JUMP HOUR WATCH

"The early mechanical digital watches are the ancestors of the modern digital watch."

As a modern digital watch, a vintage mechanical digital watch also displays the time using digits or numerically with the difference that a mechanical digital watch is powered by a mechanical movement and not electronically powered.

The invention of the jump hour dated around 1830's by the French watchmaker Blondeau for the French King. But it was until 1883 (before the wristwatch) when Austrian engineer Josef Pallweber filed the first patent for a jump hour movement on a pocket watch. Through licensing, watch companies like IWC and Cortebert were in charge to sell hundreds of Pallweber jump hour pocket watches, they were for sure impressive figures in the nineteenth century.

Watches with a jump hour complication (jump hour mechanism) have a hour hand that does not sweep between the hours. Instead, they have a disc with the hour digits marked on it is viewed through an aperture, a spring driven finger causes the disk to jump to the next hour when the previous hour ends.

It was until the 1920's that the jump hour watch design gain far more traction, this time into the wristwatch, the first digital wristwatch. Just after WWI, with the Art Deco era that watchmakers used inspiration from the straight lines, heavy geometry and luxury materials to innovate watch designs and the jump hour wristwatch would come up to bring iconic pieces that are still highly desired to this day.

Established names such as Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Rolex and Cartier embraced the concept, carrying the design from pocket watches into wristwatches. Most of them opted for the closed metal front with small apertures for the hour and minutes. Others using a hand for the minutes and the hour in a window. They were only ever made in very limited quantities at the time. Other Swiss brands embraced jump hour wristwatches as well, producing this time a much greater number of pieces.


RADO

Rado is a high range brand that today is part of the Swatch Group. Rado is a watchmaker with advanced material research and development, it was first founded in 1917 as Schlup & Co. by three brothers: Fritz, Ernst and Werner Schlup; their humble atelier was located in a converted part of their parent's house in Lengnau, Switzerland. The original plan was to specialize in making movement but by the end of the 1920's, the company began making finished watches as well.

The brothers were characterized by their tireless energy and uncanny ability to spot new opportunities, which enabled Schlup & Co. to sign deals with a wide range of importers around the world.

By the time when WW2 erupted, Schlup & Co. had become one of the largest producers of watch movements in the world, its name synonymous with Swiss-made quality; this laid the ground for the brother's next adventure, the launch of their own brand, Rado. The name Rado -in Esperanto language translates as 'wheel'- was registered in 1928. The name was only used in international markets, beginning in South America and Asia before reaching Switzerland.


JUMP HOUR WRISTWATCH
- Direct Read -
Hour, Minute and Second Indicators
By Rado

"A Watch without a Crystal"

There were items of transitional technology, these are superb artefacts of a pre-LED/LCD Quartz era, where the basic mechanism of a standard jeweled watch was fitted with wheels under dial instead of overdial hands, to create these dramatic machines.

Representing luxury, glamour and exuberance, together with the era of the Art Deco designs, a new alternative way of displaying the time began once again. This time with a faith in social and technological progress, the jump hour wristwatch.

They still look sleek and modern at this time when it probably seem quite passed to be reading dials and gauges with hands. A beautiful vertical symmetry of this everlasting Rado. For sure, this special watchmachine gives a little nod to its heritage.

This unique timepiece is a real vintage Rado jump hour wristwatch, dated from the late 1920's. A direct read or digital mechanical watch. It is a manual wind watch with an original Rado movement, caliber AS 340, 7 jewels, sub second, jump hour mechanism, Swiss made.

It is 26.3mm square case and lugs design with beautiful engraved on the sides. The top panel shows the hour, the center panel tells how many minutes past the hour. The bottom panel moves as the second pass. Every time the minute panel reaches sixty, the hour panel jumps to the next hour. Beautiful white metal case.

The hour, minute and second numerals (discs) are in excellent condition.

This watch is coming with vintage new old stock Genuine Leather two-pieces strap.

It is a very good looking wristwatch. After 90 years, it is still an unique watch, it is in great condition, keeps good time and runs very well.

Thank you for looking! Please feel free to contact us with any questions, or respectful offers.

Movement:
RADO WATCH Co.
7 Jewels
Cal. AS 340
Unadjusted
Swiss

Case Back Markers:
DIEL
W. C. Co.
Rolled Plate

Measures (mm):
Case 26.3
Case Lug to Lug 32.8
Case Thickness 7.3
Lug Width 16
Band Width 16

Vintage watches are traditionally smaller than today's watches. Men's watches typically measure between 29-36mm (some larger, some smaller) wide excluding the crown. In the listing details we typically try to do our best to list all pertinent dimensions of a watch. If you don't see it, or we failed to do so, please reach out to us. Women's watches from the 1900s-1970s were also somewhat smaller than today’s offerings in many cases. Please also feel free to ask any questions you have pertaining to size.

We prefer to shoot photographs outside when weather is permitting. However, when we shoot indoors, please be aware that we shoot our photographs inside of lightboxes that are lit with 360 LED bulbs. This indeed magnifies any flaws. Usually, they are much less obvious to the naked eye. Having said that, we never photoshop any of our photography, remove blemishes, etc. We adjust light, when necessary, but what you see is what you are getting, and we take pride in that.

The condition is pre-owned.
The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended.
See all the photos, feel free to ask questions if you have any.

It will be carefully packed.

Check out my other items listed.
Thanks for looking!

WA-1990