1970s plastic top loading case watches

So growing up in the 1970s I have abit of a soft spot for watches of that era but saying that I am a bit fussy when it comes to the watches I collect they have to be different, I sourced a 1970s plastic cased smiths watch as a non runner a few years back and it took me ages to work out how simple it was to remove the bezel and plastic lens to expose the movement everything is put together from the top ,  , once done I started to try and fine out more about these watches and to be fair I am unable to find much over the internet I think it was watch manufacturer trying to go up against the very early swatch but they never really took  of like swatch watches did there very few I have come across , the only other I have seen is a claro beach star and I purchased this one yesterday to go with my smiths , any info that any one can offer on these sort of watches would be great as I am trying to get as much info on these watches as possible

I believe "top" or "front" loading cases were used a lot in the 1960s and 1970s. The Omega Dynamic range for example were all made this way.

I have posted about this one .....

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.......where I needed access to the dial to remedy the sweep second hand being loose.

Despite the use of a claw glass remover & finally air pressure......

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....I didn't succeed though the problem seems to have sorted itself out.

The concept of front loaders wasn't new with Borgel patenting a one piece screw case in 1891.

This silver example is hallmarked for 1917 so a hundred years old.

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It is possible to unscrew the bezel and if you hold the crown in the out position the movement can then be unscrewed from within the case.



In this instance there is also a tightly fitted dust cover which has a presentation engraving in 1923.

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which is unusual given it would never be seen by the recipient.

The inside of the silver case has the hallmarks along with F.Borgels initials and his "key" trade mark.

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At the time this case design was considered far more effective in stopping dust / moisture ingress compared to hinged or snap backs.

I hope this is of some interest albeit going further back in time.

Some of them times pieces are very nice indeed , I no tissot and bulovia did the autolab with plastic inner mechanicals but their does not seem to be a work used to describe these plastic cases

Air pressure for a minute I was thinking you were filling it up with oil like some of the sinn watches

Two very unusual watches Andy and ones I did not know about . I like the blue Smiths rather unusual

Iceblue wrote:Some of them times pieces are very nice indeed , I no tissot and bulovia did the autolab with plastic inner mechanicals but their does not seem to be a work used to describe these plastic cases

Air pressure for a minute I was thinking you were filling it up with oil like some of the sinn watches

I would have been as well using oil as the air pressure didn't work.

The plastic movement in the Tissot Actualis is quite mesmerising.

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It doesn't have a smooth winding action though and there's a bit of a feeling that something could snap.

I can't find much about these plastic watches beyond the term "one piece" cases being used. I do have this one......

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......which I bought not because I am a Celtic supporter but because I was surprised it had a mechanical movement.

At the top of the dial is "soccer watch" so I don't know if they were produced for all the football clubs. As I can't find any others it was possibly just done for the one club.

Here is the back of the case......

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.......which looks good but hasn't helped with learning about the watch.  

Yep that Celtic watch is the sort I am on about and it's exactly the reason why I bought the smiths I was supprised it was mechanical so now their is three out there woop woop

Just came across this on the claro beach star it reads


Watch introduced at 1971 Basel fair at which time Basel City Fire Department made the Claro Beach Star watch standard use for all firemen within the city. This is a hard to find watch

If this is true or not who knows