Description

A Movado M95 chronograph reference 95-214-568 in 18-karat yellow gold. The case is an FB/Borgel waterproof construction in unpolished yellow gold, measuring 35mm in diameter with a 42mm lug-to-lug span. The silver dial is vertically brushed with applied gold baton markers, blued steel hands, and an outer tachymetre scale. Inside is the manufacture Calibre 95M with a 17-jewel, rhodium-plated movement that Movado designed, built, and finished entirely in-house, from initial design through to assembly.

Movado M95

Movado was founded in 1881 as a movement manufacturer, and for most of its golden era, that is precisely what it remained: a company that built its own movements from the ground up at a time when the rest of the industry had largely given up on that ambition. The in-house Movado M calibre family was released in 1938 as the world’s first modular chronograph movement, which was a technical achievement that predated and influenced much of what followed in Swiss chronograph development. The M95 was the third generation of that lineage, produced from the late 1940s through to 1969, when Movado’s collaboration with Zenith and the arrival of the El Primero brought the M calibre era to a close.

The FB/Borgel Case

The M95 features a waterproof case made by François Borgel, the same case maker who manufactured the Patek Philippe reference 1463. The FB/Borgel case is among the most respected case constructions in mid-century watchmaking: a system of threaded components that creates a water-resistant seal without requiring a screw-down caseback, and which is finished to a standard that holds up against any contemporary. This example’s case remains unpolished with all original surfaces intact, lugs sharp, gold with the warmth and character that decades of honest wear produce without the deadening effect of a polishing wheel. For collectors, an unpolished case is not merely a preference but a significant and meaningful distinction.

The reference numbering system used after 1966 encodes the key specifications directly: 95 denotes the calibre, and 214 denotes 18k yellow gold. This example, reference 95-214-568, is precisely identified.

Calibre 95M – A Manufacture Movement

The Calibre 95M is rhodium-plated, fitted with 17 jewels, and built around a straight-line lever escapement, a monometallic balance, a self-compensating Breguet balance spring, and an index regulator. It is a manual-wind movement of considerable refinement, not a purchased ebauche finished to specification, but a movement conceived and manufactured entirely within Movado’s own workshops. By the time the M95 was discontinued, almost no other brand at this price level could make the same claim.

The Dial

The dial is silver with a fine vertical brush finish that gives the surface a quiet depth under changing light. Applied gold baton hour markers sit cleanly against the silver ground, complemented throughout by a blued-steel chronograph hand and gold, black subsidiary hands. An outer tachymetre scale runs around the full perimeter and is printed in black. Three subsidiary registers are recessed into the dial surface: running seconds at 9 o’clock, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, and a 12-hour counter numbered 1–12 at 6 o’clock; the full tri-compax layout, and the more desirable and less commonly encountered configuration within the M95 family.

Specifications

Brand: Movado

Model: M95 Chronograph

Reference: 95-214-568

Year: circa 1960s

Case material: Gold-tone (18k yellow gold, unpolished)

Case diameter: approx. 35 mm (42mm lug-to-lug)

Bezel: Smooth polished gold-tone bezel

Dial: Silver vertically brushed dial, applied gold baton markers, gold, black, and blued steel hands, outer tachymetre scale, three registers (running seconds at 9, 30-min counter at 3, 12-hour counter at 6)

Strap: Brown leather strap

Movement: Manual wind (Cal. 95M, 17 jewels, rhodium-plated)

Condition: Good vintage condition with light signs of wear consistent with age

Accessories: Watch only (no box or papers)

Warranty: 1 year warranty

Availability

This vintage day-date automatic watch is available through Vintage Times Amsterdam.

For further information or high-resolution images, please feel free to contact:

Vintage Times

Vintage Times Amsterdam is a small watch boutique who mainly deals online and with a select group of private collectors. We are constantly looking for rare vintage timepieces and try to present the best condition available. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact for more information about this watch or other timepieces from our collection. We ship worldwide and also welcome you for a visit at our office in Amsterdam.

Vintage Times

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