For sale we have a 1990s GWC (German Watch Center) Volkswagen Design Aviator style Chronograph watch. It was designed for Volkswagen, to be sold as merchandise to enhance their offering as a brand. It has a case designed in Stainless Steel, with a large Stainless-Steel bracelet. It has an exhibition case back, providing a window to the ETA 7750 automatic chronograph movement. It has been recently serviced and is keeping time to within +10 seconds a day. It is a watch not commonly found outside of the German domestic market.
GWC (German Watch Center)
GWC (German Watch Center) was established by Otto F. Schneider in Pforzheim, Germany, in 1995. They ceased trading in the late noughties. They produced watches for PLB, Lufthansa and German car manufacturers.
The watches for Lufthansa were in the in-flight catalogues in the 1990s. They were originally retailed for around 700 DM. In 2005, they were available for 899 Euros.
The watch:
The dial is clean and legible with a large blue chapter ring with thick white markers around the exterior, for the minute/seconds markers. The dial is a rich blue tone, with a sunburst finish. It has clear white arabic numerals, with lighter sub-dials inset into the dial. The 30 minute counter is at 12, with constant seconds at 9 and 12 hour counter at 6 O’clock. It has a date function at 3 O’clock. It is signed “Aviator Volkswagen” next to the date window.
The hands are a fun design with black painted bases and white painted indexes. The chronograph hand is yellow in tone, with luminous tip.
The case measures 38mm x 38mm to the circular centre section, making this a well-proportioned watch. It has an unusual lug design in which the bracelet slides in and screws into place. It measures 45mm in total length. The Stainless-Steel bracelet is original, measuring 24mm wide, which makes this a noticeable piece on the wrist. It is an interesting design which pushes the boundaries. It has flat sides, with a beautiful, brushed finish that shows off its graining in the light. The lugs are angled downwards to help accommodate the watch on the wrist.
To the rear is the brushed case back, which is held in place via 8 screws. It has an exhibition mineral back which allows you to see the movement. It has the signing “Stainless Steel, Made in Germany, Volkswagen Design, German Watch Center”. Inside is the ETA 7750 automatic chronograph movement. As expected, this is a robust, well-made and quality movement from ETA, which is still used today and carries a price tag of around £250-£300 for a whole movement. It has a jewel count of 25 and a high beat frequency of 28,800 BPH.
The movement has been recently serviced and is in good condition. It’s keeping time to within +20 seconds deviation a day.
We consider this to be a very interesting and unique design, out of Germany in the 1990s. It is very well made and features a top-quality movement. With the added interest of being manufactured for Volkswagen, this is an enjoyable watch for a VW enthusiast. They are not commonly found outside of Germany, making this a good opportunity to own a unique watch.
Full condition report below. Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
Dial:
The dial is original and is in good condition for the age. It has a deep blue sunburst finish. The sub-second dials have some lighter marking associated with ageing.
Hands:
The hands are original. They are a mix of black and white painted. The Chronograph second hand is yellow with lume filled arrow pointer.
Glass:
The mineral crystal is original and is in very good condition with no marking.
Pushers:
The pushers are original and in good condition cosmetically and functionally.
Crown:
The crown is a replacement, which is smaller than the original.
Case:
The case is Stainless Steel and is in good condition for the age. It has brushed finishing, with light surface scratching associated with age.
Caseback:
The case back is stainless steel and is in good condition with circular brushing. It has light surface scratching associated with age. It has 8 screws holding it in place and has an exhibition case back.
Strap:
The watch comes on its original stainless steel bracelet, which is in good condition with light surface scratching associated with age.
Movement:
The movement is an ETA 7750. It is an automatic chronograph movement. It has a jewel count of 25 and a frequency of 28,800 BPH. It has hacking seconds and a date window at 3 O’clock.
The movement has been recently serviced and is in good condition. It’s keeping time to within +8 seconds deviation a day, with an amplitude of 310 degrees and a beat error of 0.3m/s.
Case dimensions:
Case width: 38mm
Case width with crown: 41mm
Case length: 38mm
Case length lug to lug: 45mm
Case Depth: 13.5mm
Lug width: 24mm