16,520 CHF
“World Time” Agassiz Watch Co. , No. 4624580. Made in the 1940s. Very fine and elegant, "World Time", 14K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch. Two-body, polished, flared lugs. Two-tone silver with applied yellow gold radial Roman numerals and dot indexes, concentric revolving dial in 24 hours for the nocturnal and diurnal hours, outer graduation bearing the names of 33 cities in the world. Yellow gold "Fancy" hands. Notes Agassiz Watch Co. S.A. Saint-Imier and Geneva. The company was founded in 1876. In 1832, Auguste Agassiz, brother of the eminent geologist Louis Agassiz, began a horological business as a wholesaler in Saint- Imier. The manufacture was in fact really founded by his son and not until 1876, after a constructive market research. The company specialised in the production of high quality watches. A new caliber was soon designed, on the basis of regular 19’’’ watch movements, smaller in diameter and as slim as technically possible. Later, in response to wholesalers' requests, the manufacture began to design movements which were entirely new movements and even thinner: first of 17’’’- 24/12th, and later of 20/12th, and 17/12th. These very slim watches were highly praised by demanding customers. The Agassiz Factory began negotiations with Touchon & Co., a Genevan firm which specialized in the production of very thin movements. A few years later, the two companies merged and the new firm successfully launched on the market extra slim watches of 16 1/2’’’- 1
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2007-05-13
