A very unusual Smiths automatic jump-hour watch from the 1970s, combining a large asymmetrical case with a fully mechanical digital display. Instead of conventional hands, the time is shown by rotating hour and minute discs, giving the watch a very distinctive 1970s technical style.
The large 42 mm asymmetrical case is an important part of the design. Its irregular shape, recessed display and unusual proportions make the watch look very different from a conventional round wristwatch. It is a good example of the experimental industrial design that appeared in Swiss watches during the 1970s.
This watch is also interesting because of the Smiths name combined with Swiss manufacture. Smiths is strongly associated with British watchmaking, while this model uses a high-quality Swiss A. Schild automatic movement. It is an unusual combination of British branding, Swiss engineering and very characteristic 1970s design.
The inside of the case is stamped “Agon Chromatic Watch Corp.” Agon was a Swiss watch manufacturer and assembler based in Mumpf, founded by Robert Triebold; the company registered the “Chromatic” trademark in 1954 and later became part of Economic Swiss Time Holding and, from 1971, the SSIH group. The marking suggests that Agon was the Swiss manufacturing or assembly contractor behind this Smiths model – an interesting example of British branding combined with Swiss specialist production. Agon was known not only for its own watches but also for terminage and assembly work for other manufacturers.
Specifications
Brand: Smiths
Model: Jump-Hour Asymmetrical
Era: 1970s
Origin: Swiss manufacture by Agon Chromatic / British Smiths branding
Movement: AS 2083 automatic jump-hour with date
Case: Nickel plated, asymmetrical ‘shield’ design
Caseback: Stainless steel, snap on
Display: Mechanical digital (jump hour and minute disc)
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Date
Strap: Genuine leather (as pictured)
Servicing and Warranty
Fully serviced with disassembly in our Bristol shop
Inside is the A. Schild AS 2083, a Swiss automatic calibre developed for mechanical digital watches. The display is completely mechanical: the hour indication jumps from one number to the next, while the minute disc continuously shows the passing minutes. The combination of automatic winding, jumping-hour display and date makes the AS 2083 considerably more complicated than an ordinary three-hand automatic movement. Watches of this type represent an interesting short period in watchmaking history, when manufacturers were experimenting with digital-looking displays shortly before electronic and quartz watches became dominant.
