TAKANO・RICOH 60's Chateau Calendar / Cal.544

Introducing Takano (Ricoh)'s "Chateau Calendar" from the 1950s .

Takano, known as the legendary Japanese watch manufacturer, was founded in 1899 as the Takano Clock and Metal Products Factory.
In 1957 , the company entered into a technical partnership with Hamilton and began selling watches under the Takano name in the same year.

Equipped with Takano's original thin movement, Cal. 541 series, the Chateau became instantly famous with the catchphrase " The world's thinnest watch. "
It will develop into a brand that is noticed around the world.

However, in September 1959 , the Ise Bay Typhoon caused devastating damage to the company's production plant, and the company's financial situation deteriorated, leading to it being absorbed into Ricoh.

Although it only existed for a short period of four years and eleven months, its technical capabilities are not inferior to those of other domestic manufacturers, and it is a legendary domestic watch manufacturer with many fans.

The Chateau, released in 1959 , was a watch that took the world by storm at the time as the world's thinnest wristwatch, and is Takano's signature model.
The "Chateau Calendar" we are introducing this time is a model that has a calendar function.

The crown is engraved with the Ricoh " R ".
This is because production continued immediately after Takano was acquired by Ricoh.
It was produced during the transitional period when it was being replaced by Ricoh, so the movement is stamped with the Takano logo, making it a rare piece that evokes the history of that time.

The dial features a sunray-finished silver dial with gold dolphin hands and upright indexes.

The center cross line in the center of the dial is embossed, creating a unique convex line that differs from regular prints.
In addition, the lines are colored gold, further enhancing the elegance of the chateau.

The elegant gold-colored round case, reminiscent of jewelry, features a big face, which was rare for the 1960s .

Although it is large, the Chateau's characteristic slim shape and simple design make it comfortable to wear and improve the visibility of the dial.

While placing importance on practicality, Takano has continued to pursue the beauty of watches from a different perspective than other Japanese-made watches.
The Chateau Calendar is a generous embodiment of Takano's designs.

The movement is equipped with Cal. 544 , a hand-wound movement with 23 jewels.

This is a later model of Takano movement called the Chateau type.

Equipped with Takano's unique shock-resistant device for stable operation, this movement is highly practical and durable.

Size: height: 46.2mm , width: 41.3mm , thickness: 7.8mm , weight: 46g .

Although it is rather large for a watch from the 1960s , it was designed as a thin, hand-wound watch, so it is comfortable to wear and lightweight, so you won't get tired even if you wear it for a long time.

Because it is large, it has excellent visibility and a strong presence, so you can use it like an accessory.

As for the condition, there are some stains on the dial, but they do not affect visibility and are not noticeable.
The case has no noticeable scratches and there is no peeling of gold.
The movement runs smoothly and the calendar function works without any problems.

All watches sold in our store are internally inspected by a professional watch mechanic upon arrival and are only sold after being determined to be genuine, so you can use them with confidence.

When you purchase a watch, we will attach a new leather strap to it when you deliver it to you.
Please select the color you want from the order selection tab and place your order.
*For products that come with original watch straps or metal bands, the leather strap will not be attached and will be sent separately as a spare.
A special case for the watch will also be included with the shipment.

Please be sure to read the following information after purchasing an antique watch.

When selling antique watches at RESUME, we do not immediately hand over the watch to you upon receiving your order. Instead, we ask a professional craftsman to overhaul it (hereinafter referred to as OH) and deliver it to you after the OH is completed. (This takes about 1 to 2 months.)

A professional craftsman with first-class watch repair technician qualifications will completely disassemble your watch, replace worn parts such as the internal gaskets, clean it, oil it, and perform a thorough overhaul, maintaining it to a daily accuracy of about ±1 minute.
When we deliver the machine, we will also send you our own overhaul certificate, which shows what kind of overhaul was performed, as well as photos of the machine being disassembled and maintained.

Of course, due to the nature of the product itself being a second-hand item, there is no guarantee that it will never break, but we ask for your understanding that we take this approach so that you can enjoy the original performance of the watch and use it with peace of mind in the future.

When you purchase a product, we offer a one-year warranty depending on the model. Even if the warranty period has expired, we will properly repair the product, but there will be a fee. If there is no repair shop near you, please feel free to contact us.