Enicar Sherpa Pilot (2 Crown Models)

INTRODUCTION

An earlier article focusing on the development of the Enicar Sherpa brand covered single crown models culminating in the two models with bezels, the Sherpa GMT and Sherpa World Time of the early 1960s.

The AR1126 caliber allowed two crown functionality and restyling of these watches.

At about this time Enicar Sherpa changed the Saturn logo, from ENICAR embedded within Saturn to Saturn above ENICAR, and one of the first two crown models produced was the Guide.

THE SHERPA GUIDE

The development of the Guide model is indicative of the development of the other two crown Pilot style models and will be covered first in this article.  Style features of the Guide were evident in other Enicar Sherpa models of the period.

The smaller single crown GMT on the right in the advertisement above had Dauphine hands, folded indexes, and the earlier embedded ENICAR logo. This model was discussed in an earlier article on Enicar Sherpa single crown watches that you can read by clicking here.

On the left, the new Enicar Sherpa Guide was a larger watch with Supertest calibre AR 1126, with 30 jewels. Enicar registered the name Guide on 2 May 1960.  At 44mm diameter, but again with Dauphine hands, this model has different indexes, a crescent moon 24h hand, and both the old embedded ENICAR logo (on early production models) and the new Saturn above ENICAR logo on the watch. The different logos can be seen in the drawing on the left, and the watch on the right in the advertisement above. Model number is 100/205.

The first Guide models came to the market in the early 1960s. They came in a dark and a cream dial version. The Guide was probably the top model of an entire Pilot watch or Fliegeruhr model range (initially Stewardess, Steward, GMT, Guide, and later Jet, Super Jet, Jet Graph / Pilote). Essential features of these early versions were: Dauphine hands, crescent moon 24h pointer shape, stepped index markers, and thin crowns.

The single crown Sherpa World Time discussed in the prior article has a bezel similar to the two crown Enicar Sherpa Guide as shown in the photographs below.

THE MARK I GUIDE

The larger size of the Enicar Sherpa Guide allows for a wider bezel, with fewer cities and division markings inside the city names. There is now a black and white internal rotating 24 hour bezel as well. The hands are still Dauphine style, but the feature is a half moon style 24h hand.

The model below has the old ENICAR embedded within Saturn logo.

Below is a 30 jewel model, unfortunately missing the red rotating ring.

Then there was a transition in branding to the logo with ENICAR below Saturn. The watch below is branded as a 30 jewel model.

This black dial variant has an original luminous dot on the red rotating ring which is almost unique for surviving versions of this model. The word automatic is written below ENICAR.

A 25 jewel, 1962 Guide is shown above. The red rotating ring originally contained a luminous dot in the triangular marker, but this has been lost in most surviving models. The case is a supercompressor bayonet case unique to Enicar, and is discussed in other articles dealing with Enicar Sherpa diver models in this series.

Below is a July 1962 dated Guide, with a cream dial, unfortunately missing the rotating red ring between the bezel and the crystal.

In addition to the Mark I Guide models shown above, another of the very early Guides is the 1962 model shown in the photographs below.  These models are the Mark I Guide characterised by Dauphine hands.

The Mark I Guide used an AR1126 cal movement (images by uhrforum user: EnabranTain) The supercompressor case is engraved :

STAINLESS STEEL ULTRASONIC AUTOMATIC INCABLOC Seapearl SWISS 100/205 BaACNTS

A Guide 33 is shown below.

Some advertising referred to the World Time Rubyrotor as the emerging Guide model. The Rubyrotor calibre was introduced by Enicar in 1962.  A gold dial Rubyrotor 30 jewel model is shown below.

This has a 43 mm case, all stainless steel, calibre AR1126, Enicar Watch Co Swiss, Supertest, pink gold plated, 30 jewels.   The original rice grain bracelet is shown.

Here is a 1962 Rubyrotor version with a black dial and a red and white inner rotating 24-hour bezel.

A black-dialed Rubyrotor Guide from June 1962, above and a white dial version below.

THE MARK II GUIDE

This second version of the Guide no longer has the crescent moon 24h hand. This model has baton hands with lumes at the end, but now features a thin 24h hand, and a second hand with a round lollipop dot.  Black and yellow coloured inner rotating 24h bezels are more common than black and white as in the earlier model. The index markers are now wider and have Tritium dot lumes at 6, 9 and 12 and rectangular lumes elsewhere. The crowns are becoming wider than in earlier models.

The early Mark II guide had a Seapearl oyster back engraved 146/001 referring to the AR1146 movement.  Some had T Swiss on the dial rather than Swiss Made, and the word Automatic appeared in various positions on the dial.

White and black dial versions of Mark II Guide, Seapearl back 146/001 are shown above.

Later models featured a EnicarSherpa 600 caseback engraved 148.35.01.

THE MARK II GUIDE 33

An early September 1964 automatic Mark II Guide 33 is shown below. This has narrow fluted indexes at 6,9 and 12 with applied lume. The hands are baton with lume inserts on a black tip. The 24h pointer has an orange tip.   Movement is AR 1146 33 jewel.  Tritium level on dial marked T < 25 mc.   Seapearl caseback 146/001.

Below is a model with a retouched inner rotating bezel, but it has the dot lume intact in the outer rotating pointer.

This model had broader fluted index markers at 6, 9, and 12 without lume dots.

This model below has rectangular lumes at indexes, and paddle or lollipop hands.

Below is a transition model, rarely seen. The dial has the broader indexes of the Guide 33 above, but the 33 on the dial is missing, and the 24h pointer is crescent moon (Mark I style), while the second hand has a red lollipop dot (Mark III style below).

MARK III GUIDE

This Mark III model dates from about 1968, and a 1969 model is shown below.

This model has either a thin triangle shaped second hand or a lollipop second hand, a rallye style 24h hand, baton hands with a long pencil lume in the center of the minute hand and a broader lozenge shaped lume in the hour hand, and variously coloured inner bezels. The crowns are all thick.

The indexes are still wide with dot lumes, but the dots are reversed from the previous model.   The saturn logo is applied.

The advertising above predates the switch of the dots on the lumes which have the Mark II style.   The advertisement calls the model 148 35 01 but 148 35 01A  is sometimes used.

Some versions have a checker chapter ring pattern inside the inner rotating 24h bezel as shown on the models on the left and right above.   The second hand was either a lollipop dot or a tapered red triangle.

The model below has a 2 tone yellow/white bezel and dates from March 1968.

Below on the left and centre are Mark III Guides with the 6,12,18 and 24 hour markers on the 24h bezel in a contrasting colour, black and red, soon to be seen on the Mark IV Guide.

THE MARK III GUIDE 33

As for the Mark II Guide 33 there are no lumes on the fluted broader index markers at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock on the Mark III Guide.

MARK IV GUIDE

The next version of the Guide from 1969 has the cushion, pillowcase or short lug body shape and the caliber AR166.   Model 166-35-04. Enicar Sherpa 600 oyster case back.

Multi-colored inner rotating 24h bezels are utilised, and the rotating ring between the crystal and the outer bezel is now orange rather than red.   The 6,12,18 and 24-hour markers on the 24h bezel are black.

Below is a NOS model

MARK IVA GUIDE

The next version had different lumes at the indexes and a new Saturn logo with 2 rings on Saturn. The lumes at 3,6,9 and 12 are trapezoidal, and rectangular elsewhere. The checkered chapter ring from the Mark IV Guide has been dispensed with. Both short and long lugged cases were available.   Features the Cal, 166 movement, model number 166-35-04.

Long lugged case 1970 Sherpa Mark IVA guides with 2 ringed Saturn also exist.  The 6,12,18 and 24 hour markers on the 24h bezel are sometimes not contrasting as on the pillowcase models.

Left image courtesy : mylocaltime

THE JET

MARK I JET

The other models in the two crown Pilot Watch range are the Jet and the Super Jet. The outer rotating bezel was removed.

The early Jet models coincided with the Mark IIB Guide models and had baton hands with inverted T lumes at the tip, a second hand with a yellow lollipop dot, and indexes with dot lumes on 6, 9, and 12 and rectangular lumes on the 5 minute indexes.  The GMT hand was a thin yellow tipped pointer. Early models had an applied Saturn logo and T or Swiss T on the dial.

The diameter is 36.5mm and 44mm lug to lug.  The movement is AR1145/6 automatic.

The early models were engraved 126/002 and had a Seapearl oyster back, but later models had 148-35-02 as the model number.

Image by watchuseek forum user: auctionwatchman

Image courtesy of Vintage Watch Classics

Later models had automatic lower on the dial with T < 25 mc and T Swiss Made T on the dial.

The image above has automatic under Sherpa Jet, while in the image below, it is immediately above.

MARK II JET

About 1969 a new model Jet was released coinciding with the Mark III Guide.

The baton hands have a thin pencil central lume on the minute hand and a lozenge lume on the hour hand, and the 24h hand is rallye style. The lume dots are reversed from the prior version. Thicker crowns were used.  The case became a Supercompressor Sherpa 600, with model number 148.35.02 engraved.

The model below has a black and yellow rallye 24h hand.

The next model variant was a checkered chapter ring at the minute markers as seen in the advertisement below.

A yellow rallye 24h hand is used on the model below.

Enicar Sherpa Jet 148-35-02 models from about 1973 feature a thin triangular pointer second hand.

Both white and black dials were available.

Then Enicar released the pillow cushion case, with a multicoloured 24h bezel and a thin triangular second hand. Again, the earlier models did not feature the checkered chapter ring.

THE JET  33

The Jet 33 model featured both baton hands of the Mark I Jet and paddle lollipop hands.   The indexes are thinner and the broader indexes at 6, 9 and 12 are grooved. It featured a Seapearl oyster back, engraved model number 126/002 and the movement is AR1126 33 jewel Supertest.    The word Automatic did not often feature on the dial.

Right hand image courtesy : meticultist.net

This model had T < 25 mc (25 milli Curies) and SWISS MADE on the dial.

Tritium was used for lumes from the 1960s until the late 1990s. Like radium which it replaced in 1960, it is also radio-active.

The half-life is approximately 12.3 years and after that, Tritium (in most cases) will not glow anymore.

The early Jet 33 also existed with lollipop hands.    The model above has an orange-tipped 24h pointer but the earlier model below has a red crescent moon pointer first seen in the very early Guide model.

Below is another Jet 33 with a red crescent moon 24 hour pointer.  Second hand is a thin pointer with a bulb on the rear end.

The red crescent moon 24h pointer was also seen on the baton hand model.

THE SUPER JET

MARK I SUPER JET

The Super Jet was a larger version of the Jet, released at the same time and was 40mm diameter with a calibre AR166 movement.

The earliest version was 1964 and the indexes and lumes are similar to the 1965 Mark II Guide shown above.   Baton hands,  and lollipop dot second hand.

Below is an October 1964 model.  Caseback 126/003    AR1126.    Later case backs were 146/003.

A 1965 version below

MARK I SUPER JET 33

This version of the model has fluted wide indices at 6, 9 and 12 and dot lumes at the 5 minute indexes.   A unique lollipop paddle hand model is shown below.  Thin second hand without a lollipop dot.  Model 126/003 and 33 jewel SuperTest movement.

This is similar to the Jet 33 described above.   AR1146 movement.     Automatic not written on the dial.

The dial on this watch reads Super Jet Automatic 33 T<25mc.   Model reference 146/003

MARK II SUPER JET

A transition model is shown below, with rectangular baton hands, and a 24 hour pointer in yellow rallye style.   Lollipop second hand, and minute hand with longitudinal stripe. Sherpa 600 case back, engraved model number 146.35.08.

This model has the rallye style 24h pointer and different hour and minute hands. These are still baton hands, but are round tipped, and the hour hand has a broad lozenge lume, and the minute hand a thin central stripe. A red triangular tapered second hand is more common than the previous lollipop dot.  The index lumes are from the prior model as shown below, and similar to the 1969 Guide described above. Enicar Sherpa 600 case back. Model 148-35-01 or 148-35-03.

A 1967 model with calibre 1146B movement, 24 jewels, and Incabloc shock protection

Another 1967 model. This has lumes in reverse at the indexes.   Model 148-35-03.

A version with a light coloured face and applied Enicar saturn logo.

1969 version with triangular second hand.   Model number 148-35-01A.

Above is a lollipop dot second hand model, with yellow and black rallye 24-hour hand.  Image courtesy Omega forums user : calalum

SUPER JET MARK II 33

This model has the broader fluted indexes at 6,9, and 12 as for earlier 33 models.

SUPER JET MARK III

This is now a cushion, pillowcase or short lugged style, with a multicoloured 24h bezel, and the date window is at 6 o’clock. This model now has 2 rings on the Saturn logo.

DIALS

The dials in this series feature the transition through various styles of Enicar hands.

Firstly, Dauphine which was common in many late 1950’s and early 1960’s watches, but coupled with a unique crescent moon 24-hour pointer:

Then, baton with inverted T  lumes at the tip:

More rarely, paddle or rectangular lollipop hands although these are more common in three-crown models:

And finally, baton with thin pencil lume in the minute hand, lozenge lume in the hour hand, triangular second hand and Rallye style 24h hand:

These styles can also be seen in the single crown models and in the three-crown models.

CALIBRES

(Left to right: AR1126, AR166, AR1145/6)

The Enicar calibres of the two crown models of the early 1960s were part of the 112x series.  The 1126 was automatic, 24h, date, and had either 25, 30 or 33 jewels.   The (1)14x series was used from 1965 to 1975 and the initial 1 is dropped on the movement marking.  The 166 series was used from 1975 onwards.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In this article, we have traced the history of what some might call the Sherpa two crown pilot or flying watches from the Guide to the Super Jet.

The later short lugged or pillowcase style models are very colourful and are often in better condition as they are younger, but they still command a hefty price.

The early model Guide with a rotating bezel is difficult to find in good condition and is currently priced at about $1200 to $1500 for models in good condition.

The grail would be a model with the rare paddle-shaped hands or one with the Dauphine hands of the early Guide. Expect to pay over $2000 for a model in reasonable condition.

From The Spring Bar Store: