New Member of Small Purse Watch Family

[Ethan Lipsig]

Although I mainly collect high-grade solid gold or platinum watches, I have small collections of three types of purse watch, Lip Eclipsos/Gruen Carres, Tavannes La Captives/lookalikes, and . . . well they don't have a name, but I used to describe them as IWC/Cress Arrow purse watches until I bought a new member of the family, this Lacque de Chine sterling silver Recta purse watch.




It joins this multicolor 18k IWC


and this sterling silver IWC.

 

[Incroyable]

I wonder how these were originally used or if they were a novelty item?

Surely someone who could afford to buy one of these could also afford a wristwatch?

 

[Ethan Lipsig]

Gruen and its Alpina affiliate also made purse watches similar to the ones I showed in my initial post. See Lovely Ladies -- European.

 

[PatH]

I wonder how these were originally used or if they were a novelty item?

Surely someone who could afford to buy one of these could also afford a wristwatch?

I can't speak to actual use, but they are handy because they can also be used as desk or travel timepieces. Period advertising would probably provide additional insight.

In addition to the beautiful examples in Ethan's collection, the inexpensive market also offered purse watches. The one I have is by Ingersoll, a souvenir from the 1939 New York World's Fair. The same watch was available with a green and black Deco-style ornamentation.