Why We Love It

We're always searching for interesting pieces of horology here at Analog/Shift, and we are happy to be able to dust off forgotten gems like this! A little colorful, a little crazy, this Sherpa Guide is exactly what we love about vintage watches - functionality and playful looks rolled up into a package that was designed for rugged every-day wear.

This one in particular comes in near mint condition with an absolute superb cushion case and an unusual multicolored dial. You could certainly call this a “beefy tool watch” which incorporates date, home-time and GMT time functions that, when used in conjunction with the world-time bezel, enables the wearer to calculate the time in major cities across the world. Very handy!

The Story

While still relatively unknown in the United States, Enicar is a brand with roots reaching back into the 19th century Swiss clock making community of Granges near Le Chaux-de-Fonds. The brand's progenitor, Ariste Racine (who derived the name 'Enicar' from reversing his own last name) grew the company steadily into the 20th century when they receive wide acclaim for their robust pocket watches that became favorites among officers in WWI.

By the 1930s, Enicar was producing wristwatches and set its sites on building watches that could be worn in any environment. Drawing from the needs of mountaineers and explorers, Enicar launched their Sherpa line, developing various sports models through the 1960s and among these was the Sherpa Guide.