Today a friend of mine came over with three pocket watches. Two were Elgins and the third one was what you see in this photo. When I saw the logo I thought maybe it was a Columbia, but when I went to that page in the price guide I struck out. If anyone knows who made this watch, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Here is a shot of the movement. I got a chuckle out of what appears to be fake jewels. A ring of brass is being held down by two tiny screws, but when you look in the center, all you see is a pivot hole drilled in the plate.

Bruce

The symbol on the dial was registered as a trademark on July 12, 1905 by the Adolf Schwob, NYC for watches & parts, they also registered a lot of other marks that I have seen on cases etc. some others are CYMA, Tavannes Watch Co.

So I am not sure if that watch may be a import.

Tom

It looks close to a Waterbury Watch Co logo.

The book I looked it up in shows the exact same symbol but you could also be right Eric. The Waterbury one I have seen looks like this.

Tom

Could it be VWC? Thats what it looks like on the movement. It kind of looks like the Volkswagen symbol

Steve

Thanks guys. I'll pass on your comments to my friend. Concerning the hands, they appear to be mismatched. I found the minute hand to be really odd. I don't know if it shows up in the photo, but it is half gold and half blue. And the shape is pretty weird...I don't recall seeing this design on any American watches. What do you guys think?

I forgot to mention one other mark on this watch. Inside the dust cover there is a flag on a staff with a star on it. Actually, it would be more appropriate to call it a pennant, or burgee, being that it isn't square. It is like a triangular flag but with twin points. Something like you would see on the nose of a boat. I would take a picture, but my friend took the watch home earlier today. Would this case help to identify this as American verses European?

Here is the symbol for the company I mentioned, also the Hampden Duber case company used a lot of symbols of a flag staff with different pendants hanging from it.

Tom

Tom, I think you nailed it. Your ability to research these things never ceases to amaze me. THANKS!

If you look in the direct center of Tom's logo, it looks like a diamond shape. The Waterbury logo looks more like an o, in the center, to go with the C in company.
The movement looks foreign to me.
Brian C.

The movement looks like a fairly nicely done Swiss Cylinder movment, so I vote for a US private Labelled Swiss Cylinder in what looks to be about a 6s case

Another watch by this same maker just popped up on eBay. Check it out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...em&item=160345789275

Bruce

Doing a little more searching, Adolf Schwob is also shown under the spelling of Adolphe Schwob, from information I have found, he was apparently a importer of Swiss made watches in the late 1800's & early 1900's.

This article below is from a magazine called Printers Ink June 1922.
Tom

Also found where a patent was registered by Henri Sandoz of Switzerland & assigned to Schwob.

So I think you watch is more than likely Swiss, I wonder if John or Gerald have seen your post here or if you should also post this to the European section?

John or Gerald are you reading this?

Tom

No idea what the make is Bruce, but it's the first cylinder movement I've seen fitted with timing screws on the balance - they look real too rather than the fake stumps you often get on 'dressed up' movements!!

Nice one!

Best regards

John

Tom, thanks for the additional information. I will be sure to pass it along to the owner of the watch. I am still waiting for some comments concerning the fake jewel settings. They seem to have gone out of their way to give the impression of jewels when there were, in fact, none there. I am also not very knowledgeable when it comes to cylinder movement...is that related to a fusee movement?

Bruce

If you check out pages 62 & 63 of the 2009 Complete Price Guide you will see different types of cylinder escapements.

Tom

Tom, thanks...I'll check it out.

Hi Bruce

I think as Tom showed Adolf Schwob acted as importer of swiss watches to the american market and used the swiss manufacturers Scholz freres, Cyma and Tavannes as source. He had his own label shown on your friends watch and with intention label and movement had an american look.
Your example must have been made before the swiss marking came up.
I think the watch was made by Tavannes. The one I show is a later model with swiss lever escapement
It is labeled 'Tavannes Watch Co'

Regards,
Gerald

Gerald, thanks for this additional information. You sure are tuned in when it comes to Swiss watches. By the way, you may recall that a couple of months ago you helped me identify the Rotary movement in my Weir & Sons wrist watch (from Dublin). Well, just yesterday while flipping through Shugart's Price Guide I found a single Rotary wrist watch on page 1084, and it has the "flying wheel" logo right on the dial. Very faint and hard to see because of the printing, but definitely there. The example shown in the book is circa 1934.