Description:

Continental 17J automatic (self-winding) wrist watch with day and date, multi-toned dark blue dial with white markers, sweep second hand, White automobile advertising on upper half of dial, heavy silver steel baton-stule hands with luminous inserts and a fancy white steel sweep second hand, heavy cushion shaped stainless steel (SS) water resistant case with brushed finish on the wide sloping bezel and short heavy extended lugs, approx. 38mm wide x 44mm lug to lug, matching SS bracelet-style band with graduated brushed-finish segments. Case has a small section of brass showing on the bottom front edge (not distracting). An attractive vintage White advertising watch in very good condition!


Item Specifics:

  • Age Description: 02Vintage (1940-1980)
  • Company: Continental
  • Jewels: 1117J
  • Setting/Movement Type: self-wind (automatic)
  • Movement Details: date display, day display
  • Dial Material: metal
  • Dial Color: blue
  • Dial Details: White advertising
  • Hand Style: baton - heavy, skeletonized - luminous, sweep second hand
  • Case Style: cushion-shaped
  • Case Material: Stainless Steel
  • Case Details: water resistant (WR)
  • Case Width, without crown: 38mm (1.50 inches)
  • Case Length, lug to lug:  44mm (1.73 inches)
  • Case Thickness:  13mm (0.51 inches)
  • Interior Lug Width:  20mm (25/32")
  • Band Size: 7in. to 7.99in.
    (measurement range includes watch length & band)
  • Band Material: metal bracelet
  • Crystal Material: plastic
  • Misc. Info: White Motor Company
  • Condition: Good
  • Gender: Gentlemen's

Logo Info:

On all but a few of the advertising logos, mainly Packard from the Hamilton company and Studebaker from South Bend, the logos would have been commissioned through a professional dial company after they left the factory to have the logo applied. For instance, a car dealership might have them added as a promotion, a motorcycle club would have ones done for each of their members, etc.


On the watch/logo combinations that may not match up on a timeline (the watch was made prior to the automobile company being formed, for instance), what we understand could have happened is, say for a car club, the members would need to provide their own watch to which the emblems would be added. Someone might have wanted a Harley logo on "Grandpa Bob's" old pocket watch, and would have had the dial pulled from that. Other than the Packard/Hamilton & Studebaker/South Bend arrangements, it was a free-for-all on the pairings and you could find just about any combination of manufacturer with the different logos.


We do also have a pretty good selection of the vintage dials that have emblems on them, but that are not attached to a watch yet. Often in the past, a customer would want a watch without the advertising, so we would just pull the printed dial and replace it with a similar-style plain dial, then set the printed one aside. If you have something specific you are looking for, please drop us a note to see if we have anything in our stock that might work for you.