The movement is definitely by Adolf Schild:

bidfun-db Archiv: Uhrwerke: AS 1012

The best known Unicorn brand was a Rolex sub-brand but they wouldn't have used AS movements. In fact, Adolf Schild, although a generic movement maker, also sold some watches under the trade name "Unicorn" so this is probably one of them.

Hartmut Richter

 

Thanks, looks a lot like the 3rd movement. I haven't had time to translate but it looks like its from the 1950's-60's. keeps time to 36 hrs and is a nice looking watch too.
Cam

 

Hi Cam,

... but it looks like its from the 1950's-60's.

Hard to date it after the style, but the movement was definitely made between 1965 and 1972. This statement asks for some detective work:

This AS calibre was made in many generations. In generations up to the AS 1677 the 17th jewel was a cap jewel for the escape wheel like in this pic:

The first generation, where the 17th jewel was used as 2nd jewel for the center wheel (thus invisible) was the AS 1977:

A very strange feature of them all is, that same screws wer used for crown- and ratched wheel, and therefore both have a left-hand thread. Some three decades watchmakers broke the ratched wheel screw by trying to unscrew it counterclockwise. Not before 1965 AS responded and marked both screws with three slots, the common identifier for left-thread screws. This was the birthday of the AS 1977-2:

To make a long story short: Your movement has no cap jewel, and no triple splott screw heads, and disregarding the different decoration it must be an AS 1977, which was made between 1965 ad 1972.

Finally it is no surprise to meet an AS movement in a Unicorn watch. Back then Unicorn was a watch brand of the A. Schild SA (AS).

Regards, Roland Ranfft

 

Following ton the thread and adding new questions...
I also recently bought a UNICORN watch, apparently from magazzines dating the time, it was sold around 1960-65 in Australia.
work is working fine and camed with original box (a oyster effect plastic seashel padded inside)
i am attaching a photo of the inside:

as you can see from the inside... it is signed HERMETICA and then a small logo with initials RW.
does anyone knows what RM stands for?
can anyone give me any info on this watch? is it also AS mechanism?
thanks
theres quite a confussion with unicorn watches as some people state it is rolex made....even in 1960.
who know more or less this watch is worth with the original pacjkage as i have?
anyone knows (out of unicorn topic but rolex related topic) if Bucherer (circa 1980 watches) were rolex made?
thanks

 

Hi there.

RW with an anchor was a trademark of the German company that made the case - Rodi & Wienenberger Mikrolisk - The horological trade mark index now RoWi Rowi | Home page

Rolex had stopped using the Unicorn brand name long before the 1960's. I'm not sure who made the movement - it could well be AS. Others may recognise it.

Sorry - but we don't attempt valuations in this forum - there are stickies explaining why.

Some Bucherer watches had Rolex movements - but that was a long time ago.

 

thanks marrik!

i didnt knew about the valuation thing sorry new to forum... but may i know if this unicorn have any value? i am happy with it and right now i am considering taking it for a restoration treatment. good to know (not so good) RW didnt meant Rolex watches lol. hope someone knows what the mechanism is?
I have a newspaper from the time it was produced, even for the time 1965, and in Australia, it seemed to cost quite a bit although was publisized as a cheap elegant siwss watch.
thanks

 

Yes, yours also has an Adolf Schild movement, probably Cal. 1287 or a derivative:

bidfun-db Archiv: Uhrwerke: AS 1287

Hartmut Richter