Wayfinder 40

A story of a watch with three lives. 

 

I've been specializing in making watches out of vintage new old stock parts for a while now. As usual the factory owner was showing me the various watches they made for the Swiss and many different brands half a decade ago. This particular watch with a compass in the center really caught my attention, I had no idea what I can do with it at the moment, but I just knew I had to have it. 

 

This watch was originally made for a brand focusing on the Muslim market back in the 1970s and used as a tool to find the direction to Mecca, which explains the compass. In the 1990s, the factory still had some parts left and the owner had this brilliant idea to convert the watch into a "Fengshui" tool with dial designed as a Chinese geomancy. Sadly sales were not as expected and the watches were left to dust. 

 

Fast forward to 30 years later, these parts were in my hands and I have to do it justice by making it a special watch again. Some head scratching and light bulb moments later, a compass watch with worldtimer function was born, naming the watch "worldtimer" is kind of dull, I shall name it "Wayfinder" cause it sounds cool. 

~ Vintage Swiss A. Schild AS2063 automatic movement

 

~ Cupronickel case

 

~ Diameter 40mm without crown / 43mm lug to lug

 

~ Thickness 14mm

 

~ Handmade dial 

 

~ Sapphire crystal with center compass

 

~ 20mm stainless steel bracelet

 

~ 3atm/30m water resistance

The cases and compass were made more than 50 years ago, eventhough they are new old stock items, it is still inevitable to have some blemishes.

 

I opt not to refurbish/repolish them and rather keep them the way it is because I want the traces on time to be seen on the watch.