Geneva Watch Co.

[Jerzy Ganczarczyk]

A 16 size (19 1/2''') Swiss hunter watch bears on its cuvette (dome) the following inscription: 'Ancre/Ligne Droitee/15 Rubies/Remontoire/GENEVE/No 98607'. Is it justified to assume that this watch was manufactured by the Geneva Watch Co. , Geneve, which in 1905 succeeded J. J. Badollet? The watch bar movement appears to be based on an ebauche made by Piguet Freres. On its pillar plate and the barrel bridge are scratched numbers: '1911', which could indicate the date of the manufacture, and is in compliance with the history of the Geneva Watch Co. Any information and/or comments would be appreciated.

 

[Jerzy Ganczarczyk]

Perhaps my query would be more clear if it would be supplemented by a picture. Attached is one, which is technically not very correct, but informative enough.

 

[Nachtmotte]

Hi Jerzy,
may it´s possible to show us the movement please? I don´t think so, that the engraving "GENEVE" stands for the Geneva Watch Co.. I estimate - only if there´s no other engravings on the movement - this might be a no name kind, but in high quality from Geneve.
My best regards to Toronto
Tony

 

[Jerzy Ganczarczyk]

Hi Tony,

Thank you for your comment. I was waiting for it, but preferred not to ask you directly, as it would look like an obvious attempt to abuse your knowledge, kindness and generosity. I am fully aware that it was a logical 'jump' on my side to try to relate a name of the location with a name of the watch manufacturing company, but this word used in the inscription on the watch dome, appeared to me as the only clue to the watch identification. Nevertheless, in my query I used a question mark.

Attached are the pictures of the watch movement and its dial. It is a hunter watch. The type of the movement, although of good quality, is quite a common one.

Jerzy

PS. On September 15th I mailed to you Langdon's book on 'Clock & Watchmakers in Canada: 1700-1900'. You should receive it shortly.

 

[Nachtmotte]

Hi Jerzy,
your movement looks like a nice LeCoultre kind with a big balance wheel (style of anchor-chronometer balance with a dimension of 19.5mm), woolf teeth winding wheels and very nice hands.
Geneva was like other swiss horological major towns as Le Locle or La Chaux-de-Fonds a kind of turntable center for many many watchmakers (Le Locle as example got over 10.300 different watch maker names as in the book of Jean-Paul Bourdin "Répertoire des horlogers loclois XVII-XX siecles" described).
Like the Bourdin book another name listing book of watchmakers exist especially for Geneva. This was published by Antiquorum. Plenty full of informations. If you want one book, please let me know. Would be a pleasure to help you.
Always my best regards to you.
Tony