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Why I love it
A lot of my rationale for loving this piece is woven through the narrative above, but there are a few key points to highlight behind my fondness for this particular watch.
Valjoux Caliber 225: The Type XX series watches were manufactured with a variety of flyback movements over time; the Brabham watch that I fell in love with utilized the Valjoux 225, a modified Valjoux 22 with the addition of a flyback function and hour subregister, and my watch has the same caliber ticking away inside.
Wrist presence: At 38.5 mm (my measurement seems more like 38, but I’ll defer to the literature) this isn’t a huge watch, and you might expect the black dial and pronounced bezel to make it wear small. But it seems entirely contemporary in size and heft when seen on the wrist, and the chunky profile view is really attractive to my eye.
![](https://quillandpad.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Mathey_8.jpg)
Assertive presence: Mathey-Tissot Type 20 big eye
Three registers: From what I can tell, there are many enthusiasts who prefer the two-register look, but I specifically wanted a three-register piece.
Condition, condition, condition: When it comes to vintage, the top collectors are always preaching condition as the key to long-term happiness. I’m guessing that’s true, but in the case of this particular watch, its excellent overall condition is a big plus in several ways.
I’m not a fan of the “tropical” or “spiderweb” dial looks, and so I don’t have to squint each time I look at the watch face to shield my eyes. And the crisp condition of the case, crown, and bezel allows me to enjoy elements such as the distinct contours of the lugs.
![](https://quillandpad.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Mathey_9.jpg)
Condition matters: lug and bezel details, Mathey-Tissot Type 20 chronograph
Fifteen-index big eye, propeller hand: Not all Type XX style watches feature the “big eye” look in which the chronograph minute counter is significantly larger in diameter than the running seconds.
Among the big eye watches, some have 30-index minute totalizers (often with the 3, 6, and 9 minutes elongated) with a thin chronograph minute hand rather than the 15-index subdial with propeller-shaped hand that I much prefer.
While I’m on hands, some Type XX pieces have Dauphine hour and minute hands rather than the syringe hands on my piece – I’ll stick with mine.
Early production: Perhaps this is a personal quirk, but my watch’s serial number places it at the early end of the production of Mathey-branded pieces, and I quite like that. The serial number is plainly visible in crisp relief on the case back; if you’re wondering why I haven’t shown that until now, it’s because there’s nothing much going on back there.
I usually spin off the back of my solid-backed watches to give you a look at the movement, but in this case I’m somewhat wary of having any contact with the radium contained in the case and so gave up on opening the watch after giving the back a half-hearted twist. And, yeah, I see the dent – nothing’s perfect!
![](https://quillandpad.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Mathey_10.jpg)
Case back, Mathey-Tissot Type 20 flyback chronograph
Maker’s mark: Perhaps I’ll be accused of making virtue out of (financial) necessity, but I prefer having a Mathey-Tissot labeled piece rather than a Mathey-Tissot watch branded as Breguet or Girard-Perregaux.
There’s a bit of an insider twist that I like, and it’s worth enduring the “gee, that looks like a Breguet” comments that pop up any time I post a photo on social media.
![](https://quillandpad.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Mathey_11.jpg)
Dial detail, Mathey-Tissot Type 20 big eye, showing maker’s name and globe and propeller logo
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