Hardy & Hayes Co. - MIMO Watch Co. - Swiss Sub-Seconds - Circa 1935

Offered here is a Hardy & Hayes Co. Swiss wristwatch dating to the mid 1930s, a moment when America was just coming out of Prohibition and the speakeasy years were giving way to legitimate cocktail bars, hotel lounges, and downtown nights in a suit. It was a period when American jewelers frequently sold Swiss-made watches under their own names. The warm dial carries the Hardy & Hayes signature, while the movement and case are signed MIMO Watch Co., confirming Swiss manufacture. The dial is romantic and inviting, with crisp Arabic numerals, a recessed sub-seconds register at six o'clock, blued steel hands, and a restrained railroad minute track. It has a quiet elegance typical of pre-war watches, practical and refined, with none of the excess that came later.

Hardy & Hayes was a prestigious jeweler based in downtown Pittsburgh, founded in 1887 and operating into the mid-20th century. Known for high-end jewelry, watches, and sterling silver, retailer-signed dials like this were standard practice at the time and reflect how Swiss watches were marketed in the United States rather than a separate manufacture.

The movement and case are signed MIMO Watch Co. MIMO, short for Manufacture Internationale de Montres Or, was founded in 1918 by Otto Graef in La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1928 Graef acquired Girard-Perregaux, and throughout the 1930s and 1940s MIMO played a central role in producing and distributing Swiss wristwatches that helped revitalize the Girard-Perregaux name. Watches from this period were often sold either as MIMO or as retailer-signed pieces depending on market.

Inside is a manual-wind MIMO Watch Co. movement, marked Nine Jewels and stamped 02 2782. While this marking appears to be an internal or ebauche reference rather than a public caliber name, the architecture and finishing are fully consistent with late 1930s Swiss production. The movement winds, sets, and runs.

The inside caseback is stamped SWISS / MIMO WATCH CO / STEELBACK and marked Ref. 5118, serial 162815. The watch retains a glass crystal, a detail largely phased out in later decades and consistent with watches produced before and during World War II. Case proportions are modest and period-correct, with long, gently curved lugs that give the watch more wrist presence than its diameter suggests. The watch is fitted with a vintage Speidel bracelet that wears comfortably and suits the character of the piece well.

Terms: Please review all photos carefully as they are a part of the listing. This is a vintage timepiece. Accuracy, power reserve, and water resistance are not guaranteed. Vintage watches may require periodic service. Performance can vary with wear, temperature, and position.

I am happy to service any unserviced watch listed on the site — please inquire about service charges when purchasing.

All sales final.