Greetings,

I'm somewhat new to the forum and was invited in by Sheila last week. I don't have any classic watches (yet) have started processing a stack of Star Watch Case Company memorabilia that our family received from my grandmother in early 2002. Her father Friedrich Baumgartner was a Swiss engraver who immigrated to the U.S. in 1904. After a brief stint at Elgin Watch in 1904, he worked at the Star Watch Case Company between 1905 and about 1940. Grandma was pretty tight-lipped about her father so these items have been in her closet for 60 years. Nobody even knew her father was in the watch business.

With that introduction, the first thing I'll share is a partial page from a book with 100s of hand drawn pocket watch cases. It's a neat teaser, though not his best work. If things work out this should be at the bottom of this post.

I took Fritz's watch design book to the Antiques Roadshow in San Francisco this year and both the watch and book specialists were stumped. They'd never seen anything like it. What I wanted to hear was something like "every engraver has a book of master plates..." - the way they do on T.V. What I realize now is that it takes a very specialized audience to appreciate an item of its kind. Personally I love the thing.

Let's see. These are probably available all over the place, but we have a stack of original pantograph designs. It took me a while to figure these things out, but they harken to the early age of mass watch case production. The designs are about 6-inches square, versus the smaller watch-sized designs in the book.

Then there's the 120-page autobiography/memoir (in his native old German) that I have still to decipher. It's the story of an immigrant watch factory worker at the turn of the 20th century. Anyone read old German or know of any grant opportunities for such a translation? The estimate I got was over $1,000, so I think it can wait for now.

Anyway, I'd like folks thoughts on these finds. What I'd really like to do is share some of the designs in hopes of eventually getting one or more watches that Fritz engraved.

Enjoy the post and I'll continue adding to the story as time allows.



_____________________________________

October 16, 2007 edit:




The translation project has been going for so long that I can't believe it's finally done. The link below is to the paperback and hardcopy tranlation of Frit'z autobiography (written in 1941). As a first hand account by a master case engraver, it's a fascinating read. The book is available from www.lulu.com.

Portions of the book can be previewed there as well.

"Memoirs" Link at Lulu.com

Also, here's the Chapter 185 thread that describes completion of the book:

Chapter 185 discussion thread

Cheers,

Brian P.

Here's one of Fritz's nicer designs, though separate from those in the design book. It's a portrait of my g-grandmother Marie, ready for engraving to a pocket watch case.

Cheers.

Here's one for the wrist watch folks:



And finally, a pantograph plate:

I gotta coupla W's for you.........

Welcome....
And

WoW !!!

What a treasure.... I do hope you can obtain translation....

There are some articles in some past bulletins about the case engravers and some of the info about the case companies...

It was interesting to read how they had to 'clean' themselves up before going home... in one article there was info on the dollar value of the 'sweepings' from the floor.... the amount was amazing...

Brian,
Welcome to 185.
I think the case info you have is really great. I haven't seen anything like it before. It will be interesting to see what else you come up with. Thanks for sharing with us.
Brian C.

Welcome Brian, Its good to have aboard. That is a true work of art. Regards Ted

Brian,

Welcome to IHC 185, we Hope you enjoy your stay here.

The engraving designs are terrific. If they were mine I wouldn't even think of selling them. These are treasures to keep!

Thanks for all the kind words. I have a question about the pantograph image posted above. Virtually all of the pantograph plates that we have are the same general shape as that pictured above. That is to say, squarish with the sides bulging out somewhat. These aren't the typical pocket watch shapes that I've seen, so I'm guessing that they were used for wrist watches. Then again, why would someone have the back of their wrist watch engraved? So then, what type of watch would have this general shape? Another clue - I'm guessing that the pantographs date from ca. 1920-1930. I'm guessing from the wear that this one plate saw quite a bit of use. I'd love to see a photo of a pantograph machine if anyone has one.

Thanks,
Brian P.

Brian,

If you enter the words Pantograph Machine into a GOOGLE SEARCH, you will see lots of different styles of pantograph.

I hope this helps you!

also with a pantograph, you can scale up or down from the template..... making the engraving larger or smaller...

Brian, I think you have some fantastic and important original source material on the watchcase industry. I would love to see more of it. This has been an area of horology that has been late in being appreciated and much material is already lost.

The cushion-shaped pantograph design may have been for a wristwatch, although I don't know that I have seen any quite that fancy. Here are two more modest designs. The one on the left is a Star watch case.

If my memory is correct, the museum has a pantograph set up and on display. I also believe it was from the Star Watch Case Co. You should check with the curator about your material. I am sure they have more information.

Jerry Freedman

BRIAN P !!!!
Hi !!!! I'm so glad you decided to come to the board.

I'm still drooling for a look at all your pages!

The one of your g-grandmother is BREATHTAKING!!
What a beauty! And what ARTWORK!
I'm sure your really proud.
You didn't disappoint me, they are wonderful.
Thank you so much for coming in and sharing them with all of us.

I pray that we can find someone that can take care of the journal, and if you can copy it, maybe I can find someone that can do it.
I will let you know when I ask a friend of mine.
DON'T give it to ANYONE!
ONLY send copies of it OK? They are GEMS and you hold on to them.

Sorry, Sounded bossy huh? Sorry, but I wouldn't want anything to happen to them, as I'm sure you wouldn't either.

I'm so glad you came in, thank you for sharing, and post whenever you can, come back often. Gee, I'm glad to see you again!
Bless,
Sheila

Brightened the picture a little.

Hey Sheila,

Last year I made a pdf copy of Fritz's autobiography so that I could get it transcribed. The copy was fantastic, but all the services I contacted wanted the original document and wanted to limitation my publication rights (go figure). I'm willing to send out/post all or portions of the document if someone's willing to translate. The handwriting is immaculate (as you'd expect) but will require an older native speaker to translate. A 30-something coworker of mine is a native German speaker and gave up after about a year.

Brian,
I thought maybe my friends mother could do the translation for you, she helps others sometimes, but she has been sick, so that's out too.
Sorry, it would have been great if she could have done it for you. I wish I had a solution for you, but I guess this is going to be one of those things your gonna have to fight for.

I still can't get over how beautiful the engravings are. I lightened one, because some people, like me, have old computers, and can't see them, and I wanted EVERYONE to see it.

I'm happy you have joined us. Hope you stick around and share with us.

I'm new at collecting, but you will get some great information in here. Everyone in here is wonderful and patient with people like me that make them crazy.

Good to see you again.
Bless,

As a follow-up, I mailed a copy of Fritz's manuscript to a retirement complex near Hamburg, Germany. The retirees keep busy by translating old script German texts into modern German and English. Their main motivation is to keep their aging clients active. I can't wait to see what they send back.

"Pantographs" are not anything I've heard of. What material holds the original design. Is it translucent, or opaque? Mineral, vegetable, animal? ( ) Really fascinating.

I would also think that you should be able to locate some older German citizens who would enjoy the challenge and occupation of translating the text. Don't certain churches or perhaps retirement communities, or other clubs or organizations often attract people with particular cultural, or genaeological backgrounds?

Ive been worndering recently if eventually a lot more information about watches, even technical information, won't be found (or aren't hidden) in the papers of various employees of the old companies.

I of course agree with others that the engravings are really lovely--the one of your grandmother has a really great almost preRaphaelite feeling to it. It reminds me more of cameo jewelry images. Not that there aren't pocket watch cases with very complex images, but are you sure your grandfather didn't do any work for jewelry? (just wondering--not speaking from any information--)

Jessica

Like many other things...... there is a web page somewhere to describe things..

Here is what was found googling pantograph...
The pantograph was a machine that can be used to scale up or down a master design...

the template can be of various designs......

in my business we used a pantograph in the 70's and 80's to engrave a design on a 'hob' used for manufacturing tooling for tablet making machines... PILLS.... the pantograph was used to make a plexiglass template from a mylar drawing, then the plexiglass template was used to engrave the 'hob'.... the template could have been 6 inchs in diameter and the engraved hob only 3/8 inch diameter.... the Computer Numerical Controlled machinery made the panotograph obsolete in my business.

try the link... let us know if that helped..

http://www.cs.smith.edu/~orourke/DTS/pantograph.html

That sounds right. Our pantograph plates are about 6" across on translucent mylar paper. Presumably the artist would draw 1/4 of the image, and then fold the paper and trace the other sections with perfect symmetry. All our plates have folds of the kind shown in the above image.

are you sure your grandfather didn't do any work for jewelry?

He was a Star Watch Case man all the way. I'll see if I can find an photo of the engraving department crew.

BTW, that's a really neat pantograph link that I hadn't seen before. Thanks.

Hello Brian.If you have not become a member, you should give it thought.Great people here and you seem to have quite a interests in these things.
And a big welcome to Ch 185.
The pantographs are great and i am glad you have them.Too often these things are passed on and eventually end up in the trash.
Please share more information with us as you get more, i really enjoy it.
Sheila thanks for askingBrian to come and share this great information he has.You really got the watch bug Sheila.And i am glad you do.

Brian,
I am the Jaeger-LeCoultre custom hand engraver. Meaning all my designs are cut with a graver pushed by hand not machine.

That being said, I will try to let you know how your grandfathers work was accomplished. First what you have is a hand drawn drawing, this was either then cut into a plate either with the aid of a machine and touched up by hand or acid etetched. The resulting plate called a die was then inserted into one side of the pantograph and the case to be cut in the other. That is if they were going to be used on a more than a one off project. If it was a one off, then chances are was just traced directly from the sheet and cut by machine and touched up by hand.

Was any mention of your grandfather being a hand engraver?? I have a feeling he was. Your grandmothers portrait would make a beautiful hand engraving, she was a lovely woman.

I will enclose pictures of the machines used for engraving the cases, one will be what is called a brocading machine (one of many different varieties) along with some of the metal dies used on some watches. I will include watches done in the manner of your grandmothers portrait, they were carved out deep and then neiloed or enameled. If the making of the dies for runs of cases were acid etched I will include a picture of that machine also. The die in this case is coated with a varnish and the design scratched through the varnish and acid applied until the depth wanted was achieved. Then the die was placed in the brocading machine and as many watches as the run consisted of would all be cut the same from the same die. It was not quite clear in your description, did the mylar tracings
look like something had been rubbed over them repeatedly?? If so no die was made, they were simply traced by hand on the brocading machine direct to the watch, this would have taken a steady hand to produce the same result each time. A cut die as in the pictures make it easier to reproduce the same lines for a long run of cases. I could not find the picture of one of these case done in a similar manner to your grandmothers photo, but will continue looking. The one called Marys eyes is a hand engraved hand colored project that I am currently working on. Please forgive the shameless tooting of my own horn here. (her face and hair are 7 mm from side to side, just to give idea of actual size)

I would be much interested in your grandfathers memoirs, I also have a friend who could possibly translate this for you. If you care to contact me.

I hope this will provide a little help for you and generate some interest for others here.

Please ask questions as I am not a writer, so the above may be a little confusing.

regards and best of season
j.c.

So, my friend Heinz in Hamburg completed a summary of Fritz's autobiography. It's a nice synopsis, but all the meat of the story is missing. I've abstrated a few elements pertaining to the Star Watch Case Company below and think you'll enjoy them.

Cheers,

Brian P.

1903
Fritz met a jobless engraver who gave him an address with an offer/address of Keystone (watch company) in Philadelphia, USA. After consultation with his wife he wrote to Keystone, however, got no answer. His wife opened a restaurant. In September three men from Keystone came to engage him, especially for damascening. They spoke to Marie, which gave her fear of America and she said nothing of the visit to him.

1904
But in summer she told to him of the visitors and they decided that he should only go. He wrote to Philadelphia that he would be there in three weeks and got ready for the trip. On the 29th of July he departed. In Le Havre (France) he took the steamboat La Gascoin and reached New York on 7th August. He did not get the work in Philadelphia because the visitors had not met with him. After a lot of attempts to get work he travelled to Philadelphia and got work at an aluminium factory. Later he met a friend from Biel, Switzerland who offered him work. So he remained in Philadelphia from the 10th of October. He worked in the Star Watch Factory. The owners were of Switzerland decendency.

He earned good money and could send $100 to $150 to his wife monthly. Business was going very well. Marie said that he should come back; however, he said wait.

1905
His friend from Switzerland, Herrmann, came with Mr. Rath of the Ludington Company. He told that his company intended to build a new factory in Michigan and asked him to join the company. He agreed and wrote to his wife indicating that she should make preparations to sell the restaurant in the spring and come to America. She visited her sister Bertha in Zurich and her brother Edouard in Grenchen. She sold the business and on the 18th to May she travelled to Le Havre (France). On the 28th of May they arrived in Chicago. On the 29th of May I greeted my love in the railway station in Elgin, Illinois and entered our apartment. Marie got a job in the factory.

1913
Fritz constructed a printing-engine, which was very good for the factory. He got $10.000 and the right to work there as long as he lived, but it happened otherwise.

He heard of a factory in Dreden/Germany, which built an engine to enlarge drawings. They built him the enlarger, but it was not good enough. He found a factory in USA where they built a better one. It was saving for the Starwatch 4 hours working for each drawing. He got a present of $375.

1916 / 1917
Due to the sinking of the MV “Lusitania” USA declared war on Germany. The family were informed that they were not enough american to stay in America, even though they were not Germans, they were in fear of being displaced.

1929
He worked as professional photo engraver.

1930
The unemployment was extreme and he and a lot of men lost their jobs. He had jobs from time to time and so managed to keep his live going.

Brian,

What a story you have!, an artist, his struggle for life,his art and the love for his wife, all documented in writen form and with his art objects, wow!.

What are your plans with all these information, what a treasure!

JC and Brian, wow, what a story, it leaves me a little breathless.JC very interesting article on the case making, acid etching.I would love to see pictures.
Brian, the story is fascinating, history is not dull, quite the opposite.
keep up the great research you two guys.

That is amazing. I tried the interactive pantograph site--really really neat.

I have to try that some more.

In regard to JC's photos: is that an engraving, or etching process that you're illustrating in the marking of the cases. I love those cases. So beautiful. The niello cases seem to me extremely desirable. I've got to look that process up. Is that from etching?

Thanks so much Fritz, Brian and JC for that information. And thanks, Carlos--your enthusiasm is contagious.

Jessica

Brian;
The handful of images which you have posted here are fantasic and whet the appetite for more. The folks who have shown to most interest in the working sketches of jewelers (such as Lalique) are in the Decorative Arts field. The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York comes to mind, but The Art Institute of Chicago, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of New York, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (in Richmond, Virginia) and The Walters Art Gallery (in Baltimore, Maryland) all have staff which might show special interest in the material that you have. The Walters Art Gallery in particular may be able to help as they own one of the oldest watches known (made by Thomas Melanchthon in 1530). Additionally, these people may be able to provide you with information regarding your great grandfather's place in the field of watch case design and engraving.

Thanks Mark.

I've mostly been working on the autobiography quite a bit lately and it's been keeping me busy in my spare moments. I'm pleased to see that a small following is building for Fritz's work. It's been a while since I posted any images, so here are a couple more.

The first photo was taken in 1906 inside the Engraving Department at the brand new Star Watch Company in Ludington, MI. These were the pre-pantograph days and it looks like engravers got a stool and a workbench. That's Fritz in the front - he has his right hand on a round platform, which probably held the watch case as it was engraved. There also looks to be a central pivot point on the watch stand. It's too bad that more equipment isn't visible, but it's enough to peak your interest.

The second image is page 48 from Fritz's book of watch designs. Note that a few of the case designs have detailing in blue and yellow. I posted a third image (page 50) that has a few wrist watch case sketches as well.

Cheers,
Brian P.

Hi Brian,

Your Story! I had missed it. It is so great that I sit here only wishing for so much more of it. WOW! I loved it.

and

These are still the most "Breathlaking" images I have ever seen!

Funny, I was just looking at these cases again a couple of days ago, and noticed that they are so very, very, much better than the Fancy Niello cases shown in the 2004-5 Shugart Complete Price Guide To Watches on page 604.
The one that shows the full bust of the woman is a good looking one, but does not hold a candle to Yours, shown here.
I so enjoy seeing such beautiful pieces of ART.

They are true treasures in every way.

Thank you for posting the new pictures, I just love them all, and so enjoyed the story.

You just HAVE to write a BOOK about all this.

History, real people, drama, everything.

Thank you for posting.
Bless,

Here's the one year update: I've been working to translate Fritz's autobiography and am over halfway through! I'm up to 1904, which was the year Fritz cased New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia looking for work, and finally started his career at the Star Watch Case Company. I'll most likely publish the biography when I finish the translation and have everything proofed, with photos and sketches.

Here's a Star Watch Case Company factoid: Fritz Hermann (aka, Fred Herman), cofounder of Star, had descended into rack and ruin in Biel, Switzerland in 1887. In the late 1880s his brother gave him a little money to come to America and the rest is history. He and Otto Stark (also spelled Starke) had a basic idea to establish the factory, and the funding came from Herrman's father-in-law, who loaned them fifteen thousand dollars.

I noticed that the February 2006 Bulletin of the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (Volume 48/1 Number 360) has an article on the Star Watch Case Company 1897-1982 by Jack Linahan and Dimitry Grabbe. Would anyone be willing to scan/email Jack's article to me, or pass this link along to Jack (my email: frogfound (at) yahoo dot com)? I would greatly appreciate it.

Cheers,

Brian P.

...Brian, I'd be most happy to scan and fwd the 6 page article on the Star Watch Case Co to you...will get to it straitaway...Jim

Thanks Jim!

Quid pro quo – here’s a short teaser, an excerpt from 1903-1904 that I’ve been working on. Yes, I've committed to translating the biography myself from antiquated German script into English - who knew it could be done?

Enjoy (I know you will),

Brian P.
____________________
(FAB Biography, 1903-1904)

One day I met an unemployed engraver and asked if he had any work. He said to me, yes, he had an offer for work. However, he had no money for the trip. This man, Mr. Kissling, traveled a lot as a soldier in Mexico and as an engraver in Philadelphia. I said to him that he should give me the address for this place, which I believed was in La Chaux de Fonds. However, he said to me that the offer letter was in English from the Keystone Watch Case Company in Philadelphia. With this news I went home and consulted with my wife, and she said to write a letter and ask for a response. Thus, in June I wrote to Keystone and received no word back. We rented a restaurant until November 1904, and in September 1903 three men from the Keystone Company came to find me in Biel especially for damascening. I was working at the business when they came and my wife told them that she would send me to the Hotel Bielerhof after noon. But Marie had anxiety about America and she said nothing to me of their visit. Her silence lasted until the summer of 1904, when one day Marie told to me what had happened a year before.

When I heard Marie's story, I asked if she knew what we should do? Thus, we agreed that I should write to Philadelphia. I would wait three weeks and not wait for a reply before leaving for the United States. Marie would take over the restaurant on the 11th of November. I made immediate arrangements to get ready for travel and departed on July 29. In Le Havre, France, I took the 7,000-ton steamboat La Gascogne and landed in New York on August 7. On Greenwich Street, I searched for my contact Mr. Streiff and had $30.00 in cash. I walked to the trade agent for lunch and met a boy who took me to the Bremen car ferry. This brought me at 1 o'clock to the Pennsylvania railway station in Hoboken New Jersey. At 1:40 I went to Newark to meet an engraver named Willwer that I knew from Biel. I met him at about 2:30 in the afternoon and took temporary food, room and board there.

The next day I went to the Crescent Case factory and asked for work. My friend Rich was hired but I didn't get any work. The following day I went to Brooklyn to the Brooklyn Case Factory on Caroll Street where I believed I could get employment. The foreman Girard was from Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland. At 3:10 he told me that I should take room and board in Brooklyn and that I must not travel in the evening to Newark. I stayed until Saturday, but on Saturday morning while going to work there was a great number of engravers at the main entrance that told me that I could not enter since they were on strike. Because I did not have the money to wait, I went to the foreman, took my tools and wage and went away that second week to the Keystone Watch Case Company in Philadelphia, where I originally wanted to go. There they explained to me that when they were last in Biel and wanted me to take part, I did not come and thus they could give me no work.

I went not far to the craftsman Dilly who worked at the Keystone factory and was also from Biel, and was with him from midday until 3 o'clock when I went back to Newark. That Friday evening the engraver Stegmeier came and told me that should try to get work at the New Jersey Aluminum Factory. Indeed, it was affordable until I could find a better place. So, the next Saturday I went there and got work. Every Saturday we got an envelope with $300, which was a great deal of money. Then the foreman Shweifert came and demanded 3 dollars back and knew exactly who had too much. I worked there six weeks, and then received an offer from Fritz Herrman in Elgin, Illinois. This was the same Herrman who 17 years earlier had no room in Biel and his brother had sent to America. Thus, I departed midday at 1:40 on October 9 from Newark and arrived at 7 o'clock in the evening in Elgin, Illinois.

I'm not going to share the whole biography, as it's still a draft, but this next bit, which continues from the text above, ties in nicely with the February 2006 Star Watch Case Company article. This bit has Starke and Hermann cherry-picking and priming their employees for the move from Illinois to Michigan - an essential element for success of their new venture.

I was really inspired by Jack Linahan's article.

Cheers,

Brian P.
______________________________________________

I came toward the fountain and there were a number of trolley cars. I asked for the Grove Avenue car and climbed on. We drove to Lincoln Avenue and I got out there where I walked west instead of east to find Herrman. Thus, I asked for directions at several houses; however, nobody knew him. I finally came to a house and asked again for Herrman. The man asked if I was a Baumgartner and I said that he was correct. It was a Benz of Biel. I recounted Herrman telling me that another Bieler had come to Ludington. Benz showed me the way to Herrman’s house and by 8:30 pm I was there. They offered me a meal and I later went to bed. In the morning I changed and searched for room and board, and at 1 o'clock in the afternoon on October 11, 1904 I started work at the Star Watch Case Company factory. Two years earlier, Herrman and engraver Otto Starke had a basic idea to establish the factory, but the two had no money. However, Herrman's father-in-law loaned them fifteen thousand dollars.

A year later there was a fire in the factory, but the goods were well insured and they made a bit of money. We were 27 workers and had plenty of work. In the factory I met another Swiss man, Emil Allemann, who had studied in Lanz’s art studio; the same studio where I finished my apprenticeship. In 1885 he walked to Oregon as a farmer but it did not go well for him. He later came to Illinois and found work with the Star Watch Case Company, where we connected 19 years later, and before long he was caught in the engraving business.

Once there I immediately sent $100 fr. to my wife and for the leasehold on the restaurant I sent her another $200 fr. Thus, every month I sent $100 to $150 fr. Soon she said that I should come back, but I wrote that we should wait until the spring to see what to do, since things were all going so well with me.

I could work as much as I wanted. Because the Christmas orders came in so strong I worked completely through my Christmas vacation to the New Year.

(1905)

Soon after the New Year, Herrman came up to me and introduced me to Mr. William Rath of Ludington, Michigan. He immediately spoke to me in German. He talked to me for a while and asked whether I liked it here. After a short time he asked me if the company moved to Michigan whether I would also come and asked for my confirmation. He mentioned that all the business needed was funding and a workforce. Soon the contract would be finalized and in May the new factory would be completed in Ludington. Hermann and Starke told me of their plans and said that I should never again think of going back. Thus I wrote to my wife saying that she should make provisions to sell the business in spring, and to advise Werner. Werner was quite enthusiastic about coming to America.