later we arrive at the present. I have started the TZWatchschool course and with that my father gave me a cheap watch that didn't work that I could play around with and try to restore. After he gave it t me it wasn't long before I realized what a cool, special watch he had given me. I am very glad he gave it to me and I will do my best to take care of it and get it up and running someday soon.

Here are some pics that I took. I will try to take some more pics of the watch in the day time with some quality natural light.


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2012)




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## Guest (Nov 22, 2012)




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## Docta13 (Nov 18, 2012)

Although I'm fairly new to all this I have to say mate that is an object of beauty


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Fantastic, and on the original bracelet too.... Love it....

Im struggling to tell properly, but is that steel or gold?


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Very nice...and very rare :thumbsup:.

Martinus_Scriblerus will be along shortly.....


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## Littlelegs (Dec 4, 2011)

Nice. Good luck with the restoration...)


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## Oliverb (Sep 3, 2012)

Wow, nice!


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## Guest (Nov 23, 2012)

Thanks for the nice things said.


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

Good one.

These watches are really rare: I have two, and I heard about one other. This makes four that I know of. Just a few things that you should know. First of all, the red watch box is a period box, but is not the "electric" box that came with the watch. Secondly, the band looks great, but is a replacement as well.

I will post a picture of the correct box and band. It'll give you something to look for!

Treasure this watch.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

jasonm said:


> Fantastic, and on the original bracelet too.... Love it....
> 
> Im struggling to tell properly, but is that steel or gold?


Doh!


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

Here's the watch with the correct box and band. Just not a skeleton.


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

More photos of the box and correct bracelet. Incidentally (and I will post it when I can find it) I have a copy of an original advertisement for the Wittnauer skeletonized Electro-Chron and it does show it on the bracelet that I have shown in these photos. This is the correct bracelet, and to my knowledge, the only bracelet offered with the watch. It was available on leather as well though, but I do not know what the leather band looked like.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

martinus_scriblerus said:


> Incidentally (and I will post it when I can find it) I have a copy of an original advertisement for the Wittnauer skeletonized Electro-Chron


Yes please Dave!....you promised me a scan of this sometime ago


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

It's a big house Paul, with MANY crannies to look through.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

martinus_scriblerus said:


> It's a big house Paul, with MANY crannies to look through.


But think of all those watches that you'll find... that you had forgotten you had! It will be fun! :yes:


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

Silver Hawk said:


> martinus_scriblerus said:
> 
> 
> > It's a big house Paul, with MANY crannies to look through.
> ...


Right now I can't find a lovely red dial Longines Comet with original band. It's lost somewhere in my house!


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## Guest (Nov 24, 2012)

martinus_scriblerus said:


> Here's the watch with the correct box and band. Just not a skeleton.


Martinus,

Thank you for all the information you have posted. I will now keep an eye out for the original case ant bracelet. I really like the look of that bracelet, very unique.


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

The boxes do come along every now and then. I don't remember ever just seeing a band sell alone. You'd probably have to buy a watch that has a band. However I see that as a positive - having two electro-chrons instead of one.

Here's another original box style. I am not certain what box was used when, but the Joe DiMaggio Electro-Chron was in this box style (at the risk of insulting your intelligence, Joe DiMaggio was a Hall of Famer baseball player for the New York Yankees in the 1940's and 1950's). You can read about that watch here in this thread from 2008: http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34735&hl=dimaggio&fromsearch=1

Here's the box:


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

I think I probably should have started another thread for this. Here is yet another Electro-Chron box variation. It is the ONLY ONE that I have ever seen, and I bought it with no watch. I can't account for it at all. I would guess that the box was used at the start of the run for Electro-Chrons (or maybe the end, but to my eye, the box looks "earlier" in style).


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## Guest (Nov 26, 2012)

martinus_scriblerus said:


> I think I probably should have started another thread for this. Here is yet another Electro-Chron box variation. It is the ONLY ONE that I have ever seen, and I bought it with no watch. I can't account for it at all. I would guess that the box was used at the start of the run for Electro-Chrons (or maybe the end, but to my eye, the box looks "earlier" in style).


Feel free to add anything related to the electro-chron. It is nice to see all of the pics and info together in one thread. I would love to see a single thread dedicated to the Wittnauer electric/electro-chron. That is if there isn't already a post for that.


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## azimuth_pl (Aug 17, 2009)

long time....

I have a Skeleton so there are more than just a handful


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

azimuth_pl said:


> long time....
> 
> I have a Skeleton so there are more than just a handful


Let's see it then!


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## Guest (Dec 4, 2012)

This reminded me to post a few more pics.


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## Guest (Dec 4, 2012)




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## azimuth_pl (Aug 17, 2009)

martinus_scriblerus said:


> azimuth_pl said:
> 
> 
> > long time....
> ...


mine looks exactly as every other Skeleton so there is nothing new to show. I don't have it in front of me as it's stored in one of my many drawers hence difficult to say exactly where it is located at present. very similar to your search for the Longines Comet


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

azimuth_pl said:


> martinus_scriblerus said:
> 
> 
> > azimuth_pl said:
> ...


Yes, the not being able to find it is a problem! And I still haven't found the Comet.


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

johnp33 said:


>


Simply stunning. :yes:


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## Ted (Oct 29, 2009)

Guest John...This is a very beautiful and rare watch...plus it is a family heirloom. May I make a suggestion...if I understand you correctly, you are just taking your first watch repair course, correct? I suggest you not use this watch to learn on. I believe that it is an extremely specialized repair and there really is only on person in the world I believe is fully qualified to get this running for you...Silver Hawk (Paul) in England, who has been giving you advice in this post. Perhaps it only needs a battery, but if I remember correctly, it might also need a special adapter Paul has. You can also price out a complete overhaul by him and him alone, which will make it look brand new or you can just ask him to get it running for you. I would send it registered mail and insured. You can check him out on his(web search) ELECTRIC WATCH web site. He is the one to trust with an Electro-Chron. How is that for a testimonial, Paul!


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## TheFlyingBanana (Jun 23, 2009)

What a fascinating piece! In many years of watch collecting I have never seen one of these - the exposed movement is most unusual and a little confusing! Is this a hummer, and if so, what is it that we are seeing through the dial? Any more info on the movement would be most interesting.


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## richardod (Oct 13, 2011)

TheFlyingBanana said:


> What a fascinating piece! In many years of watch collecting I have never seen one of these - the exposed movement is most unusual and a little confusing! Is this a hummer, and if so, what is it that we are seeing through the dial? Any more info on the movement would be most interesting.


I was thinking the exact same thing- it certainly looks different to what you see in an Accutron Spaceview.


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## TheFlyingBanana (Jun 23, 2009)

Ted said:


> Guest John...This is a very beautiful and rare watch...plus it is a family heirloom. May I make a suggestion...if I understand you correctly, you are just taking your first watch repair course, correct? I suggest you not use this watch to learn on. I believe that it is an extremely specialized repair and there really is only on person in the world I believe is fully qualified to get this running for you...Silver Hawk (Paul) in England, who has been giving you advice in this post. Perhaps it only needs a battery, but if I remember correctly, it might also need a special adapter Paul has. You can also price out a complete overhaul by him and him alone, which will make it look brand new or you can just ask him to get it running for you. I would send it registered mail and insured. You can check him out on his(web search) ELECTRIC WATCH web site. He is the one to trust with an Electro-Chron. How is that for a testimonial, Paul!


I would echo that - Paul has done a few repairs for me and gives great service at very reasonable prices.


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## raulgonzalez (Jan 15, 2012)

Never come across these before, the skeleton model is pretty cool. I have to say vintage watches are interesting me a lot more recently, the more modern stuff just seem a bit bland and uninspiring.


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## GeeBeeFlyer (Jul 19, 2014)

That is one fantastic watch!! Do not let me find your house!

Wayne


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