Review: West End Watch Co. Sowar
The watch being reviewed today is the West End Watch Co. Sowar. West End Watch Co. SA was established in 1886 and was named after an area in London called West End. Their Major Markets were Italy and India. The brand is still in existence and is based in Switzerland. The brand was also sold in the middle east.
My West End has an Eterna (ETA) Movement and is a high beat movement (which came as a surprise)! Beautiful cathedral hands that are just perfect in length and the red seconds hand are just beautiful. The minute track is in impeccable condition and is designed perfectly. The day and date both are quickset and work well after 51 years. When the crown is pulled out in the second position, turning it clockwise causes it to change the date, and anti-clockwise changes the date. The high-beat movement is mesmerizing, and the watch is very accurate at +4/-2 seconds a day (cosc specs). The watch was made in the 1970s. The watch is a bumper automatic, and the typeface is reminiscent of the era. The tritium doesn't glow anymore normally but shines under UV light. The watch was from the Everbright series, and the dial is in great condition.
*Sowar is the Urdu word for a rider, referring to the cavalry of the British troops.
The case is scratched but has very few dings. The case requires a special tool to open it and a case wrench would not work, so I have not yet seen the movement, but it was recently serviced. The arrow on the case back indicates if the case back has been screwed in fully. If the arrow is aligned with the crown, that means that the watch is now waterproof.
The watch is in great condition, especially considering the fact that the watch was meant to be used and abused every day. The watch is a testament to the confidence of the brand on their watch that they are advertising the watch as waterproof and a watch that can still tick on despite being abused every day.
The watch has a day-date complication and used tritium lume; it was one of the most rugged watches you could have bought in India at the time. The watch has an acrylic crystal which adds to the charm of the watch. It has a 25 eta movement {caliber 2879} and the case was made by Taubert.
All in all, the watch is still a robust watch and has plenty of life left in it. The watch is the best everyday watch if you do not mind the size (like me).
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Here is the technical data:
ETA 2879
Features
automatic
sweep second
day: quickset, 2 languages
date: quickset
optional hack feature
Data
11.5''', Dm= 25.6mm, Do= 26.0mm
H= 5.35mm
(dial spacer +0.15mm)
F= 1.6mm
T= 2.2mm
17/21/25 jewels
f = 21600 A/h
power reserve 55h
Stem W3514
Mainspring / battery
Zf3261-X, 1.30 x 10.5 x 0.10 x 500mm
Hands
1.50 x 0.90 x 0.25mm