1960s Waltham chronograph panda dial with Valjoux 7736

Waltham is a Swiss-American manufacturer born in Massachusetts, which won the gold medal in the first international precision watchmaking competition held at the Philadelphia World’s Fair in 1876. The company ceased operations in the United States in 1957, after founding a subsidiary in Switzerland in 1954, Waltham International SA, to continue the brand’s tradition of producing high-quality Swiss watches.

It is not widely known that Waltham had a discreet relationship with astronaut David Scott, who walked on the moon during his Apollo 15 mission. He wore a Waltham three-register chronograph during that mission. Only it is a mystery as to which exact Waltham model he owned, as he describes it simply as “similar in appearance to his Omega Speedmaster”.

Beyond that, this is a superb vintage chronograph that shares some commonalities with the famous Omega Speedmaster. There is a beautiful 37mm case, refined by long lugs and a three-counter Panda dial. The classic tonality of the dial is counterbalanced by the central orange hand, which punctuates the 60-second scale on the periphery of the dial.

This well-preserved dial has a nice patina and is powered by the reliable Valjoux 7736 movement.

A pretty cool piece to wear and collect.

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