Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer 'MKII'

In life, there are no constants but time and the tides, and no one feels the relationship between time and tide more than fishermen. 

While publications like the Farmers’ Almanac have long attempted to give fishermen insight into the best time to fish, the results have been mixed. And watch companies, eager to dive into the post-war sporting boom of the late 1940s and early 1950s, sought to develop a watch that would be the definitive sportsman’s tool. Such is the case of this watch, the Seafarer, and its time-only ancestor, the Solunar. 

The Seafarer was created at the behest of noted outfitter Abercrombie & Fitch. Though the name might now conjure images of bare abs and cloying cologne, back then the company’s midtown Manhattan store was a sportsman’s Mecca. The company had enough pull with manufacturers to request specially-made products for their customers — thus, when enough A&F customers inquired about a watch that would show the tides, the president of Abercrombie & Fitch turned to Charles-Eduoard Heuer.

The timepiece that resulted from that inquiry, the Solunar, was “the only watch in the world that tells both SOLAR (sun) time, and LUNAR (moon) time”— or so an ad ran upon its release in 1949. However, the Solunar was a niche product, and saw a limited run of just 1,000 pieces before being discontinued.

However, the spirit of the Solunar would live on in the Seafarer. The tidal dial of the Solunar would be married, in true Heuer fashion, with that most versatile of complications: a chronograph. The Seafarer had the hour and minute counters of a standard chrono, but instead of running seconds, the tidal indicator was nestled comfortably in the register at 9 o’clock.

First, a fisherman would set the time (or, in Heuer parlance, “Solar Time”). Then he would set the “Lunar Dial” according to tide tables using the pusher on the left side of the case until the tide markers aligned with the proper time. At midnight, the tide dial would advance.

The Seafarer came in several executions, sharing cases with other chronographs from Heuer’s catalog; produced from the 1950s to the 1970s, surviving examples are relatively rare. We’ve counted ourselves lucky to find just a handful in all our years in business.

This particular Seafarer, a Reference 2443 Mark II, dates to circa the 1950s, and features a smaller hour totalizer than that of its predecessor, the Reference 346. Coming in with what would have been considered an 'oversized' 38mm stainless steel case with dual barrel pushers, an acrylic crystal, an unsigned crown, and a tidal corrector at 9 o’clock, it features a beautiful, heavily patinated white dial with gold-foil 'Arabic' indices and Radium plots, a colorful 30-minute totalizer at 3 o’clock, a 12-hour totalizer at 6 o’clock, the model family’s signature tide indicator at 9 o’clock, and a later Tritium handset. Inside is a modified, hand-wound Valjoux 72 movement with a bridge signed “Abercrombie & Fitch.” Imbued with the enterprising spirit of 20th century exploration and sportsmanship, this is a true collector’s piece.

Seafarers, like the Flying Dutchman, emerge so rarely on the collector circuit, and are many collectors’ white whales — catch this one before it sinks back into the deep!

For those of you who have been around awhile (or are at least well educated on all things old-school), you know that Abercrombie & Fitch wasn't always the trendy, bare-chested, short-shorts hocking, teeny-bopper fashion brand that they were for the past 25 years.

Once upon a time the brand was a true outfitter for the serious outdoorsmen, offering everything from mosquito netting to elephant guns in their stores - serious provisions for your safari into the dark heart of Africa.

We remember hearing stories of our grandfathers' visits to their flagship store on Fifth Avenue, being greeted by giant taxidermied elephants at the entrance, instead of a mouthful of over-bearing perfume and a crowd of tourists excited to buy this season's disposable fashion trend at exorbitant prices.

While many modern brands have gone to great lengths to honor their history and heritage, Abercrombie gave theirs the finger and ran away in the opposite direction, and only recently has turned the corner and are re-embracing their storied past.

We're hopeful for their future once again, and adds to our renewed excitement when we find quality vintage A&F timepieces such as this beauty!

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.