Bucherer, Ref. 16.238, Women’s Manual Wind Vintage Watch

Textured Silver Dial with Minimal Gold-Tone Detailing

The dial is particularly refined for such a small watch. A pale silver surface carries a subtle stippled texture that becomes more visible under close light, while slim applied gold-tone hour markers keep the layout clean and uncluttered. The double marker at 12 provides just enough orientation without disturbing the restrained symmetry.

Matching gold-tone hour and minute hands are joined by the Bucherer name and emblem in the upper half of the dial, with 17 JEWELS positioned above 6 o’clock and SWISS printed at the lower edge. There is no seconds hand, date or additional complication, allowing the proportions and dial finish to remain the dominant visual elements.

22 mm Gold-Plated Case with Classic Swiss Ladies’ Proportions

The round gold-plated case measures approximately 22 mm in diameter and 28 mm lug to lug, with a narrow 10 mm strap width. Long, sharply defined lugs extend the case vertically and give the watch a more elegant profile than its compact diameter alone suggests. These proportions are characteristic of traditional Swiss ladies’ dress watches designed to sit discreetly on the wrist rather than imitate larger men’s models.

The original case shows normal vintage wear to the gold-plated surfaces, including visible age around the crown side and edges, while the overall form remains well defined. A new black leather strap has been fitted, creating a strong contrast with the warm case and silver dial. The strap is a modern replacement and is not included in the claim that the original watch components are retained.

17-Jewel Swiss Hand-Wound Movement — Fully Serviced

This Bucherer uses a traditional Swiss manual-wind movement with 17 jewels. The exact caliber is not confirmed, so no unsupported movement designation is assigned. Winding by hand keeps the watch mechanically simple and is entirely consistent with the compact dimensions of vintage ladies’ watches from this period, where minimizing case size was an important design priority.

The movement has been fully serviced and is currently running at approximately +7 seconds per day under present test conditions. That is a strong observed rate for a small vintage mechanical watch, while remaining a current measurement rather than a permanent accuracy guarantee. A 12-month movement warranty is included. Other traditional mechanical pieces can be found among our manual-wind vintage watches.

Bucherer’s Watch and Jewelry Heritage in a Compact Vintage Dress Watch

Bucherer was founded in Lucerne in 1888 and developed around both watches and jewelry, a combination that is especially relevant to the company’s historic women’s watches. Ref. 16.238 reflects that approach through its small proportions, gold-plated case and restrained decorative treatment, presenting the watch as both a mechanical timepiece and a discreet piece of wrist jewelry.

The exact production year of Ref. 16.238 is not securely established from the available information, so the watch is presented without an invented date. Its appeal instead rests on the qualities that can be confirmed in this particular example: an original Bucherer dial and watch components, attractive preservation, traditional Swiss hand-wound mechanics, completed servicing and a measured +7 sec/day current rate. Buyers looking for similar compact pieces can browse our women’s vintage watches.