A long standing tradition in Middle-Eastern countries, wristwatches have long been used as tokens of appreciation on behalf of ruling monarchs. The fascination of the Arab world with fine timepieces is further highlighted by the fact that some military institution and governmental departments requested and obtained bespoke timepieces bearing insignia or department names on the dial.

The present watch perfectly exemplifies this trend. Offered in exceedingly honest condition with an absolutely unpolished case, the dial of this timepiece is personalised with the green Saudi swords and palm at 6 o’clock, and the designation name of the Saudi ruler Abdul Aziz Al Saud, King of the realm from 1932 to 1953, at 12. It is a more than educated guess that the present piece was offered by the King in recognition of services made to the country or possibly as token of friendship to a diplomat.

Given the overall condition of the watch and the rarity of such a bespoken royal dial, the present watch represents an exceedingly rare value proposition for the collector of rare vintage timepieces.