Buren - Grand Prix - No reserve price - 703505 - Men - 1950-1959

Presented for auction by Second Vintage This mid-century Buren Grand Prix exemplifies the timeless elegance and robust mechanical craftsmanship of post-war Swiss watchmaking. Featuring a beautifully proportioned dress case and a dial that has aged with immense character, this timepiece offers collectors a unique aesthetic footprint. Powered by a beautifully finished in-house manual caliber, this Grand Prix stands as a testament to Buren’s legacy of producing highly reliable and sophisticated watches prior to their famous micro-rotor innovations. The exceptional stardust patina on the dial elevates this watch from a standard vintage dress piece to a truly distinctive collector's item. Brand: Buren Model: Grand Prix Reference Number: 703505 Serial Number: 548115 Movement: Manual winding, Caliber 1420, 17 Jewels Dial: Light champagne dial with heavy even stardust patina and applied gold-tone indices Case Size: 34 mm (excluding the crown) Case Material: 20-Micron Gold-Filled Production Year: 1950s Condition: Good vintage condition with highly attractive dial patina Dial and Hands The dial of this Grand Prix is a visual delight, having developed a striking and highly uniform stardust patina across its light champagne surface. This fine speckling is consistent and age-appropriate, free from harsh moisture stains or localized damage, presenting a beautiful organic texture. The dial furniture is elaborate and well-preserved, featuring an applied gold-tone Buren shield logo below 12 o'clock, complemented by crisp black sans-serif printing for the Buren and Grand Prix signatures. The hour markers consist of applied gold-tone alternating Arabic numerals and faceted dart indices, all of which catch the light brilliantly. The outer perimeter features a charming minute track composed of finely debossed dots. A set of sharp, gold-tone dauphine hands and a sweeping center seconds hand complete the elegant mid-century layout, showing only light, honest oxidation under close inspection. Case and Crystal The 34 mm gold-filled case features a classic dress profile with a smooth polished bezel and gracefully sweeping lugs. The 20-micron gold plating remains largely intact across the visible upper surfaces, exhibiting honest surface scratches and light handling marks consistent with decades of careful wear, without severe rub-throughs on the primary case lines. The original crown is present and proudly signed with the Buren shield logo, maintaining good tactile definition. The domed acrylic crystal is clear and well-preserved, offering an unobstructed view of the patinated dial. The snap-on caseback is sharply engraved with factory specifications, including "GOLDFILLED G 20 MICRONS", "POWER MASTER", and "UNBREAKABLE SPRING", alongside the reference and serial numbers. The caseback also bears historical hand-engraved service marks and a prominent marker notation, adding a touch of utilitarian history to the piece. Movement Inside the case beats the Buren caliber 1420, a 17-jewel manual winding movement finished in a rich copper tone. The movement is visually clean and well-preserved, featuring crisp engravings including the Buren signature on the bridge and the Grand Prix designation on the ratchet wheel. The screw heads and ruby jewels present beautifully against the rose-hued plates. Exhibiting remarkable accuracy and consistency, performing brilliantly for a vintage timepiece. The timegrapher results show a performance of -15s to -20s/day. Strap The watch is fitted with a period-correct brown leather strap featuring an embossed crocodilian grain and tonal stitching. The strap is supple and complements the gold-tone case perfectly, securing to the wrist with a classic gold-tone pin buckle. Condition This timepiece is presented in good vintage condition. The case retains strong lines with age-appropriate surface wear and well-preserved gold plating. The dial is the standout feature, boasting a magnificent and even stardust patina that enhances its vintage appeal without compromising legibility. The signed crown and sharply engraved caseback further confirm the watch's honest and well-preserved state. Dimensions Case Size: 34 mm (excluding the crown) Lug Width: 18 mm Remarks The Buren Grand Prix is a quintessential 1950s dress watch, offering a perfect blend of Swiss mechanical reliability and mid-century design. The distinct aging of the dial makes this specific example entirely unique, providing an organic, textured aesthetic that cannot be replicated. It is a highly wearable and charming addition to any vintage collection. History Founded in 1898 in the Swiss town of Büren an der Aare, the Buren Watch Company built a formidable reputation for producing high-quality, reliable timepieces. While they are perhaps most famous among collectors for their pioneering work on the micro-rotor automatic movement in the late 1950s, their earlier manual-wind watches, such as the Grand Prix line, were equally respected for their robust construction and elegant styling. Buren was eventually acquired by Hamilton in 1966, making their mid-century Swiss-produced pieces an important chapter in the broader narrative of 20th-century horology. / Second Vintage SKU: BUR-BGP-0001