Vintage West End Watch Co President Qatar Dial Automatic Day Date 36mm Box

About this watch

A highly unusual West End Watch Co. President-style automatic with a spectacular Qatar-themed dial. A vivid golden-orange ground surrounds a large central composition in burgundy, white and green incorporating traditional regional imagery including the dhow sail and crossed swords, turning a charismatic Swiss day-date into a true Gulf collector's piece.

The architecture is classic President: a 36mm stainless-steel case, sharply fluted bezel, applied hour markers, central seconds, a full day display at 12 and a magnified date at 3. The steel multi-link bracelet has a West End-signed clasp, and the screw-down caseback is stamped Water Resistant, West End Watch Co., Automatic, K-5027. The watch comes with the vintage West End Watch Co. presentation box shown.

Brand heritage

The West End Watch Co. was founded in 1886 in Bombay (now Mumbai) by the Swiss firm Droz & Amstutz of Saint-Imier, to make Swiss watches for the Indian market; the name was inspired by London's fashionable West End. Its robust Sowar and Sowar Prima watches became legends in India and the Middle East, and in 1934 the Sowar Prima was one of the early adopters of the Incabloc shock-protection system.

In 1973 the company was taken over by its main supplier, Aubry Frères of Le Noirmont in the Swiss Jura. West End watches were widely sold across the Gulf, where special-dial versions such as this one were made for regional customers.

Why this one is special

• Uncommon Qatar-themed dial with dhow and crossed-swords imagery
• Desirable President-style day-date with fluted bezel and multi-link bracelet
• Swiss automatic movement
• Wearable 36mm size
• Comes with the period West End presentation box

Specifications

• Brand / Model: West End Watch Co. President
• Caseback reference: K-5027
• Era: circa 1980s
• Movement: Swiss automatic
• Functions: hours, minutes, central seconds, day and date
• Case: stainless steel, approx. 36 mm, approx. 13 mm thick, fluted bezel, screw-down back
• Dial: golden-orange with Qatar emblem composition
• Bracelet: stainless steel multi-link, West End clasp

Condition

Honest vintage condition, showing visible age and wear throughout the case, bezel, dial, crystal and bracelet. The dial displays ageing that gives the piece considerable vintage personality. It is running well for a vintage automatic watch; no guarantee of modern precision or water resistance is implied. Please review all photos carefully, as they form part of the description.

What's included

The watch on its steel bracelet and the West End Watch Co. presentation box shown. No papers.

Shipping & Returns

Ships from Cairo, Egypt. Please see the shipping and returns details in this listing.