It would be great find for any collector

Up for sale is a remarkably rare and authentic piece of European horological history - a vintage Bifora mechanical men's watch from the glamorous Art Deco and WWII era (circa 1930s-1940s). Featuring the iconic rectangular "Tank" shape case that defined the style of early 20th-century gent's timepieces, this watch carries incredible historical charisma.

The watch features an elegant, beautifully aged two-tone sector dial with classic Arabic numerals, a rectangular sub-seconds register at 6 o'clock, and signature vintage hands. Inside, it is powered by a high-grade, original in-house Bifora manual-wind movement with 15 jewels. Notably, the movement is stamped with the prestigious D.R.G.M. (Deutsches Reichs-Gebrauchsmuster) marking, proving its certified German design registration from the pre-war/WWII period. The watch has been fitted with a brand new, stylish brown PU leather Bund strap (cuff style) that perfectly matches its military and vintage heritage. Running well and ready to join a premium collection!

DEFECTS: Honest vintage condition with visible wear, scratches, and loss of plating on the chrome-plated brass case, emphasizing its authentic antique and potentially military-used background. The dial shows a gorgeous natural patina.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Germany

MANUFACTURER: Bifora (Josef Bidlingmaier, Schwäbisch Gmünd)

OVERALL CONDITION (10-point scale): 8

CASE

Classic Art Deco geometric rectangular "Tank" case with fixed lugs, showing charismatic wear that tells the story of its decades-long history.

Condition (10-point scale): 7-8

GLASS

Material: Acrylic glass

Condition (10-point scale): 8

DIAL

100% original factory Art Deco dial. Two-tone finish with a railway minute track, bold Art Deco Arabic numbers, and a dedicated sub-seconds hand at 6 o'clock position.

Condition (10-point scale): 8

Inscriptions on the dial: Bifora

STRAP

Comes equipped with a brand-new, premium brown PU leather Bund-style strap with a protective under-cuff layer, capturing the classic 1930s-1940s aviator/military look.

Condition (10-point scale): 10

MOVEMENT

Mechanical: Hand-winding

Caliber: In-house Bifora Historic Caliber (15 Jewels)

Features
Manual wind / Stem wind
Subsidiary seconds register at 6 o'clock
High-grade vintage German construction

Data & Markings
15 Jewels
Stamped on movement: "BIFORA", "15 JEWELS", and the historic patent registry mark "D.R.G.M."

DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT, FUNCTIONS

Dimensions of watches

HISTORY & LORE

All Antique and vintage watches are mechanical. Repairs require precision, so please handle this historical artifact with care.

• Vintage mechanical watches should not be beaten or dropped - shocks can damage the balance staff.
• Vintage watches are generally NOT waterproof. This is because waterproofing was not in general production until the middle of the 20th century for most watches. Therefore you should protect your antique watch from exposure to moisture.
• If your watch becomes wet it should be dried off quickly. Carefully open all covers and use a hair drier to blow dry the movement, dial, covers, crown. This will reduce the amount of rust.
• If your watch becomes wet with any kind of salt water you should immediately immerse or spray your watch with fresh (no-salt) water to remove all the salt from the works before drying the watch completely. Any salt left in the watch will combine with moisture in the air to rust metal components of the movement, case etc.
• Winding any mechanical watch tight may break the mainspring. Stop winding as soon as you feel the natural resistance tightening up.
• When adjusting the hands of your watch, move them in a clockwise direction only to prevent stress on the gear train.
• If you must adjust counter-clockwise make it for small adjustments only (i.e. for minutes, NOT hours).
• Be careful and gentle when adjusting the movement speed (faster or slower). Don't make sharp movements, and don't touch other components in the movement especially the pendulum mechanism.
• Every 2-3 years it is recommended to service, clean, and oil vintage watches to keep them running accurately for decades to come.
• IF the watch is dirty - allow the watch to run down, don't wind it again until you have it serviced by a qualified watch repair expert. Dust will absorb and remove important lubricants and cause the movement pieces to wear down.
• To clean the case, dial and crystal you should use a cloth that does NOT leave fibers as these may get caught up in the movement. Check with your Watch repair expert to get an appropriate cloth.
• Keep your watch away from strong magnetic fields (large speakers, modern computers, magnets) since magnetic exposure can alter the balance spring performance.
• Most Cases and Covers are fine components and will not handle abuse well. The watch should not be shaken, beaten, or stressed.
• Vintage mechanical watches naturally experience a daily deviation error of up to a few minutes. An accuracy of +/- 3 to 5 minutes a day is considered excellent for a classic timepiece.
• Mechanical watch is not recommended to use for engage in extreme sports, and expose them to excessive vibration loads. Recoil force, which take on the clock, affect their reliability and precision. No matter how perfect was not anti-shock mechanism, there is always the chance of excessive load that details of the mechanism can not survive.
• Watch with calendar. It is not recommended to adjust, the date between 20.00 and 06.00, because at this time involved a mechanism for automatic adjustment date. Translation pointers calendars manually in this position arrows may damage the mechanism. Date changes should be made, relegating pre-clockwise to lower sector of the dial (for example, to position 6 (18.00) hours).
• Chronograph watches. In most cases, these watches contain the "start/stop" button and "reset" button. It is strongly recommended not to press the "reset" if the chronograph is running. Before you use the "Reset" button need to stop the chronograph by button "start/stop". Using the "reset" when running chronograph can damage the mechanism of most models of watches.

1. Total amount due includes the final item price plus Shipping.
2. Shipping charges are determined based upon the destination address. Please note that buyers are responsible for any applicable local customs procedures.

We ship worldwide! This item will be securely packed and dispatched to you from Europe (Ukraine) via registered international airmail, complete with a tracking number and insurance coverage. Shipments are processed within 1-3 business days after payment clears.

Typical Delivery Timeframes:

• European Countries: approximately 7-10 days;
• USA, Canada, Japan & others: approximately 10-14 days.

NOTE: Actual delivery speeds depend heavily on your local customs handling and postal services. Rest assured, we pack all items with extreme care to guarantee they reach your doorstep in perfect condition!

We accept returns in compliance with standard platform terms. Items must be returned in their original vintage condition as received. Return shipping costs are to be covered by the Buyer.

We strive for 100% customer satisfaction and look forward to earning your positive feedback! If you experience any issues or have any doubts upon receiving your parcel, please contact us immediately *before* leaving neutral or negative marks. We are always here to help resolve any issues amicably.

Thank you for your interest in our vintage treasures!

Please let us know if you have any questions. Good luck!