Insight into how a UK Sherpa Graph was sold in 1966

kazrich

Member
Sherpa
I thought some of you might be interested in the history of my own Sherpa Graph
which I purchased from it's first and only owner. He was a well spoken respectible gentleman
in his early seventies and I arranged to pick up the watch that afternoon.
The money was in his account before I arrived , so he had absolutely no reason to up sell, exaggerate or embellish any facts as the deal was already signed and dusted.
He opened a large safe and handed the Graph to me.

It transpired that he had graduated in summer of 66 and his parents had rewarded him with
any watch of his choice from the upmarket watch retailer across the road from Bentalls, a large department store in Kingston upon Thames – a place I know very well.
He wore the Graph for 15 years and then moved on to a couple of Seiko's because he found he preferred the slightly smaller and lighter cases.
These were followed by a couple of gold Breitling's, then to a quartz watch.
I enquired whether the 'needle' red tipped seconds hand was original to the watch and
he confirmed that that he'd never changed the seconds hand or anything else apart from
the black leather strap which was exchanged on a like for like basis by the same watch retailer.
He confirmed that it's always been all black goatskin with light central ridge padding tapering
from the 20mm lugs to the tip. No contrast stitching, just subtle black on black.

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Just as I was leaving he called me back and asked if I wanted the tatty old original box and instructions. He apologised for the dreadful state of the box which was largely held together with sellotape and wrapping tape.
UK distributors must have issued retailers with a generic one size fits all Enicar box regardless of model. The garishly cheap polyester lining simply states STAR JEWELS.
The box itself being constructed from thin cardboard wrapped in cheap white wallpaper and gold Christmas wrapping !
I've never seen any Enicar box specifically marked Sherpa Graph.

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The instructions are simply a 14cm X 10cm sheet of thin satin / gloss paper folded in half.
This was the first time I'd ever seen Graph instructions printed in English. It's presented in portrait format. The only other that I've seen was in landscape style.
The instructions are an exact fit for inside lid.

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The black and white Sherpa Graph image shows the 'needle style' seconds hand precisely
as the watch that I was holding. No lollipop. Just a silver needle with a darker tip.
The instructions, and the watch show Enicar signed under, not through Saturn.

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I've only seen this red tip on a 36mm Enicar chrono and this earlier Sherpa Graph

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My own seconds hand is an exact colour match for the hour and minutes hand.

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The serial number is 835983 and the Valjoux 72 movement is light gold.
Of course, the watch may have been in stock for a couple of years before it was sold.

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If you search for Sherpa Graph Operating Instructions the chances are you'll find mine from
WUS or The Springbar. Where are the others ?
 

Joe_A

Moderator
Staff member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Interesting story Richard.

Good that you have the instruction leaflet/booklet as well.

Most of the Mark III Graphs I have discovered online have S/Ns that begin with 9, mine being 9413xx and falling within the range identified by Nico (so far) as 940500 through 941499, so 1,000 numbers in the range. The date stamped on the inside of my "941 series" watch is 12-66. Perhaps your watch is in the 6-66 batch or earlier?

According the info that Nico has gathered, your watch would be in the range 835100 to 836299, a range of a potential 1,200 watches. Nico shows the range as 1963 (estimated) - so your indication of 1966 may tell him something.

Does any of the above mean anything?

Probably not as much as we would wish. We don't know whether Enicar filled in all the numbers and as far as we know, we aren't sure numbers were used in sequence - or how many unique watches fit within the range.

It'll be interesting when the "Time for a Change" book is released to see if there is any additional information to be shared.

My Mark Id (very late first series) is date-stamped 6-62 and fits within a 400 number series (so far) 561800 to 562199.

Mine came with the following accessories, not necessarily as originally supplied:

481

Tags are available online for purchase, though I do not know about the International Gurantee envelope and booklet. Within the booklet is a list of all the Authorized Dealers and service agents of the time. It would be a nicety to obtain an operator booklet one day.
 
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JimJupiter

Moderator
Staff member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Thanks Richard for that information, very rare to see an enicar full set!
In my database I saved this shot, of a Sherpa graph box. It’s the grail of boxes for me. A year ago there was one offered on eBay and I think it fetched around 800€ if I remember correctly.

8B0B3B65-F401-4E93-BE3E-0B4E2ABEC359.jpeg
7C88C288-0E21-4351-8A34-E532D8AB57D3.jpeg13FBB0B3-B7C5-4926-BDD8-8DB73BA9E5F4.jpegE9DD1BD9-8C1F-45D4-BC3A-57C3BEF94A40.jpeg70C207CF-7F39-4575-A695-0566D32556B8.jpeg

@Joe: 8xx.xxx watches should be 1965.
If I stated something else on my page, I made a mistake 😁

Nico
 
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JimJupiter

Moderator
Staff member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Does any of the above mean anything?

Probably not as much as we would wish. We don't know whether Enicar filled in all the numbers and as far as we know, we aren't sure numbers were used in sequence - or how many unique watches fit within the range.

It'll be interesting when the "Time for a Change" book is released to see if there is any additional information to be shared.

I'd like to chime in here again :D In my opinion the fact that we have a sequence (at least of SN correlated to years) is proofed. Just in three years, 1963-1965 we don't find a production date inside the caseback. but the SN's fits perfectly into the rest of the picture.
Batch size is an unknown, thats true. But 500-1000 watches (sometimes more) a batch is absolutly realistic. Less wouldn't be very economic. We also see Serials next to each other, like 123.456 and 123.457.

2xx.xxx - 1960 (year inside caseback)
3xx.xxx - 1960 / 61 (year inside caseback)
4xx.xxx - 1961 (year inside caseback)
5xx.xxx - 1962 (year inside caseback)
6xx.xxx - 1963 (esitmated)
7xx.xxx - 1964 (esitmated)
8xx.xxx - 1965 (esitmated)
9xx.xxx - 1966 (year inside caseback)
1.0xx.xxx - 1967/ 68 (year inside caseback)
1.2xx.xxx - 1968 (year inside caseback)
1.3xx.xxx - 1969 (year inside caseback)

Those SN and dates also are valid to known Graph watches.

Best Nico

Edit: I just added this information to my page: https://enicar101.com/enicar-production-dates/
 
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Joe_A

Moderator
Staff member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
More good information, Nico and thanks.

For the first time, we see that there was a distinct period where Enicar stopped stamping the inside case backs with month-year before resuming. One may only guess why they skipped a couple of years. Perhaps the 0 through 9 stamping kit was missing the numbers 3, 4, & 5? :)
 

kazrich

Member
Sherpa
Joe ; Great looking Graph. Is that cream dial with grey or white tachy ?
How many UK authorised dealers / service agents in your booklet ?

Nico. That's the first time I've seen a box specifically marked Sherpa Graph.
I'll need to cut down on the rum and raisin ice cream because I thought I saw
a red bezelled imposter in the box earlier. Any idea when the box dates from ?

Re. Undated inside case backs. my own 835983 doesn't show EPSA markings or a date.

48608340102_3a2edefa4e_b.jpg
 

Joe_A

Moderator
Staff member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Richard,

In the box shot shot above the contrast between the tachy ring and dial is probably seen at its greatest due to the way the rather subdued light hits it. I've put up a couple shots here and there, but here is another ;)

488

The outer ring and the dial are white, but the outer ring is a slightly grey-white whereas the dial is a pearlescent white - nearly pure white with just a touch of cream.

I have just the two Graphs currently and was looking for a third, but it appears as if I am "coming in second place" on the latest watch of high interest.

The Guarantee booklet I have is in unused condition - none of the blanks have been filled out, so not original with the watch.

Interestingly, in the area where one would enter the Case #, Sold to:, Date and Dealer signature, there are two consecutive pages which are partially carbon coated, so that the owner keeps the original and presumably the dealer tears out one copy.

In most venues there is only one dealer listed.

For Great Britain there is:

Global Watches Ltd.
Global House, 81/89 Faringdon Rd. London E.C.1

Canada had both a Manufacturer's Agent and an Exclusive Distributor.

For USA, one agent in Manhattan: Haco Time Inc.

One may find agents in Gibraltar and Cyprus as well as a number of Caribbean Islands including Grenada and Martinique.

There are quite a few listings for Africa. Zambia dates the document for post 1964. Ditto for Rhodesia and Malawi (1963-1964)

Papua New Guineas has three dealers, one each in Lae, Rabaul and Port Moresby.

I believe the booklet to be genuine and original to the mid 1960s, but could not have accompanied a 1962 watch.
 
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kazrich

Member
Sherpa
Hi Joe ;
Your Graph looks super clean and a great example. Thanks for the other info.
It transpires that Global Watches in London ceased trading in 1970 possibly due to
quartz crises . I think they must have been an Enicar distributor rather than a retailer.
Difficult to believe that Papua New Guinea had 2 more retail sales points than the UK.
Here's a strangely worded advert placed by Global watches in the 60's

48617574597_8538bc6a5b_b.jpg

Anyone fancy guessing the date of the Graph in the ad ?
One arrow head marker at 6.00 o clock ?
 

Joe_A

Moderator
Staff member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
;)

It's an early Mark II, I would suggest based upon the long ends of the hours and minutes hand and the single arrow hours register, probably made just after my watch above.

I'd say 12-62
 

JimJupiter

Moderator
Staff member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Joe is correct, Should be a MK II like those:

09F37E20-EB92-4F2A-9362-A261756FF06D.jpeg2.JPG4.jpg


I have just the two Graphs currently and was looking for a third, but it appears as if I am "coming in second place" on the latest watch of high interest.

At least it found a good home Joe and I will feature it on my page with all its details. Next one is yours for sure! Sorry again!

Nico
 

kazrich

Member
Sherpa
The Global Watches advert only shows an arrow head at the 12 hour register.
All the other examples shown above have arrow heads on both tacho registers for
hours and minutes. It's not the same ?
Nico. Well done and have a grey day (not literally ) !
 

JimJupiter

Moderator
Staff member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
You are right on the hands, but let's say there was a transitional time ;) My 1963 Aqua Graph for example shows the same setup as the watch in the ad. What wonders me more, is the possible painted logo on the dial?! or is this to much of interpretation?

Nico
 

kazrich

Member
Sherpa
Blimey !
Does that mean they were fake redialling back in 1962 before shipping them to the retailers ?
I think we should be told.
 

Joe_A

Moderator
Staff member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
I had suggested early Mk II, thinking that Enicar hadn't decided yet whether to add back the arrow to the minutes counter. Upon reflection, it could have been a late Mk II issued during a time when the company was running short on arrow hands . . . and had to use them sparingly. ;)

I nearly got to see the grey and white "in the flesh" last week. Tom lives about 3/4 hour from me. Though I reached out to him shortly after seeing the watch pop up, by then you'd already got to the head of the queue. The "early bird" and all that.

Sincere congratulations and may you enjoy it for years to come.
 
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