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Rotary GB05470/52 Commando Automatic Bracelet Watch - W13205
Ref. GB05470/52
Sits in Rotary’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rotary watches we list, which start at £97.
Price range £97 to £329 across 160 Rotary watches in stock.The Commando pulls its design language from Rotary's mid-twentieth century military archive — the broad numerals, the lume on the hands and indices, the red-tipped seconds hand are all working conventions from that period, carried into an automatic movement with a hacking function so the seconds hand stops dead when you set the time, useful whenever synchronisation matters. At 42mm the case wears with some presence, and the blue dial reads clearly across different light conditions, shifting between a flat utility and something more considered when the light catches it at an angle. The stainless steel bracelet closes with a butterfly clasp, which lies flat against the wrist and opens cleanly with both pushers rather than a single lever.
- Reference
- GB05470/52
- Brand
- Rotary
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Learn more about Rotary
Moise Dreyfuss started Rotary in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1895. Within a generation his sons Georges and Sylvain had opened a London office and begun exporting to Britain, which turned out to be the decision that defined the company: Britain became, and remains, Rotary's most important market.
The winged wheel logo arrived in 1925 and has barely changed since. It became familiar enough in British high streets that the brand is widely taken for British, despite the Swiss origin.
Rotary supplied watches to the British Army, and the wartime and post-war association gave it a foothold in a market where an affordable, dependable Swiss watch was exactly what most buyers wanted.
The family held the company for over a century, making it for a long time the oldest family-owned Swiss watchmaker still trading. Ownership passed to Hong Kong's Citychamp in 2014, and in February 2025 to the UK's Peers Hardy Group.
The modern range sits at the accessible end — quartz and automatic dress watches, divers and chronographs, with the Henley, Windsor and Legacy lines carrying the collection.
- 1895
- Founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds by Moise Dreyfuss.
- 1920s
- Georges and Sylvain Dreyfuss begin exporting to Britain.
- 1925
- The winged wheel logo is introduced.
- 2014
- Acquired by Citychamp after more than a century in family hands.
- 2025
- Bought by the UK's Peers Hardy Group.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,847), Stainless Steel Watches (3,197), Automatic Watches (1,736), Blue Dial Watches (876) and Automatic Watches Under £500 (352).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Rotary's more premium watches
Rotary GB05470/52 Commando alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | GB05470/52 | SRPD63k1 | R8823142002 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £239 | £240 | £209 |
| Case size | 42mm | 42.5mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | — | 41 hours | — |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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