Thoughts on vintage Prim?
I've recently picked up this vintage Prim from a quaint vintage watch shop in Prague. They had a large collection of vintage watches in great original condition, most of which I had never seen before (many were made in the former USSR and maybe other iron curtain countries) - it is also true that I'm a vintage newbie.
Do any of the good people here in WC have experience with these watches or know something about them? I was told this one is from the 1960s and that it is nicknamed the blackboard amoung Czech watch enthusiasts. I'm certainly having lots of fun with it.
Measurements: about 34mm case diameter without crown, 39mm lug to lug, and 9mm thick.
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Looks like I need to get myself to Prague.
Prim changed their logo in 1968 to the one that you have, so it dates no earlier than that. There is a definitive book on Prim that sets out every model and caliber of movement (based on an old ETA). They aren't known well in much of the "West", but they were the pride of Slovakia. Two companies are now fighting over their name and legacy. Here is mine from 1974:
They were well made watches.
You may need another visit to that shop.
I've had a few, they're cheap Russian watches, like reketa but reketa watches look more interesting 🤷♂️. But you can't really complain for a vintage mechanical watch under $100
Thank you all for the input. Much appreciated.
Looks like I need to get myself to Prague.
Prim changed their logo in 1968 to the one that you have, so it dates no earlier than that. There is a definitive book on Prim that sets out every model and caliber of movement (based on an old ETA). They aren't known well in much of the "West", but they were the pride of Slovakia. Two companies are now fighting over their name and legacy. Here is mine from 1974:
They were well made watches.
You may need another visit to that shop.
I live in Prague (Czech Republic) and Prim watches have fascinated me since I was a kid.
Two companies are allowed to sell watches with the traditional Prim label in the Czech Republic. Elton Watchmakers, which has been producing watches for over sixty years, and MPM-Quality, which obtained a trademark for the brand in 2001. The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Elton, which wanted the courts to ban its competitors from using the mark.
The Elton watch company is a continuation of the manufacture of watches that dates back to 1949 in Nové Město nad Metuji. Its Prim designation was taken over by the company from its legal predecessors. It also uses the European trademark Manufacture PRIM 1949.
You got the type 66 401 1. It was first released in 1980. The caliber of movement is 66, basically the same, Aurelian described. The only difference is the missing date functionality.
It's a nice hand wound watch. Do you want to know anything specific about it?