Cal 106

(c): Mars Mountain

ZENITH hand wound movement cal. 106. According to Zenith's listing on this page, caliber 106 was made in a few technically different versions between 1944 and 1957. Evidently there are lots of watches on the market fitted with cal. 106 claiming to be made in the 30's. This one is produced 6.08.1938 according to Zenith. This caliber is the "plain" 106 (49 000 made), ie. without shock proofing and with sub seconds.

It's a rather small case, 28 millimeters, but the size was normal for gent's watches in the 1930's. The dial pattern is similar to the pocket watches of that time. This watch was claimed by the seller to be NOS, and I believe it is unused. There are some very small marks indicating that someone has fiddled with the balance bridge but there are no other visible signs of wear and tear. The paper tag attached to the soft leather band has the case number written on it with a very faded handwriting.

This 106 runs when wound, but it runs very fast. The oils are probably all dried up. Zenith has confirmed date of manufacture and caliber number.