The legendary reputation of Gubelin dates back to 1854 and continues today under the same family. The brand started in Lucerne Switzerland in a small watchmaker's shop and later entered the Jeweler business as a formal atelier. The Gobelin jewelry business grew rapidly reaching throughout Switzerland and New York. The Gubelin Atelier continued its watch side of the business, primarily offering the premier Swiss brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet, normally with cosigned dials bearing the Gubelin name.

During the 1900s Gubelin continued to produce watches under their own name, though these are less known they produced some beautiful timepieces during this time, that are now modestly priced vintage pieces with a great history in Swiss watchmaking. Since Gubelin worked so closely with Jaeger-LeCoultre in this time period, a lot of the in-house Gubelin watches were rebranded JLC watches or employed JLC movements.

The Gubelin Ipso-Vox Alarm is essentially a rebranded version of the Jaeger-LeCoultre ref. E855 which is one of the most desirable alarm references produced in the 1960s. The double-crown feature allows for winding and setting the time, as well as setting the alarm. The top crown sets the alarm complication of the timepiece.

The Gubelin ref. 855, much like the JLC, features an excellent 37mm case, which is oversized for the 1960s era of its creation. The case sits nicely on the wrist and has a classic and timeless appearance while remaining relevant by today's wristwatch sizing standards. This piece would make a great addition to an existing collection and be a great and classic timepiece as a stand-alone piece!

SPECS

CASE & BRACELET

The impressive, colorful, and well-preserved gold-capped stainless steel case has achieved a beautiful patina to the gold consisting of deep blues, purple, and red colors throughout. The case itself exhibits minimal signs of previous use with the original case dimensions fully present. The case retains the original twin "JL" signed crowns. The two-piece case back features an engraving that reads " A.J.P.". The watch comes supplied on a 2pc handmade leather strap.

DIAL & HANDS

The original silver dial remains in very clean vintage condition overall and has achieved a welcomed gentle warmth to the color of the dial that further accentuates the vintage aesthetic of the watch. The dial does show some minor elements of age however they have very little effect on the attractiveness of the dial. The tritium lume plots have aged to a dark patina which is common in this specific model, under UV light inspection no degradation is visibly present on the dial. The original tritium hands have aged a few shades lighter than the dial lume and show no degradation when inspected under UV light.

ACCESSORIES 

None. The watch is keeping time, but the service history is unknown. A movement service can be provided upon request.