closing tag is in template navbar
timefactors watches



TZ-UK Fundraiser
Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Sicura watches - Pre Breitling....

  1. #1
    Journeyman
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Marlborough, Wiltshire
    Posts
    73

    Sicura watches - Pre Breitling....

    I have my eye on a couple of nice Sicura watches on Ebay. These are early 1970 divers on non original straps. I quite like the robust but used look of these.

    Is the Sicura brand trusted and reputable? I was told that it was bought out by Breitling in the quartz crisis.

    Just wondering if this is worth an investment?

  2. #2
    Grand Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Wakefield, West Yorkshire
    Posts
    22,498
    Be very careful!

    Sicura made some very cheap pin- pallet dive- style watches in the 60s, I had the dubious privilege of fixing a water- damaged example that held great sentimental value to the owner and I have to say it’s one if the nastiest watches I’ve ever handled.

    I don’t know if they nade better quality watches but they certainly made some crap.

  3. #3
    Master
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Cheshire, UK
    Posts
    5,144
    ^^^^

    Wot he said .......... be careful - I had a "submarine" and I loved it but swapped it for a selectron computer watch which was more reliable at the time.


    B

  4. #4
    I was told that it was bought out by Breitling in the quartz crisis.

    Other way around wasn't it? Breitling sold their designs and inventory to o&w and sinn while the name was picked up by sicura.

  5. #5
    Master FrontierGibberish's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Wantage, UK
    Posts
    1,382
    Here be dragons.
    The "Sicura-Breitling" thing is one of the great examples of the internet making up it's own history; there's really no such thing.
    Sicura made, in the main, cheap (but often very handsome) watches when they bought the Breitling name and some patents etc. For a very, very brief period they did make a few quartz co-branded watches, but very quickly realised this was a way to damage the Breitling name, in which there was a lot more money to be made, and binned Sicura in favour of concentrating on the more prestigious and profitable Breitling (which they made what it is today, really).
    Some years ago various people spotted this and suddenly bargain basement Sicura watches on eBay started being called "Sicura-Breitling" and were bought by folk for far more than they were worth. Now it's a "thing" and I would think 50% of Sicuras are advertised using the Breitling name. There's nothing to link them at all except that Company One owned the brand of Company Two.
    I think the sad thing about this is it's driven up the prices of very handsome and often (in design terms) interesting Sicuras way above what they should be. I think they're fun and should be a great cheapo punt. Still to be found at sensible prices of course but as another member said in this thread buyer-beware as they're often very cheaply made. I think early three figures for a Navy in good nick, for example, is a good place to be, but I would avoid anything which needs work (it'll cost vastly more than the watch is worth). Upside, there's millions of them so with a bit of patience and not shopping on ebay you should be able to find a reasonably solid example reasonably cheaply still.

  6. #6
    Grand Master Neil.C's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    SE England
    Posts
    27,033
    IME Sicura are thinly chrome plated cases which brass up pretty easily with horrible cheap EB pin pallets inside.

    Some can look OK in a huge '70's kind of way but that's about it IMO.
    Cheers,
    Neil.

    My Speedmaster website:

    http://www.freewebs.com/neil271052

  7. #7
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Hampshire
    Posts
    14,533
    Yes, Sicura made some nice looking but budget watches and then bought out some of the Breitling assets.

    Don't pay much for the Breitling connection because there isn't one with Sicura branded watches.

    M

    Sent from my ASUS_X00PD using Tapatalk
    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  8. #8
    Master Neilw3030's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Exeter, Devon, UK
    Posts
    4,046
    Must say I do like the look of quite a few Sicura models, large and 70s garish designs, but I just wouldn’t pay much for one and I’m not a fan of chrome plated cased watches.

  9. #9
    Craftsman Ascalon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Dublin
    Posts
    266
    I had Sicura chrono that looked like a Seiko Pogue. I bought it as a fixer-upper. When my tame horologist suppressed his gag response, he told me that the old EB pin pallet movement was so shockingly bad that even a full rebuild with NOS parts wouldn't result in a decent movement.

    It was a shame as the case and dial were lovely and a bit of a novelty due to the Pogue looks.

    (Not mine but similar)

  10. #10
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Hampshire
    Posts
    14,533
    This is my Sicura.



    It certainly didn't cost me Breitling money!

    M
    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  11. #11
    I seem to remember Sicura watches as being a brand that was being touted as waterproof, shockproof etc by a variety of very hooky looking geezers from a market stall in a northern industrial town in the late 60’s.
    Yes I did want one but in mitigation I was a pre teen and I thought they looked the dogs.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Do Not Sell My Personal Information