In the boom years following the Second World War, the Swiss watch industry was in growth mode. Swiss made watches became a buzzword for quality and precision, and demand was growing far beyond the borders of Europe. Brands were scaling rapidly to meet unprecedented demand and began partnerships with agents to distribute their timepieces around the globe.

One of the most lucrative of these relationships was between Breitling and its U.S. based distributor, Wakmann.

Wakmann was founded in New York by Icko Wakmann. He arrived in 1946, at the perfect time: the U.S. watch industry was trying to kickstart itself after years of fulfilling military contracts. One of the ways the government achieved this was to impose tariffs on high-end Swiss imports, like watches. This presented a unique opportunity for U.S. based distributors to sell high-end Swiss at entry-level price points. Wakmann entered into such an agreement with Breitling in 1947, importing disassembled Breitling chronographs and dress watches, and then managing the assembly, distribution networks and sales in the U.S. 

They also organized for high-end Swiss made watches to be private-labeled for themselves.

This 1960s triple calendar chronograph, a Reference 7.1309.70, is one such privately-labeled watch. It features a stainless steel case, barrel chronograph pushers, a signed crown and a charming-as-hell domed acrylic crystal. Loaded with patina, its ‘reverse panda’ dial features tritium indices, a matching baton handset, white subsidiary dials, an outer calendar track and day/month apertures. Internally powered by the manual-winding Valjoux 730, the quality of materials and construction throughout is immediately noticeable.

At roughly 37mm in diameter, it feels fantastic on the wrist, and the sporty reverse panda dial is an absolute delight. This Wakmann has a ton of character and is a great way to get your hands on a quality triple calendar without having to cash in your Roth IRA.