Desoto Bicompax Chronograph, late 1950s

DESOTOS Bicompax Chronograph. Switzerland, ca. 1950–1960.
Wristwatch with chronograph function. Circular gold-plated metal case with a stainless steel screw-down caseback, fluted crown, and two rectangular pushers on the right side.
Silver-toned dial with faceted applied hour markers and Arabic numerals at 12 and 6 o’clock. Gold-tone baton-style hands and bicompax layout, with a small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock and a chronograph minute counter at 3 o’clock. Central chronograph hand and peripheral tachymeter and telemeter scales, with graduations in different colors. Plexiglass crystal.
Hand-wound mechanical movement, Swiss Landeron 248 caliber with 17 jewels, featuring a cam-operated chronograph and Incabloc shock protection. Brown leather strap with a central rib and a gold-plated metal buckle.
Condition: Shows signs of use and age, with wear and partial loss of plating on the crown. It works, with all chronograph functions operational.
Measurements: 37 mm case diameter (excluding crown and pushers).

This Desotos chronograph is an attractive example of mid-20th-century Swiss watchmaking, a period in which mechanical chronographs became widely popular thanks to the development of reliable, industrially produced movements.
Pairing this Desotos watch with a Landeron 248 chronograph caliber and the concept of Swiss savoir-faire speaks to the democratization of excellence. This is not the story of Geneva’s unattainable luxury, but rather that of the industrial and artisanal mastery of the Jura valleys, where precision became a way of life.

Provenance: Family bequest of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló.
An art and heritage collection whose origins lie in the legacy of the Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a key figure in 19th-century Catalan realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935).
Passed down and enriched over successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original estates of both artists, along with new acquisitions made by their descendants. They maintained a special dedication to the preservation and restoration of the family legacy.

In the descriptions of the watches, the phrase “it works” means that the watch is functioning. Since collector’s watches typically have delicate and complex mechanisms, the buyer is responsible for any general servicing, inspection, battery replacement, adjustment, or repair that may be necessary. We do not guarantee the perfect functioning of any watch. All photographs of our watches are original and were taken by our photographers; in other words, we do not use stock photography, which is why the photographs are considered part of the catalog entry.