Why This Watch Matters Wake up! It is Wednesday at 11am and new vintage watches are hitting the HODINKEE Shop! The Full Story The Vulcain Cricket was introduced in 1947 at an event at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. It was one of the first wristwatches with a mechanical alarm built in. It has a long history, highlighted by the fact that a Cricket has been gifted to every president from Truman to Biden (excluding George W. Bush), earning it the title of the "Watch of Presidents." You can read more about the history of the Vulcain Cricket here. Setting the alarm function is straightforward and easy. The watch must first be wound (forward and backward, for timekeeping and alarm functions). Next, press the pusher down at two o'clock until it clicks. This will eject the crown, which can then be rotated to set the alarm. The fourth hand acts as its indicator. Simply push the crown in, and the alarm is set and ready to go. The present example features a silvered dial with applied Roman numeral and sphere hour markers and dauphine hands in a gold tone. Despite the 34mm diameter, the Vulcain Cricket is well-known for having a substantial wrist presence with nicely elongated and curved lugs. We think it will wear suitably on most wrist sizes. We paired this Cricket with our Barrett strap in a tan to play off of the gold tones in the dial. The Fine Print Maker: VulcainModel: CricketReference: N/AYear: 1950sCase No: 411825Material: Stainless steelDimensions: 34mm diameter; 12.5mm thicknessCrystal: PlexiglassLume: N/ACaliber: Vulcain, manually-wound, caliber 120Bracelet/Strap: HODINKEE The Barrett Watch Strap In TanLug Width: 18mmBox/Papers: No What We Love And What You Should Know Things We Love: "Cricket" alarm function Gold tone markers Blue accents on dial Things To Know: Scratches on case Patina on edge of dial This Vulcain Cricket is in overall excellent condition. The case is strong with scratches and appears to be unpolished. The facets on the lugs are clearly visible, as are the areas where the lugs meet the case. The inner caseback has some patina. The dial is in honest condition with a patina throughout that makes it present slightly creamy and overall attractive. There is a bit of concentrated patina around the hour markers as well as heavier patina around the edge of the dial. The hands and hour markers have developed some oxidation. The dial, case, and movement are all signed by Vulcain. The crown is of the correct shape and unsigned just as some other Vulcain Cricket from this era are seen with. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.
