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Old 28 April 2009, 10:29 AM   #1
CharlieG
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Harwood - the first automatic watch

Here's a pic of one of my more unique watches. Its a bumper automatic and the hands are set by turning the bezel. This watch was given to my grandfather by his parents and he wore it all through high school. It dates to around 1929-1930. It's still running but I don't wear it. I have a few of his watches but this is my favorite



I found this one the web:

http://www.thewatchguy.com/pages/HARWOOD.html


Harwood:

John Harwood, an English watchmaker, founded the Harwood watch company in the early 1920's. Harwood had a vision of a new, more reliable wristwatch. Recognizing that dust and dampness were decisive factors leading to most wrist watches inaccuracy and functional problems, Harwood looked to develop a watch with a winding mechanism inside the watch. This would eliminate the need for an opening in the case for the winding shaft.

A chance observation gave John Harwood a decisive idea. Children playing on a see-saw gave him the idea for his legendary "self-winding mechanism".

On 16th October 1923, John Harwood registered his invention at the Federal Office for Intellectual Property of the Swiss Confederation at Berne. He had travelled to Switzerland (watchmaking center of the globe) to locate the perfect "technical conditions" to help him realize his invention. On 1st September 1924, he was issued with patent No. 10 65 83 for this pioneering invention. At the 1926 Basle Trade Fair Harwood exhibited the world's first automatic wristwatch in serial production.

Based on his patent, the company produced watches through factories in Swizerland, London, France, and the US. For the most part, the Harwood watch was produced and marketed to the public mainly between 1929 and 1931.

This innovative watch used a small weight iside the watch that would swing and bump back and forth racheting a small gear which wound the watch. The watch had no crown and was set by rotating the bezel. A special mechanism would disengage the watches automatic "bumper" movement, and engage the hands for setting. When setting the watch, a white dot in the dial opening above the "6" appears. Once set, the user would have to rotate bezel in the opposite direction, re-engaging the movement, and a red dot in the dial opening above the "6" appears, signalling the readiness of the movement. The Harwood Watch company failed in 1931 and the patent expired.

The further development to this automatic watch can be attributed to this invention, and John Harwood has gone down in history as its pioneer. In the universe of wrist watches, The HARWOOD is an important historical piece, and extremely saught after by collectors.
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Old 28 April 2009, 09:04 PM   #2
tudorman8276
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...neat watch Charlie...

...HAPPY to see someone else has a bumper.

...my avatar is of my TUDOR, solid 14K, bumper. It is the ONLY bumper, that I know of, that Rolex/Tudor ever employed. As a matter of fact, my Tudor 14K bumper MAY be the rarest Tudor ever produced. My Tudor was made in S/S, solid 14K, and solid 18K. I have seen a few of the S/S about, but only one in the flesh solid gold. The solid 18K is shown in "The Best of Time". These were model 951 Tudor's.

Stan.

Top-3.jpg

Side-3A.jpg

Inside Case Back-1.jpg

Mvm't-2.jpg
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Old 28 April 2009, 10:27 PM   #3
idk01
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Charlie, That is a beauty that dial is incredible, awesome article too

Stan, I have always admired that lovely Tudor in your avatar, it looks like its hardly been worn, truly a watch I would be proud to own!!!

Cheers

Dave.
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Old 28 March 2010, 04:07 AM   #4
GLADIATOR
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Hi
That is a nice Harwood. As you can see from my avater, I too have a 1930 mint 14kt Harwood. I also have the Autorist (designed by Harwood)
Both fantastic watches.

My collection covers a number of areas, early automatics, hermetic sealed watches from 1912 and very early Rolexes (1929).

Which brought me to this thread. I just purchased one of those 'oddities' A 194X Rolex Tudor with Bumper (Harwood) automatic winding.

Yet everyone knows that Rolex NEVER produced self winding watches with anything but 360 degree rotors (Harwood is 180 degree and ONLY winds in one direction)

Tudorman 8276, or any one else know any reason why Rolex in @194X would make a watch with bumper movement some 10 yrs AFTER their far more successful 'Perpetual' patent

For certain, "Weird Stuff Happens," and I have Dowlings book with the picture on 337!!
so now\ we know 4 exist..

Below is my Harwood:





and A Autorist, also by harwood
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Old 29 May 2012, 08:55 AM   #5
flewis1111
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Icon20 Harwood watch

I have what I believe is an early Harwood Perpetual watch. Marked Perpetual on the front face and the movement is marked Harwood Selfwinding watch Co. Inc. patent number 157612D. Is this a real Harwood? If it is, why is it mark Perpetual on the face and not Harwood?
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