I like the forgotten and the overlooked and today Wyler has those very qualities in excess. It was a major player once, from the 1930’s to the 1970’s. Wyler made watches that were tougher than the average Swiss brand, but were affordable, and maybe a little stylish. Wyler has had a couple of relaunches in the last couple of decades, let’s hope that the latest one figures out the correct formula for success.
Remember when you were young, maybe in middle school or junior high, when you wanted to look older. You dressed older, kept your hair the way the high schoolers did, parted in the middle. Maybe, just maybe you had a set of puka beads, because you know, it was cool. David Cassidy wore them. Mine are in a box in the top of my closet, unworn and unloved since 1975. Who wore it better?
(My shot I made in tasteful black and white so that you could not tell that I was cutting off circulation to my head. Apparently, my neck has expanded since 1975. I don’t know what I expected.)
Well, Wyler at times acted older than it was. Consider the tasteful 1896 on the dial. When Tissot puts 1853 on their dials they mean to note when they were founded. The 1896 on the dial of a Wyler signifies the year of Paul Wyler’s birth. He was a born watchmaker, really, was fitted with his first loupe before his first teeth came in.
Paul founded Wyler in 1923 and produced their first watches in 1924. Wyler was an innovator and invented the Incaflex balance wheel to aid in shock protection. His first automatic movement, the “Cricchetto” is a glorious dead end in the history of watches. It was operated by a push button that was depressed when you moved your wrist. It had a slight chirping sound, hence the Italian nickname.
Here is my first Wyler. I knew that it had to be a budget Wyler line of watches. When I bought it the internet was not helpful telling me how old it was. I looked at the military stylings, the sub-second hand, the base metal case, the hand set, the size (29mm of manly watch case beefcake) and concluded that it dated from around 1950. That was my best guess based on the styling cues (post-military watch, but still retaining all of the Arabics). The numerals are of that era.
But the internet is undefeated. In preparation for the newly established watch holiday of Wyler Wednesday (Wyler himself would have wondered by the English speakers thought that “Vyla Mittwoch” was catchy) I came across this old pamphlet for sale. The last male watch appears to be mine. The text says that Wyler had been watch pioneers for 36 years. 1923 plus 36 is 1959. This watch looks older than that, but it isn’t. The Wycoflex line looked old, like your dad’s watch. ($19.95 in today’s dollars equals about $210.00 for reference, so like an Orient or Islander.) A quick check of Mikrolisk indicates that Wyler trademarked the Wycoflex name in…(drumroll)…1959.
So, in 1959 Wyler gave the budget conscious a blast from the past, little three hander to remind them of wartime shortages and the Andrews Sisters. The Wycoflex was trying to look too old in a culture that was all about the celebration of youth. What an odd one this is.
The Escapement Room 