Movado 18K Gold Lady’s High Fashion Cocktail Wristwatch, Switzerland 1945

Offered for your consideration is this exquisitely elegant solid 18K gold Movado cocktail wristwatch from 1945—an exceptional example of the sophisticated jewellery watches created for fashionable women of the post-WWII era.

What makes this watch particularly remarkable is the versatility of its design. Without changing a strap, bracelet or any other element, it lends itself equally naturally to two very different settings: the elegance of formal evening wear and the more relaxed sophistication of daytime or casual attire.

One can readily imagine it gracing the wrist of a beautifully dressed debutante at a grand ball one evening, then appearing just as appropriate the following day at a garden party, luncheon or even on the golf course.

Its intricately pierced solid-gold flip-up cover is central to that sophisticated appearance, giving the watch the character of fine jewellery while also protecting the watch crystal concealed beneath. Lift the cover and the time can be read immediately; close it and the elegant goldwork once again becomes the visual focus.

It is precisely this unusual ability to move effortlessly between jewellery, fashion and practical timekeeping—while remaining completely unchanged—that gives the watch such enduring appeal.

The beautifully pierced flip-up cover is not merely decorative. Its openwork design gives the substantial solid-gold case a sense of lightness and delicacy, while concealing and protecting the watch beneath.

Once opened, it reveals an understated original two-tone dial signed Movado—a striking contrast to the elaborate goldwork surrounding it.

The transformation is immediate: closed, it is principally perceived as jewellery; open, it becomes a refined and highly legible wristwatch.

More than seventy-five years after it was created, the concept remains remarkably sophisticated and contemporary.

The quality of the exterior is matched by the mechanism concealed inside the solid 18K gold case.

The high-grade Movado movement is fitted with 17 ruby jewels and is jeweled through to the centre wheel, a feature associated with movements built to a particularly high standard.

Reduced friction at the principal bearing points contributes both to precision and longevity, while the finely constructed mechanism demonstrates that Movado devoted as much attention to the watchmaking hidden inside the case as to the striking design visible from the outside.

It is this combination of fine jewellery craftsmanship and serious mechanical watchmaking that elevates the present watch beyond a purely decorative object.

This exceptional Movado wristwatch remains in Excellent to Near Mint vintage condition.

The substantial solid 18K gold case and intricate pierced flip-cover are beautifully preserved, while the original two-tone Movado dial remains highly attractive.

The case bears the Movado “Hand & Watch” trademark and is fully hallmarked for Swiss 18K solid gold.

Movado was founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1881 by Achille Ditisheim. The name Movado derives from Esperanto and evokes the idea of being “always in motion.”

From the outset, Ditisheim and his small team of watchmakers concentrated upon precision manufacturing and fine mechanical watchmaking.

Their efforts soon achieved international recognition. By 1899, the company had received six first-class Official Rating Certificates from the Swiss Observatory, followed the next year by a Silver Medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris.

During the following decade, Movado received further major distinctions at international exhibitions in Paris, Rome, Brussels and Rio de Janeiro.

Technical excellence was increasingly accompanied by adventurous design. Movado became particularly renowned for creating watches in which the movement and case were conceived together as part of a unified aesthetic object.

One of its most celebrated early achievements was the Polyplan, whose extraordinary curved movement permitted the creation of a dramatically shaped wristwatch unlike conventional models of the period.

Movado continued exploring the relationship between fine watchmaking and modern design throughout the twentieth century. The company later became closely associated with the minimalist Museum Watch, conceived by American designer Nathan George Horwitt, whose radically simple dial with a single dot at 12 o’clock became one of the most recognizable watch designs of the modern era.

Movado would subsequently extend this artistic tradition through collaborations with major designers and artists, including Andy Warhol.

Created in 1945, the present solid-gold flip-cover wristwatch belongs squarely within that tradition. Its ingenious transformation from an elegant piece of gold jewellery into a practical wristwatch, together with its high-grade Movado movement and remarkable state of preservation, makes it a particularly appealing example of the company’s longstanding marriage of horology, fashion and design.