Question:
I looked everywhere but could not find any information about this watch. After finding your site I hope you can help me identify my grandmother’s watch. Attached are 3 pictures. One of the face, the inside of the back, and a close up of the mechanism. I believe it still has the original wrist band attached. She was from France and married my Grandfather on January 15th, 1918 in her mother’s living room. Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Answer:
This is a fairly common ladies watch with a generic Swiss movement (made by the hundreds of thousands at the end of the 19th century and into the 20th). There is no name associated with the watch. These movements were commonly imported to the States and other countries for jewelers to case and sell. The movement is commonly called a “Swiss Bar”, and has a cylinder escapement. The cylinder escapement never kept very good time but was easily and cheaply manufactured. Depending on the condition of the movement, they can be restored to running condition.
