What’s the Deal With Double Signed Watches?

Double signed watches carry significant meaning for a collector. Find out why they’re so desirable.

For me, part of the appeal of a vintage watch is its story. But not everyone may agree with that. A collector may seek a specific case design or model number because of its value proposition. 

Others may be looking for a particular movement or the last model in a production series with a specific dial design. It could be the typography of the brand logo or a certain handset style. 

These small details mean a lot to enthusiasts. So much so that once a brand discontinues it, it becomes collectible for those small, unique details.

But the story behind a watch is indeed half of the appeal. When a watch features a double signed dial, it’s both a unique detail and a story, all rolled into one. 

A single line of text can mean so much to an avid watch collector, especially if it carries a story. Take, for example, the Rolex Submariner “Red”. The 1680 reference is widely collectible due to its red “Submariner” lettering above 6 o’clock.  

The detailing signifies the first watch to feature a “top hat” plexi glass and a date complication.

Because the reference is rare and hard to sniff out on the second-hand market, it’s worth a lot. You can say the same for double-signed watches. They can sell for a lot at an auction house. 

What Is a Double Signed Watch? 

A double-signed watch is a timepiece with another name on the dial in addition to the brand name. 

Most watches display their manufacturer’s name below the 12 o’clock location on their dial. However, a double-signed watch displays this information alongside the name of the retailer that sold it. 

Double-signed watches are appealing because they carry that all-important story element. It is the kind of story that makes a watch a talking point and a topic of interest. The retailer’s name displayed on a dial can shed light on how that watch started out. 

More than that, however, it tells the wearer about a special relationship formed between the manufacturer and retailer.

A double signed watch may seem a small and insignificant detail to those outside the watch-collecting circle. But to a watch enthusiast, it’s the most intriguing thing about the timepiece. 

But why did this dial arrangement become common practice many years ago? 

The Double Signing Phenomenon 

If the idea of a double-signed watch appeals to you, you’re not alone. This small giveaway on a dial can sometimes make a watch more grail-worthy. 

The practice of adding a retailer’s name to a luxury timepiece became a thing during the 20th century. 

To understand how double signed watches came to be, we need to jump back in history. We need to go back to a time before European watch businesses had any boutiques of their own. 

Manufacturers back then relied on a trusted handful of retailers to represent them and sell their watches nationally and internationally. 

These trusted retailers, whether in South Africa, the US, or the Middle East, helped to increase brand awareness for the manufacturer. To gain the trust of their consumers, these retailers were able to add their names onto the dial. 

The retailer’s name usually displays itself on the dial at 12 or 6 o’clock. Although sometimes very subtle, it would hold particular significance to the buyer. 

By the 1990s, double-signed watches had almost completely fizzled out. Watch manufacturers began acquiring their own retail outlets. It meant that those circulating the market became even more desirable. 

However, luxury watch collaborations are on the rise again, and so is their appeal. Collectors want to own something a little different from the norm.  

The Appeal of Double Signed Watches  

Few features add value or a sense of exclusivity to a watch in the same way as the double-signed dial. The Rolex Daytona or Patek Philippe Nautilus is worth so much more when a prestigious retailer’s name is beside it.  

Tiffany & Co, Beyer, and Bucherer are just a few examples of names that garnered respect from 20th-century consumers. If a customer saw the name of a respectable retailer stamped on a dial, they knew they could trust the product.

Examples of this practice are aplenty. Asprey would stamp luxury watches and supply these to the rest of the world. Serpico Y Laino became synonymous with Rolex, and Gondolo & Labouriau started providing Patek Philippe watches in Rio de Janeiro. 

One of the most prominent retailers in the industry during this time, however, was Tiffany & Co.

It remains the only official retailer to stamp its name on Patek Philippe watches. Some of these are the most expensive of all, like the Nautilus 5711/1A-018 with the iconic blue dial.  

There has been a rise in prominence for watches with double-signed dials, and it’s no wonder why. Collaborative brand efforts amplify horological intrigue, adding to their value and demand.  

This tradition was indeed a marketing strategy for manufacturers to gain provenance and exposure. But it has become so much more than that today. Vintage watches that depict a retail name and a brand’s name command premium prices and exclusivity.  

These timepieces offer an emotional connection and make for a solid investment. They each represent a period in time that conjures a sense of nostalgia.  

Some Double Signed Watch Partnerships   

Here are a few names you may recognize for a better understanding of the relationships forged between manufacturer and retailer.  

Asprey 

London is brimming with exclusive names like Liberty, Selfridges, and Harrods. This prestigious postcode was also the home of Asprey, who sat amongst the top names.  

Asprey was a gift shop that stocked watches and even supplied them to the royal family. The company also attracted a lot of Middle Eastern clientele.  

Asprey specialized in connecting superior watches with the world’s wealthy. These timepieces included IWC, Rolex, and Patek Philippe.

On all these dials is a Khanjar — a dagger belonging to the Sultan of Oman, Asprey’s wealthiest client. As such, some of these watches with the double-signed dial hold cult status among enthusiasts.  

Asprey also stamped its name on dials of lesser-known brands like FP Journe, which collectors now respect for its beautiful designs.  

Tiffany & Co 

Double-signed brands featuring the Tiffany & Co. name are about as collectible as they get. The company arrived in 1838, opening its first store on Broadway.  

Fashion seekers far and wide visited the store, embellishing themselves with elaborate jewelry items and luxury timepieces. 

Some of these timepieces included Patek Philippe and featured the Tiffany & Co. name on their dials. As the retailer helped open up the brand’s demographic, it encouraged Patek Philippe to attend affairs as if they were their own.

As the relationship evolved, more modern sports watches with Tiffany & Co. stamped dials arrived. Among these were those made by Rolex. Interestingly, Rolex would shift its lettering to accommodate the retailer’s name to maintain a balanced look across the dial. 

Rumour has it that Rolex later withdrew from the partnership due to a discrepancy in its dial-stamping agreement.  

Gondolo & Labouriau  

The relationship between Gondolo & Labouriau and Patek Philippe began back in 1872. The retailer sold thousands of the manufacturer’s timepieces, introducing the brand to South America. 

The partnership between the two is one of the most famous double-signed watch stories.

The retailer marked a point in history when Patek Philippe moved away from the exclusivity of royalty and aristocracy. Selling outside of this circle grew the brand’s presence thanks to the signed name on their dials.  

Together, the maison and retailer delivered watches to an outside circle of clientele, establishing social networks similar to watch clubs. These watches also had to meet specific requirements like Gondolo’s “mustache” escapement and its own wheel bridges.  

Serpico Y Laino 

Two Italian immigrants founded Serpico Y Laino in the 1920s, first specializing in jewelry but later in luxury watches. The Venezuela-based company struck a deal with Rolex during a trip to Switzerland. 

Soon, the retailer’s reputation grew, and the company began stamping its name on various watches. These included GMT Master watches and Submariners from Rolex and Patek Philippe chronographs.

The stamped dial in Caracas was to improve people’s recognition of these esteemed brands. The S&L logo reassured clients of the quality and reliability of these otherwise unknown brand names.  

The Practicalities of Double Signed Watches  

When you think about it, double signed dials couldn’t have been a convenient setup. Some believe manufacturers stamped a dial at their watchmaking facilities before sending it to the retailer. That would be the logical thing to presume, right?  

In fact, there were two ways that double-stamped dials became popular. Retailers either disassembled a watch to stamp the dial themselves, or they arrived unassembled.  

Retailers would achieve this finish on the dial by using a technique known as “décalque”. This printing technique transfers a design onto the dial like a transfer via a metal plate engraving process.

The ink then fills the recessed areas of the engraved name (known as the cliche technique), creating a crisp and detailed finish.  

Rolex has several different cliche features for its many other retailers. Manufacturers still practice the tradition today, including Patek Philippe dials signed by Tiffany & Co.  

The Takeaway 

Vintage watch collecting has many facets. Despite the bumps, scratches, and vintage patinas that add to a watch’s character, double signed watches offer so much more. 

Double-signed watches are nostalgic, collectible, and highly valued among watch-collecting communities. They represent a time in horological history when manufacturers relied on the support of prestigious retailers.

Stamping a dial with a reputable retailer’s name instilled collectors with confidence. They were valuable during an era where bricks and mortar shops weren’t a thing.  

Gradually, manufacturers began building their own walk-in stores. Since then, the demand for double-signed watches has been higher than ever. While many are rare and highly covetable, modern interpretations are still emerging.  

Adding a specific retailer’s name to a luxury timepiece adds location-based significance to a timepiece. It also adds to a manufacturer’s story and becomes a part of a collector’s story, too. 

What was once a practical consideration to extend global reach is now a niche and overly romanticized horology sector.  

Do you own a double signed watch? Please share the story behind it in the comments below.