West End Watch Company Sowar Prima Wristwatch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1930s
This mid-sized manual-wind wristwatch by the West End Watch Company is catalogued from the 1930s. The 29 mm stainless steel case is identified as Everbright, an alloy adopted by the maker in that era.
According to the seller, an inner dust cover protects the hand-wound movement and bears markings for the Indian Civil Service, while the movement itself is signed with the maker's 'W' logo. The light-toned dial displays Arabic numerals, cathedral-style hands, and a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o'clock, with printed inscriptions for 'WEST END WATCH Co.', 'Sowar', 'PRIMA', and 'SWISS MADE'.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Hand-wound wristwatch
- Origin
- Swiss
- Case diameter
- 29 mm excluding crown and lugs
- Case material
- Everbright stainless steel
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Dial inscriptions
- West End Watch Co, Sowar, Prima
- Maker / attribution
- West End Watch Company
- Inner cover markings
- Indian Civil Service
Design
- Dial and Hands
- The watch features a dial signed 'West End Watch Co', 'Sowar', and 'PRIMA'. The dial is reported to be in its original finish. The watch is fitted with original hands and a newly installed black leather strap.
- Visible features
- • Light cream-toned dial with Arabic numerals and an outer railroad minute track • Red-printed 'Sowar' script above center and red-printed 'PRIMA' above the sub-seconds register • Cathedral-style hour and minute hands with skeletonized apertures • Subsidiary seconds register positioned at 6 o'clock • Flat, angular brushed stainless steel lugs fitted with a textured black leather strap • 'SWISS MADE' printed along the lower perimeter below 6 o'clock
- Case Construction
- This mid-sized wristwatch measures 29 mm in diameter, excluding the crown and lugs. The case is constructed from Everbright, which the source describes as an early form of stainless steel utilized by the West End Watch Company since the 1930s. The back of the watch is noted to feature the maker's logo. The seller indicates that an inner cover protects the movement and bears markings for the Indian Civil Service, though this component is not visible in the provided materials.
- Mechanism and Provenance
- The timepiece is powered by a hand-winding movement signed with the West End 'W' logo. The seller suggests a possible attribution to Lavina, though this is presented as a tentative, unverified detail. According to the seller, the 'Sowar' name was registered for watches intended for the Indian and Far Eastern markets, while 'PRIMA' was applied to models designated as shockproof and waterproof.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Movement caliber and inner dust cover with Indian Civil Service markings are hidden inside the case and not visible in the photograph
- Research required: Attribution of the movement caliber to Lavina is noted by the seller as tentative and unverified