Dunhill

'It must be useful.

It must work dependably.

It must be beautiful.

It must last.

It must be the best of its kind.'

— Alfred Dunhill

The story of Dunhill lighters begins in 1914, when the House introduced its first model, the Ednite, created specifically for soldiers during World War I. This early innovation that paired craftsmanship with practical luxury established Dunhill's legacy as one of the preeminent makers of men's accessories.

Dunhill's 'Unique' lighter was unveiled in 1926, the first lighter designed for one-handed operation. Its ease of use and superior craftsmanship made the Unique a fixture among well-heeled gentlemen of high society. The present example is a Unique 'B', the largest sized version of the lift arm model produced by Alfred Dunhill in the 20th Century. Hallmarked for 1926 by the London Assay Office, it corresponds with the same year the Unique was launched, and remains ever as timeless as when it was introduced a century ago.

The Unique B, along with its siblings the Unique A, C, and D were available in a myriad of patterns and materials. Among the kaleidoscope of designs, examples fitted with a timepiece or briquet montre such as the present example were the most expensive, rare and desirable at the time.

The bygone era when a gentleman’s ensemble was not complete without a lighter coincided with the boom period of tobacco consumption from the 1920s to the 1960s, and a briquet montre served the dual purpose of lighting a gentleman’s tobacco and telling the time in the most fashionable of ways. 

The streamlined and linear form exemplifies the Art Deco aesthetic of the period and is crafted in solid 18k yellow gold as opposed to the more common 9k gold, sterling silver, or gold plated examples on the market. The case houses a Swiss movement by the firm La Nationale S.A., and an intricately engraved 'S' is monogrammed on the back of the case.