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Rotary GB05500/30 Heritage Bracelet Watch - Limited Edition - W13246
Ref. GB05500/30
Sits in Rotary’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rotary watches we list, which start at £100.
Price range £100 to £329 across 110 Rotary watches in stock.The RW 1895 Heritage Chronograph draws its name from the year Rotary was founded, but its visual language comes from a different era entirely: the Aquaplunge diver chronographs of the 1960s. This is a deliberate reissue, not a loose interpretation — the sub-dial layout, the tube-style crown and the domed bubble crystal are all choices made to place it back in that decade. The movement is worth a word. The VK64 is a Seiko meca-quartz calibre, meaning the chronograph mechanism is driven mechanically even though a battery keeps time. The result is the instant-reset and sweep of a proper chrono pusher action without the price or service demands of a fully mechanical movement — a practical decision that serious chronograph users tend to appreciate once they have used one. At 38mm and 12.45mm thick, the proportions sit closer to vintage than to the oversized sport watches that crowd the market now, and the domed crystal reinforces that impression in the hand. The bracelet carries it well; a hidden deployant keeps the profile clean from the outside while making it straightforward to take on and off.
- Reference
- GB05500/30
- Brand
- Rotary
- Collection
- Heritage
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 12.45mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- VK64
- Functions
- Chronograph
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant 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 the Rotary Heritage range (47), Back in Stock (3,734), Stainless Steel Watches (2,581), Chronograph Watches (953) and Limited Edition Watches (175).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 38mm suits most wrists
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Rotary's more premium watches
Rotary GB05500/30 Heritage Bracelet alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | GB05500/30 | MTIH1F502 | MK5076 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £209 | £210 | £189 |
| Case size | 38mm | 38mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Silicone strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched | 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?
It can, over time. Mineral glass handles daily wear but will pick up fine scratches that sapphire would not.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
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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