Internet Horology Club 185
Help Identifying Year of this Agasssiz Pocket Watch

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https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2291010082/m/8183907587

July 01, 2015, 10:11
Dr. Debbie Irvine
Help Identifying Year of this Agasssiz Pocket Watch

We recently received an eMail with the following request...

"I sent a few pictures wondering if you know the year the watch was made"

...any help is appreciated.

Thank you.

Smile


July 01, 2015, 10:12
Dr. Debbie Irvine

Image 2


July 01, 2015, 10:12
Dr. Debbie Irvine

Image 3


July 01, 2015, 15:09
Buster Beck
It is extremely hard to positively date a Agassiz watch from the serial numbers. As far as I know those records were lost or non existent.

Agassiz, Longines, and Wittnauer are somewhat connected. In 1832 Agassiz started selling "etablissage-produced" [cottage industry watches] by the name of Agassiz & Compagnie which were sold mostly in North America. About 1850 Agassiz passed the control of the company to a nephew, Ernest Francillon. The nephew believed that bringing the manufacture and assembly/finish production under one roof in a factory was the way to go in order to be more efficient. The first factory was thus born and Longines brand began. This proved very successful and in 1880 A. Wittnauuer Co. became the exclusive sales agent for Longines for the next 114 years.

Longines used the Agassiz name for some of their higher grade watches. Wittnauer was the distributor and wholesaler for Agassiz and Longines watches. You can bet that a Agassiz watch is definitely a "high~grade" watch.

Agassiz has been compared to the modern automobile by some; "Better than a Honda, not a Lexus, about the same as an Accura."

Post pictures of your watch, front/back/dial and the era style will help date it closer. I think from looking at the movement that a "ballpark" age would be 1910-1920 era for this small ladies pendant style watch, IMHO.

regards,
bb
July 02, 2015, 07:49
Dr. Debbie Irvine
Buster,

Thank you for your response!

Smile