ENICAR "FLORENTINE" WATCH CA. 1960

Enicar is a historic Swiss watch brand created in 1914.

Because a company had already been registered with his name, founder Ariste Racine chose to invert the letters of his surname, creating the Enicar brand. From then on, he devoted himself to the production of luxury watches, in particular the innovative, highly legible pocket watches favored by soldiers and railwaymen throughout Europe during the First World War.

After the Second World War, under the management of Ariste Racine Jr. Enicar modernized and expanded production to obtain, in the early 1950s, the first precision certificate from the famous Neuchâtel Observatory - the forerunner of the C.O.S.C. (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres). This certificate was a symbol of high precision and reliability.

This was followed by the 1956 Swiss expedition that successfully conquered Mount Everest and the Himalayan ranges, equipped with Enicar chronometers that generated worldwide acclaim following the ascent. One of its members, Ernst Reiss, paid tribute to the watch for its exceptional precision in extreme climatic conditions. The name Sherpa was born, and would later evolve into a multitude of variants.

In particular, the brand was known for producing watches with a durable design, enabling them to withstand extremely hostile environments such as seawater, high pressure and extreme weather conditions.

Many Sherpa watches were renamed "Sherpa Star" in the 1960s as Enicar modernized their designs.

Unfortunately, like many other companies of the time, Enicar did not survive the Quartz crisis of the 1970s.

The model presented here is a men's watch probably dating from the 1960s. It is a series manufactured with "Ultrasonic" cleaning of the movement components. This process, followed by a complete epilamage (chemical application of a thin film on the oiling surfaces) gives the oils a lubricating power three times longer.

This model is powered by a hand-wound mechanical mechanism. The atypical design of its case is both simple and refined, with its "discovolante" style bezel and "Florentine" finish. The watch is extra-thin at 6.5 mm.

The watch is in rare condition, with a few imperfections but very clean overall.

Timeless elegance.

Manufacturer: Enicar
Model: N/A
Catalogue number: 696/010
Year: Circa 1960
Materials: Steel
Dimensions: Diameter 32.5 mm Height 39 mm
Caliber: Mechanical Caliber, Enicar
Strap: Leather 18 mm wide
Box/paper: No