1960s Kaleidoscope Watch - Ernest Borel midsize Cocktail model with swirling white kaleidoscope dial - FREE SHIPPING WARRANTY!
Women's Vintage Watches

1960s Kaleidoscope Watch - Ernest Borel midsize Cocktail model with swirling white kaleidoscope dial - FREE SHIPPING + WARRANTY!

Sorry, this item has sold.

(1)

Shipping to United States: Free
  • Details
    STOP! READ THIS! Here's all the details you need to know:

    • Ernest Borel "Cocktail" model midsize kaleidoscope watch, Swiss-made late 1960s
    • Original 13mm (1/2") white-over-black leather band by Speidel. Fits wrists up to 6.3" inches around.
    • Yellow gold-plated case with stainless steel back.
    • 28mm tall including the lugs / 25mm without lugs.
    • 27mm wide including the crown (signed with Ernest Borel logo) / 26mm without crown
    • Swiss mechanical hand-winding Ernest Borel movement with 17 jewels (rubies)
    • Inspected, serviced, adjusted by Certified Master Watchmaker
    • Six month warranty for the mechanical workings

    HEY LADIES! Ready to wear a moving kaleidoscope on your wrist? Behold: Ernest Borel's “Cocktail” bracelet watch—with a trippy, ever-spinning kaleidoscope face! These mesmerizing, gold-plated timepieces were never officially imported to the USA. They were sold exclusively on cruises and at upscale resorts and vacation spots in the 1950s-1970s.

    This gorgeous late 1960s wristwatch features a white always-turning kaleidoscope against a white dial with finely detailed red and gold hands. It is a VERY rare midsize model that was sold later in their production—around 1969 versus the early 1950s. This model was a major update to the styling, which had otherwise remained almost the same since 1953. It was far more sturdy, much larger, and had a more intricate dial than the previous models. The frail, paper-thin (and basically useless) band of the 1950s was replaced with a stronger, and stylistically interesting laminated white over black leather band made in partnership with the world's leading watchband company, Speidel. This model was FAR more expensive than its predecessors—the equivalent of about $1,000 US in today's money—contributing to its rarity.

    This statement piece will have you showing off to everyone you know (and maybe even some you don't). Perfect for a cocktail party or anywhere you want tons of people to constantly come ask you about your watch. You've been warned!

    It is in VERY good used condition, with only very slight signs of wear commensurate with age, such as barely visible micro-scratches on the case. The original white leather band is included. It has tiny superficial scuffs that can be covered with white shoe polish. I have not done this, since I wanted to preserve the exact same original condition it was in when I got it. It's subtle. You might not even notice it. My photos are very high resolution, showing tiny specks of dust and micro-scratches that aren’t noticeable to the naked eye. Please inspect the photos carefully to be sure the condition meets your standards.

    Wind it daily by gently turning the winding crown on the right side CLOCKWISE ONLY until you feel the slightest resistance. Carefully pull the crown out about 1mm to set the time, pushing it back in when done. Wind every day or two to keep the inner mechanicals working—EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT PLANNING TO WEAR IT. Leaving an antique watch unwound for a month or two is enough time for the movement to seize up and not work anymore.

    I offer a six-month warranty on the inner mechanical movements of my watches—excluding impact and water damage. Contact me if anything goes awry and I'll help set it straight.

    Remember: It's not about telling time, or any of that stuff. It's about how it makes you feel. Watches are a powerful tool for creative individualists—serving to amplify the expression of your individuality.

    SHIPPING: To protect your investment, all items are sent USPS insured with SIGNATURE REQUIRED. Keep this in mind when providing your shipping address.

    I can repair your vintage watches. I buy vintage watches. Message me for more information.

    • • • • • • • • • • •
    About Me
    • • • • • • • • • • •

    Who gave you your first watch? How old were you? Where were you? Everybody I ask has a very unique, intimate story to tell. Why? Your first watch is magic. It’s the first time you gain agency over your most precious, limited resource: time. I wanted to feel that magic again. So, I started buying vintage watches that made me feel romantic and nostalgic—for moments I’d lived, and for moments I might have lived if things had turned out just a tiny bit differently.

    Collecting (and wearing) vintage timepieces is truly a rich man’s game. A weatherbeaten mid-century Rolex will cost at least $3,000; a vintage Patek Philippe can set you back ten times that! I’m no rich man. My budget is more like $50-300. There must be low-priced watches that Swiss-watch-snobs with deep pockets don’t care about, right?

    Turns out the answer is YES! There are plenty of extremely rare, conversation-starting, iconic timepieces out there. You just need to know where to look and what to look for. They’re frequently made by the same Swiss horologists—often with some of the same exact parts as the prestige brands. I scour auctions, estate sales, and curio shops around the world to find them. I taught myself to clean and repair them so I could keep my costs down—and teamed up with a watchmaker for issues I can’t figure out on my own.

    But, I can’t keep them all. My Etsy shop lets me keep my collection ever-changing—while bringing you a curated collection of the coolest watches around.
  • Shipping & Policies

    Shipping from United States

    Processing time

    3-6 business days

    Estimated shipping times

    • Australia : 1 - 3 weeks
    • Canada : 1 - 2 weeks
    • Italy : 2 - 5 weeks
    • United Kingdom : 2 - 3 weeks
    • United States : 2 - 5 business days

    I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.

    Customs and import taxes

    Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.

    Payment Options

    Secure options
    • Accepts Etsy gift cards

    Returns & Exchanges

    I gladly accept returns and exchanges

    Just contact me within: 3 days of delivery

    Ship items back to me within: 7 days of delivery

    I don't accept cancellations

    But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.

    The following items can't be returned or exchanged

    Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:

    • Custom or personalized orders
    • Perishable products (like food or flowers)
    • Digital downloads
    • Intimate items (for health/hygiene reasons)
    • Items on sale

    Conditions of return

    Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.

    Privacy policy

    •• Information I Collect ••

    To fulfil your order, you must provide me with certain information (which you authorized Etsy to provide to me), such as your name, email address, postal address, payment information, and the details of the product that you’re ordering. You may also choose to provide me with additional personal information (for a custom order, for example), if you contact me directly.

    •• Why I Need Your Information and How I Use It ••

    I rely on a number of legal bases to collect, use, and share your information, including:

    as needed to provide my services, such as when I use your information to fulfil your order, to settle disputes, or to provide customer support;
    when you have provided your affirmative consent, which you may revoke at any time, such as by signing up for my mailing list;
    if necessary to comply with a legal obligation or court order or in connection with a legal claim, such as retaining information about your purchases if required by tax law; and
    as necessary for the purpose of my legitimate interests, if those legitimate interests are not overridden by your rights or interests, such as 1) providing and improving my services. I use your information to provide the services you requested and in my legitimate interest toimprove my services; and 2) Compliance with the Etsy Seller Policy and Terms of Use. I use your information as necessary to comply with my obligations under the Etsy Seller Policy and Terms of Use.

    •• Information Sharing and Disclosure ••

    Customer privacy is important to my business. Ideally I would like to NEVER share anyone's information, ever. But, it turns out that I may need to share your personal information for very limited reasons and in limited circumstances, as follows:

    Etsy. I share information with Etsy as necessary to provide you my services and comply with my obligations under both the Etsy Seller Policy and Etsy Terms of Use.
    Service providers. I engage certain trusted third parties to perform functions and provide services to my shop, such as delivery companies. I will share your personal information with these third parties, but only to the extent necessary to perform these services.
    Business transfers. If I sell or merge my business, I may disclose your information as part of that transaction, only to the extent permitted by law.
    Compliance with laws. I may collect, use, retain, and share your information if I have a good faith belief that it is reasonably necessary to: (a) respond to legal process or to government requests; (b) enforce my agreements, terms and policies; (c) prevent, investigate, and address fraud and other illegal activity, security, or technical issues; or (d) protect the rights, property, and safety of my customers, or others.

    •• Data Retention ••

    I retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to provide you with my services and as described in my Privacy Policy. However, I may also be required to retain this information to comply with my legal and regulatory obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce my agreements. I generally keep your data for 3 years.

    •• Transfers of Personal Information Outside the EU ••

    I may store and process your information through third-party hosting services in the US and other jurisdictions. As a result, I may transfer your personal information to a jurisdiction with different data protection and government surveillance laws than your jurisdiction. If I am deemed to transfer information about you outside of the EU, I rely on Privacy Shield as the legal basis for the transfer, as Google Cloud is Privacy Shield certified.

    •• Your Rights ••

    If you reside in certain territories, including the EU, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal information. While some of these rights apply generally, certain rights apply only in certain limited cases. I describe these rights below:

    Access. You may have the right to access and receive a copy of the personal information I hold about you by contacting me using the contact information below.
    Change, restrict, delete. You may also have rights to change, restrict my use of, or delete your personal information. Absent exceptional circumstances (like where I am required to store data for legal reasons) I will generally delete your personal information upon request.
    Object. You can object to (i) my processing of some of your information based on my legitimate interests and (ii) receiving marketing messages from me after providing your express consent to receive them. In such cases, I will delete your personal information unless I have compelling and legitimate grounds to continue using that information or if it is needed for legal reasons.
    Complain. If you reside in the EU and wish to raise a concern about my use of your information (and without prejudice to any other rights you may have), you have the right to do so with your local data protection authority.

    •• How to Contact Me ••

    For purposes of EU data protection law, I, Nathan Martin, am the data controller of your personal information. If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact me at justin@justinwinokur.com.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Will my package require a signature?

    Yes. A signature is required for almost all shipments. That way you can rest assured that your items will arrive safely. Make sure to use a shipping address where someone can sign for your package, otherwise you'll have to go to the post office to collect it.

    What shipping method do you use?

    • In the USA, items with free shipping are sent by USPS First Class with insurance and signature required.
    • International orders ship via USPS Priority.
    • Upgraded shipping is USPS Priority Express mail with insurance and signature required.
    • Express shipping via private carriers like FedEx, DHL, and UPS is available upon request. Pricing is on a case by case basis. Prices range from about 75 USD for DHL Express to 140 USD for FedEx and UPS Express.

    Can I upgrade to faster shipping?

    Yes! Upgraded shipping is via USPS Priority Express Mail with insurance and signature required. It usually takes 1-2 days within the continental USA, and 3-5 days to other countries.

    Express shipping via private carriers like FedEx, DHL, and UPS is available upon request. Pricing is on a case by case basis. Prices range from about 75 USD for DHL Express to 140 USD for FedEx and UPS Express.

    Can I get a different colored watchband?

    I have watchbands in many different styles, colors and materials. If you love the watch but want a different color band, send me a message. I'll see if I have the color you want in my inventory. If I don't, you can swap out the band for any strap you'd like by buying one online or taking it to your local jeweler or watch repair store.

    Does my watch need a battery?

    It depends on the watch.

    1) Mechanical (hand-winding): These watches use a spring and gears to run. There is no battery. You must wind the watch once daily for it to keep running. Most of my watches are this kind.

    2) Mechanical (automatic/kinetic): These use a spring and gears as well as a swinging pendulum that rotates as you move throughout the day. It winds itself. You don't need a battery and you don't need to wind it.

    3) Quartz: These use batteries. Your watch will include a brand new battery. They can last anywhere from six months to a few years, depending on the watch.

    I changed my mind! Can I cancel my order and get a full refund?

    We don't accept cancellations for a refund. Instead, we offer you store credit which you can use on any of our other items. This store credit is good for one year.

    Will the vintage watchband fit me?

    Use a measuring tape to measure around your wrist.

    All my detailed descriptions include the max wrist size of the bracelet. Bracelets are standardized. They're not an integral part of the watch itself. It's easy to change the band.

    NOTE: YOU CAN NOT RETURN THE WATCH BECAUSE THE BRACELET IS THE WRONG SIZE. You're paying for the watch itself—the bracelet is basically free.

    How do I return an item?

    Contact us and we will guide you through the process. Note that the paperwork, documents, packaging, photographs, cards, and anything else in the package MUST be returned in the condition which we sent them to you in. If anything is missing or damaged we will deduct the value of those items from your refund.

    Bigger/Smaller Bracelets?

    The bracelet (aka band or strap) is usually NOT an integral part of the "watch" itself. It's normal (and somewhat expected) that you'll have a jeweler adjust the band to fit you, or replace the band with one that you can try on in person. Watchbands are standardized and available from any jeweler, watch shop, and online.

    NOTE: YOU CAN NOT RETURN THE WATCH BECAUSE THE BRACELET IS THE WRONG SIZE. You're paying for the watch itself—the bracelet is basically free.

    What do I do if the bracelet isn't the right size?

    YOU CAN NOT RETURN THE WATCH BECAUSE THE BRACELET IS THE WRONG SIZE. You're paying for the watch itself—the bracelet is basically free. The bracelet size is listed in the product description. And, any jeweler will adjust the bracelet/band size for you as needed.

    A watch is like a ring or other fine piece of jewelry, in that you need to have a jeweler adjust it to fit your perfectly. This is expected and normal. You may even find that you want to replace the bracelet. Bracelets are not an integral part of the watch. They are interchangeable. They can be replaced easily—and quite inexpensively. You can do it yourself or have your local jeweler or watch repair shop do it for you.

  • Reviews

    Reviews (1)

    Average:

    pretty, working and as described