I found this Zodiac tank watch in a local thrift store. It features an AS 970 movement, and ID case and a Kreisler band.
I had never heard of ID watch cases but a quick search showed that the ID Watch Case Company was located in New York. The Kreisler band is also a USA product.
The watch does not run. I bumped the escape wheel and it ran for about 30 seconds and then quit. I think that it is in otherwise good running condition but needs cleaning. I will not run it again until it is cleaned.
Questions:
A number of watch brands used the AS 970 movement. Herr Dr. Ranfft's site says that this movement was manufactured between 1935 and 1967. Judging by the style I guess this is a 1950s watch, maybe late 1940s. Can anybody verify?
Is this watch a man's watch or a lady's watch?
The Kreisler band, is it original to the watch?
Thanks for your input.
Dennis Lockwood
Yes, man's, yes.
Now that I am not on my phone, let me expound on this. Between the 30's and maybe the 50's, I forget exactly, there was a high tariff/tax on Swiss watches imported into the US. So many companies brought in the movements, with dial and hands, then cased them in the US with US watch cases.