Hello Patricia,
Thank you for sending in this interesting wristwatch to mearto.com for an appraisal.
Title:
Gent’s chrome plated base metal and stainless steel, manually wound, 17 jewel, wristwatch with date and a tricolor clock sports strap, Unichron model, made by Universal Time Corporation (UTC), a division of Seiko Watch company, Tokyo, Japan, circa 1960s.
DESCRIPTION:
Case: 33.6mm in diameter, gold plated round base metal polished bezel with faceted concave lugs, lug width 18mm, fluted crown, screwed down back cover marked “Stainless steel back, water resistant, base metal bezel, and integrated with a tricolor clock sports strap.
Dial: Silvered white round metal dial with applied gold plated and faceted baton hours, double bars at the 12, 6 and 9 position and date aperture at the three positions. There is an open dotted minute track to the outside with luminous gold-plated baton hands and center seconds pointer. The dial is marked with the sundial logo of the company (UTC) and marked, “Unichron, 17 jewels, Unbreakable Mainspring”. Unichron is a model used by the Universal Time corporation, a subdivision of Seiko.
Movement: Not shown but this should be the UTC 17 jewel calibre 29, a manually wound, 17 jewel movement, marked UT 29 for Universal Time calibre 29, a movement made during the 1960s by Seiko subdivision of the Universal Time Corporation. It is a split three-quarter plate moment with monometallic balance wheel and plain index regulator. It is advertised as having an unbreakable mainspring.
Condition: Case – Moderate wear to the gilt bezel and lugs with white base metal showing. Moderate scratches across the back cover.
Dial: The dial remains in very good condition with perhaps scuffing of the crystal and some darkened areas at the left upper quadrant edge.
Movement: assumed original to this case, genuine and perhaps functional.
HISTORICAL NOTES OF UTC CALIBER 29: widely equal to Seiko caliber 6602B. -
~UTC or UT (Universal Time Corp) was established by Seiko to sell bare movements
~stem mechanism without setting-lever spring
~Seiko-Diashock SHOCK ABSORPTION USED.
Calibers of the UTC family:
29: manual wind, date
29D: manual wind, date, digital
33 automatic, 17 jewels
233 automatic, 21 jewels
42: automatic, day, date
There are likely further variants from the according Seiko family
Example, year: signature; shock device ca. 1966: 29D, UT, 17 Jewels; Seiko-Diashock
Features: manual-wind, sweep second, date: set by changing 21:30-24h
Vibrating @ 18000 beats/hour with a power reserve of 45 hours.
COMPARABLES:
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/265157379778?hash=item3dbc9c86c2:g:aUgAAOSwOTdgm3M5 (Offered for $115 in 2021, was sold)
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/373683777394?hash=item570149ef72%3Ag%3AL8oAAOSwlpNhFuMB&nma=true&si=zsprCQoNJ9hDcliirPOz6K6uNe4%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 (Sold for $22.50 in 2021)
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/174884789776?hash=item28b7f21e10:g:uIwAAOSw8zthEzeb (Sold for less than $29.95)
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/284465378417?hash=item423b753471:g:aicAAOSwEAthT3HC (different style sold for $27.65)
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/324776719015?hash=item4b9e3372a7:g:qUwAAOSw6hphHD0x (Ladies example sold for $15 in 2021)
PRICING:
These are rather inexpensively made watches, but the sports band does give it an aesthetic appeal. The fair market value of the watch in its current condition would fall into the range of $40-$60. Thank you once again for choosing mearto.com for the appraisal.
My best,
David