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I’ve joined Watchuseek for a while now, but I seldom wrote meaningful stuff. Today, I decided I want to share my passion for Enicar watches and its impact on the Chinese culture, as well as a look inside the classic AR160 movement. Enicar is a brand not discussed often on these forums, but hopefully, I will spark your interest too in this little gem of horology history.
![IMG_0544.JPG]()
At the height of Enicar watches’ success, I was yet to be born. Four years after I was born, in 1988, Enicar watch was sold to a Hong Kong company, although watches were still to be ensemble in Switzerland, the little magic that once existed was no more, and what are left of it are the nostalgic name and the ever familiar logo.
Enicar watch never made it to the moon, or to the deep seas. But in the late 60’s, 70’s and the early 80’s, they did dominate the Chinese watch market. Enicar was imported as a Tier 4 brand, which meant it was a less expensive alternative for the Chinese to own a Swiss Made watch. In the Tier 3 were brands like Roamer and Titoni. And it was these three brands that made up the largest import watches in China, with Enicar alone importing two-hundred-thousand watches per year!
At the time, an Enicar watch costs 185 RMB (roughly $30), which is 30% more than the average Chinese monthly salary. (A Chinese domestic brand such as Shanghai and Shuangling cost half as much). It was said there were three items to own in order for a man to be eligible for marriage: a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a watch. Enicar’s owner Mr. Racine (Enicar spelt backwards) is a good friend of the Chinese government and a jolly good man with a big nose. And while the Chinese government pressured him into lowering the price, he would get angry and refused to do so because it upheld the quality of his products.
AR161:
![Picture2.jpg]()
Like many of its peers at the time, Enicar was a bona-fide movement manufacture. Some of their well-known movements were AR140 - hand winding, AR160 - an improved, higher-beat version of the AR 140, AR161 –with date, AR 165 – automatic (later became the one of the base engine for Chronoswiss watches), and AR 167 – auto with day-date.
The AR160 is perhaps the most popular movement for Enicar. It encompasses all the top grade parts: top grade Nivaflex mainspring, top grade Nivarox balance spring, and top grade Incabloc shock protection system. The balance spring is made of berrylium alloy, polished steel on escapement wheel and fork. And to top it off, the movement itself is truly beautifully, the main plates are plated in gold and the bridge is decorated with mesmerizing stripes. My watchmaker once told me that the Enicar AR160 had the least failure rate during their heydays. And whenever he serviced them, he marveled at the workmanship.
AR160 Movement
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AR160 beats at 21600 vph, an improvement from the 18000 vph of AR140. The movement is 26.2mm in diameter, which makes it one of the larger movements at the time, and resulted larger watch cases - typically 38mm.
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![IMG_0102.JPG]()
There are two so called patents for the AR160. One is Star Jewels, and the other is called Oil-Stop. The former uses a jewel as a stud for the minute wheel. As far as watchmakers can tell, it offers no specialty whatsoever; and became known as merely a marketing gimmick. The later applies a type of stearic acid to places where oil is unwanted in the movement. But it would take a certified Enicar watchmaker to know not to touch these places when servicing a watch, and reapply stearic acid when necessary. Otherwise, the Oil-Stop is a defunct feature in most of the vintage Enicar watches today.
Roamer, Titoni, Enicar, and Certina
![IMG_0519.JPG]()
It was said that the case finish and dial design is what made Enicar fell into the Tier 4 category rather than Tier 3. Personally, I would say that Roamer and Titoni are only slightly better. And I enjoy the larger case size, and the engraved shark on the case back. The dial design at first glance is pretty much the same as every other watch on the Chinese market at the time, but after a closer look, you would see that the lume design is a hidden surprise.
AR160 Caseback
![IMG_0088.JPG]()
Dial:
![IMG_0098.JPG]()
I am too young to pretend that I collect Enicar for the nostalgia. But my father and the people in his age around me are not. And it brings a smile to my face whenever my Enicar, the most popular watch from the heydays gets recognized. And I love the conversations that it brings out, people taking about the life back in the day, how they saved up for a Swiss watch, and what a watch was meant to them. And for those of us who weren’t around in the 60’s and the 70’s, aren’t these kind of conversations part of the reason we like collect vintage time pieces?
![IMG_0541.JPG]()
And let's show your Enicars if you have 'em!
At the height of Enicar watches’ success, I was yet to be born. Four years after I was born, in 1988, Enicar watch was sold to a Hong Kong company, although watches were still to be ensemble in Switzerland, the little magic that once existed was no more, and what are left of it are the nostalgic name and the ever familiar logo.
Enicar watch never made it to the moon, or to the deep seas. But in the late 60’s, 70’s and the early 80’s, they did dominate the Chinese watch market. Enicar was imported as a Tier 4 brand, which meant it was a less expensive alternative for the Chinese to own a Swiss Made watch. In the Tier 3 were brands like Roamer and Titoni. And it was these three brands that made up the largest import watches in China, with Enicar alone importing two-hundred-thousand watches per year!
At the time, an Enicar watch costs 185 RMB (roughly $30), which is 30% more than the average Chinese monthly salary. (A Chinese domestic brand such as Shanghai and Shuangling cost half as much). It was said there were three items to own in order for a man to be eligible for marriage: a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a watch. Enicar’s owner Mr. Racine (Enicar spelt backwards) is a good friend of the Chinese government and a jolly good man with a big nose. And while the Chinese government pressured him into lowering the price, he would get angry and refused to do so because it upheld the quality of his products.
AR161:
Like many of its peers at the time, Enicar was a bona-fide movement manufacture. Some of their well-known movements were AR140 - hand winding, AR160 - an improved, higher-beat version of the AR 140, AR161 –with date, AR 165 – automatic (later became the one of the base engine for Chronoswiss watches), and AR 167 – auto with day-date.
The AR160 is perhaps the most popular movement for Enicar. It encompasses all the top grade parts: top grade Nivaflex mainspring, top grade Nivarox balance spring, and top grade Incabloc shock protection system. The balance spring is made of berrylium alloy, polished steel on escapement wheel and fork. And to top it off, the movement itself is truly beautifully, the main plates are plated in gold and the bridge is decorated with mesmerizing stripes. My watchmaker once told me that the Enicar AR160 had the least failure rate during their heydays. And whenever he serviced them, he marveled at the workmanship.
AR160 Movement
AR160 beats at 21600 vph, an improvement from the 18000 vph of AR140. The movement is 26.2mm in diameter, which makes it one of the larger movements at the time, and resulted larger watch cases - typically 38mm.
There are two so called patents for the AR160. One is Star Jewels, and the other is called Oil-Stop. The former uses a jewel as a stud for the minute wheel. As far as watchmakers can tell, it offers no specialty whatsoever; and became known as merely a marketing gimmick. The later applies a type of stearic acid to places where oil is unwanted in the movement. But it would take a certified Enicar watchmaker to know not to touch these places when servicing a watch, and reapply stearic acid when necessary. Otherwise, the Oil-Stop is a defunct feature in most of the vintage Enicar watches today.
Roamer, Titoni, Enicar, and Certina
It was said that the case finish and dial design is what made Enicar fell into the Tier 4 category rather than Tier 3. Personally, I would say that Roamer and Titoni are only slightly better. And I enjoy the larger case size, and the engraved shark on the case back. The dial design at first glance is pretty much the same as every other watch on the Chinese market at the time, but after a closer look, you would see that the lume design is a hidden surprise.
AR160 Caseback
Dial:
I am too young to pretend that I collect Enicar for the nostalgia. But my father and the people in his age around me are not. And it brings a smile to my face whenever my Enicar, the most popular watch from the heydays gets recognized. And I love the conversations that it brings out, people taking about the life back in the day, how they saved up for a Swiss watch, and what a watch was meant to them. And for those of us who weren’t around in the 60’s and the 70’s, aren’t these kind of conversations part of the reason we like collect vintage time pieces?
And let's show your Enicars if you have 'em!
