Vintage 1960s Buren Grand Prix Manual Wind 17J Watch Custom Saddam Hussein Dial

About this watch

A classic 1960s Buren manual-wind watch in a 36mm stainless-steel case. Please note: the dial is a custom, aftermarket portrait dial, printed with a portrait of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on a silver sunburst background, with the Buren logo and applied baton markers. It is not a factory-original dial.

Inside is the signed Buren Grand Prix 17-jewel Swiss manual-wind movement, and the screw-down caseback is marked Acier Inoxydable. The movement is running. The watch comes on a brown suede-style leather strap (replacement) with a Buren box.

Brand heritage

Buren was founded in 1873 in Büren an der Aare, a small medieval town on the river Aare in Switzerland. The company became known for technical innovation: in 1954 it patented a micro-rotor automatic movement, one of the first to set a small rotor inside the movement so that self-winding watches could be made much thinner.

In 1966 Buren was bought by the American Hamilton Watch Company, and in 1969 Hamilton-Buren joined Breitling, Heuer-Leonidas and Dubois Dépraz to launch the Calibre 11 "Chronomatic", among the world's first automatic chronographs. The Buren factory closed in 1972, which makes the brand's vintage watches a small and interesting chapter of Swiss watchmaking history.

Why this one is special

• Rare custom portrait dial, a striking piece of Middle-East political memorabilia
• Signed Buren Grand Prix 17-jewel Swiss manual-wind movement
• Classic, wearable 36mm 1960s steel case
• Comes with a Buren box

Specifications

• Brand / Model: Buren Grand Prix
• Era: 1960s
• Movement: Buren Grand Prix, Swiss manual wind, 17 jewels
• Case: stainless steel, 36 mm, approx. 11 mm thick, screw-down back
• Dial: custom aftermarket portrait dial on silver sunburst (not original)
• Strap: brown leather, 18 mm (replacement)

Condition

Good working vintage condition with normal signs of wear (please see photos, including movement). The dial is a custom aftermarket dial, not factory original, and the strap is a replacement. Please review all photos carefully, as they form part of the description.
Working at time of listing.

What's included

The watch on its leather strap and the Buren box shown. No papers.

Shipping & Returns

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