Cortébert - pocket watch - 1900-1949

Watch from a private collection; I have no record of the last service, but it is working.

The Cortébert Calibre 616 is one of the manually-wound mechanical movements most historically significant and collectible produced by the prestigious Swiss manufacture Cortébert. Originally released around 1945, this 16-line caliber gained enormous fame in the world of haute horlogerie for having served as the direct basis for the development of the legendary Rolex Calibre 618 (used in the iconic vintage Panerai military watches).

The “DNA” of the Early Panerai: In the 1930s and 1940s, Rolex was contracted to produce dive watches for the combat divers of the Italian Navy (the Panerai Radiomir). As Rolex did not manufacture pocket watch movements this large on a large scale, it purchased and modified the architecture of the Cortébert Cal. 616 to bring to life the Rolex Calibre 618.

The Soviet Legacy (Molnija): In the late 1940s, the government of the Soviet Union bought machinery, plans and technical assistance directly from Cortébert to establish the foundations of its national watchmaking industry. The famous Russian movement Molnija Cal. 3602 is, for the most part, a licensed and adapted copy of the Cortébert 616.

See the photos carefully before bidding and bid only if you agree with the auction terms and are aware that this is a used watch.