This tiny powerhouse Tissot from the 1950s has classic looks coupled with great timekeeping. The Tissot 717 21-jewel movement is unquestionably the smallest fully automatic movement that I have worked on, but it doesn’t skimp on functionality, sporting a sophisticated automatic mechanism with jeweled reversing wheels.

Highlighted by a lovely fluted bezel, this vintage Tissot is a great looking and functional ladies timepiece. The Tissot 2341 automatic movement packs a lot of watch functionality into a very small space, including day and date functions with quickset via a 3-position crown, a ball bearing automatic rotor, and a high 28,800 bph rate for excellent timekeeping.

Even in the heart of the quartz crisis Bulova was still making really nice, handsome mechanical watches like this 2930 calendar automatic. This example has been serviced and given a new crystal, but is otherwise in original condition. The Bulova 11ANACD 17 jewel movement (Bulova movement codes were getting slightly rediculous at this point) has a 21,600 BPH rate for excellent accuracy and an automatic mechanism that is fully integrated into the main plate providing a thin 9mm profile.

Combining Waltham’s signature red pointer sweep second hand with a very cool “sun ray” dial pattern this is a really sharp looking 1960s Waltham. The 21 jewel UTC 233 movement was designed and manufactured by Seiko, and has innovative design elements that exist in Seiko movements to this day, including the highly efficient Seiko Magic Lever automatic winding mechanism

Looking super sharp in gold and black, this early 1960s Gruen Precision is driven by their innovative N710 SS automatic movement, making this watch a great combination of style and substance. With a 35mm bezel, it also looks great on the wrist.

Replete with signature red pointer sweep second hand, and with a very clean dial, this is an excellent example of a late 1960s Waltham. The UTC 33 movement was designed and manufactured by Seiko, and has innovative design elements that exist in Seiko movements to this day, including the highly efficient Seiko Magic Lever automatic winding mechanism.

This handsome Girard-Perregaux from 1960 has just the right amount of patina on its cream colored dial. Together with a elegant hand design and a full stainless steel case, this is a really sharp looking watch. It has a reliable and accurate in-house GP 21.19 automatic movement, making it a vintage watch you can wear and enjoy for years to come.

The A. Schild 1706 is an interesting movement with a somewhat unusual automatic winding mechanism. As we shall see in this article, this design has some benefits, but one major potential pitfall.

Kicking off a new blog series, we take a look at the Gruen N 710 SS. This 1960s automatic movement was manufactured for Gruen by… someone. It’s a bit of a mystery, as, beyond a stamp indicating Swiss manufacture, the movement only has Gruen markings.