I'm sure there are others here who can give more info than I can - but -

As far as I am aware this was supposedly a Swiss manufacturer (Sindaco SA Watch Factory) also known as Sindaco SwissLine and listed as such from around 1946 up to 1959.
I've also read somewhere that it started out in Muralto, nearby Locarno in the '30's and apparently some models were imported into london in the late '50's.
However, there are quite a surprising number of Sindaco references around - check out Google search - so trawl around.
Here's a model - http://alanwatch.homestead.com/page6.html

Regards,

 

Moved to the right place.;-)

 

There is a connection between Fabrique d'Horologerie Sindaco and Jaguar watches, which is part of the Festina group. Sindaco registered the Jaguar brand in 1945:

See

http://www.patentsoffice.ie/PDF%20Documents/jaguar.pdf

http://www.jaguarwatches.ch/en/

 

I've seen a few watches in this style, so I think that at some time in the mid-1970s there was somebody OEMing these for various brand-owners. Often there is a tachymeter scale on the inner bezel.

I've been looking into Sindaco for a while but not turned up much. It would seem that they were movement finishers and watch assemblers i.e. they bought in ebauches from Bettlach and others and finished movements, some of which they sold on to other watchmakers, the rest they cased-up and branded Sindaco.

Sindaco-finished Bettlach pin-lever movements were used in the British watch industry in the early 1950s until Newmark began ebauche manufacturing in Croydon (using a Bettlach design). These movements were 3/4-plate Roskopf type, made in no-jewel 5- and 7-jewel versions, always with pin-lever escapement. It was probably one of these that was copied by 4 watchmakers in a small workshop in Tianjin in January-March 1955 to create China's first locally-made wristwatch.

Some Sindaco watches from the 1960s have 17 jewels and 4-wheel train, but still fairly crudely built. I've not seen the design elsewhere so it is possible that it was manufactured entirely in-house.

 

Hi -

You guys rock.

JohnF

 

hi ppl.allow me to bring this thread back to life...

I got this in. a SINDACO 17J skin diver using EB 1451 movement.

 

Basic movements, but some interesting designs. Lots of direct read watches out there with the Sindaco branding.

 

Hi

Sindaco was a watch factory in Switzerland, Muralto. Canton of Ticino. When I was a kid, I did my homework in one of their storage area. My mum was working as the secretary of the boss there.
I have an old Automatic, 17 Quartz watch. Big ol' onion. But very dear to me. Apparently 50m waterproof. Got thrown out of the window of my room, by my mum, the neighbour braught it to us.
only the glass popped out. Even today, I give it a wack, and it starts straight away.

 

When you reach the post level please post pictures! I'd love to see it