Early Swiss Wristwatches and their Manufacturers 1910 -1930

A Research into the 13-ligne Lever Escapement Movement

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Hinweis: Das Buch ist nur in englischer Sprache erhältlich!

The book Early Swiss Wristwatches and their Manufacturers 1910-1930 – over 280 pages, about 580 full colour photos, and a number of cartoons – presents a method of identifying makers of so far anonymous 13-ligne Swiss lever escapement movements. It provides a detailed database of more than 120 thoroughly researched movements.

Introductory chapters include a description of developments towards machine watch manufacturing, the development from pocket watch to wristwatch, a picture-based constructional analysis of this special type of watch – also known as ‘trench watch’, and a documentation of the research.

This publication is the very first on the subject, and it will certainly fill a niche in historical watch literature. The book may have the potential of becoming a classic in its category, as it is a unique three-in-one: a reference book for watch enthusiasts and collectors, a guide for watchmakers involved in the restoration of watches from this period, and a source of information for watch researchers and historians.

Hinweis: Das Buch ist nur in englischer Sprache erhältlich!

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The book – over 280 pages, in full colour with about 600 photographs, provides a method of identifying the many anonymous manufacturers of 13-lines (0-size) Swiss lever escapement movements of the early 20th century. The core of this work is a database of about 120 extensively researched 13-line movements. Introductory chapters deal with the developments towards machine watch manufacturing, the transition from pocket watch to wristwatch, a depiction of the outside of this type of watch and a technical description of the 13-line movement. This is followed by an elaborate explanation of the research. Thereafter a new ‘tool’ for identification is introduced. In a final chapter remarks and conclusions are presented as well as extensive references.

This publication will certainly fill a niche in the market, and it has the potential of becoming a reference book in its category, as it forms a unique source of information for collectors of trench-watches and anyone interested in early 20th century Swiss watchmakers.

Some reader comments:

This is a very welcome initiative of the two authors to bring brightness into the darkness of the early days of the Swiss wristwatch. […] The advantage of the book is that it introduces a new method of identifying movements. The authors lead the reader with a rather well researched historical overview to the subject. In a compact, but informative way the technical manufacturing development of watchmaking in the 18th and 19th century is described, […] accompanied by a richly illustrated analysis of the various design features and the technical history of the 13-ligne Swiss lever movement.

Dr.B.H.- Germany

It’s a nice piece of work! The number of calibers that are described in details is just impressive.

Congratulations to you and Koen.

J.P. – France

Someone had the book at the last De Rikketik event and it looked great to me. Now that I ‚ve been able to go a bit more into its content I think it is an outstanding work. Congratulations!!

P.C. – Spain

Superb publication.
A.J.M – United Kingdom