Vintage Thermidor Junior Diver 30 mm with Amazing Tropical dial – FHF 362, Serviced, 1970s

The ’70s were very kind to the watch industry. Advertising had picked up momentum during the 60s and was itself a booming industry by the early ’70s. The advent of TV, radio, and magazine marketing had given newly-founded watch companies the chance to expand their potential markets, and they had jumped at it. As a result, you could now order a watch from a magazine or TV ad, or buy one the old-fashioned way, by taking a stroll to your local jeweler. Such a watch would be affordable and of relatively good quality, but by no means a feat of Haute Horlogerie. It would have been assembled from parts produced by several manufacturers and equipped with a sturdy off-the-shelf movement, as is the case with the watch on offer here.

This little Thermidor, however, has a couple of tricks up its sleeve. The years have given its black dial the chance to develop a perfect tropical patina, which, by virtue of its desirability, elevates the watch to a higher level of collectibility. The lumed hands and indices have also aged rather gracefully and have taken on a wonderful creamy color and texture. The case has a rather small diameter of 30 mm by 34 mm from lug-to-lug, but it being a Junior diver, that should be okay. (A junior diver watch is a type of dive watch that is smaller in size than traditional dive watches, but still featured the same water resistance and functionality as their full-sized father figures, but in a smaller package). Inside is ticking a manual winding FHF cal. 362.

Our offering is in good condition, serviced in 11.2022 and keeping good time, case shows aging, but the main thing here is the tropical dial. The Junior Diver comes fitted with a suitable original rubber Tropic strap.

Covered by a limited warranty of 1 year, starting on the date of purchase.