VIRTUAL POCKET WATCH MUSEUM DAY 47, cal 56, Montevideo

Moderator 3567 posts

7 May 2020, 5:05 p.m. 7 May 2020, 5:05 p.m.

As some of you know, I am collecting pocketwatches, IWC only.

Far from saying that my collection is a museum collection but I am proud to
have found some nice and rare pieces over time.

Some of the pocketwatches are common, easy to find on the market, sometimes in
better condition than mine, but some I have are gems.

So in these crazy times, as the museum in Schaffhausen is closed, why not open
one here on the forum.

As long as the museum is closed, I will post here daily a pocketwatch from my
collection.

I hope I don't run out of pieces before the virus is beaten. Fingers crossed
for all of us.

I will post them in a random order, with some comments, feel free to join.

Keep safe all.

DAY 47, cal 56, Montevideo

Today, an oldie again, from 1895.

This cal 56 in the old layout, is housed in a silver case with some nice
decorations.

These with the star and the name Eugenio Boccia are sometimes seen on
pocketwatches from other brands too ( f.i. Longines )

Eugenio Boccia was an important dealer at that time in Uruguay and IWC was not
the only brand he was selling.

The Latin American market must have been important for IWC at that time since
nice pocketwatches from around that era do pop up from time to time on the
market.

Case also stamped with the JWC stamp.

Lever set.

link

8541

Master 4484 posts

7 May 2020, 5:06 p.m. 7 May 2020, 5:06 p.m.

link

Oh for the love of Montevideo !

Normally, and in order to compliment Tonny's pocket watch of the day, I would
be looking to post it's sister calibre. However, today since the topic line of
Tonny's post it specific to the city of Montevideo, I will do something
different.

So, I dived deep into the collection and recovered a piece that I've not
shared or posted yet previoulsy on the forum - simply becuase it has not yet
been restored to former glory, I was looking for one of my pocket watches that
had been sold to an IWC dealer in Montevideo.

But first some supplemental information on Tonny's watch.

Thanks to the great efforts of Mr. A. H. Baldwin who headed up the USA
Department of Commerce in the years preceding the great war, we know that in
1914 for the costly sum of just $1.00 (then a small fortune no doubt) one
could buy yourself a copy of the Trade Directory of South America.

And on page 307 of said publication we indeed see Tonny's Mr. Eugenio Boccio
listed under the Clocks and Watches section for Montevideo, Uruguay. So indeed
an important business at the time.

The Watch

The watch I share today, was sold some years after Tonny's piece, and to the
"new kid on the block" when it came to being a purveyor of fine Swiss
Mechanical Timepieces and other Jewelery. Namely the firm of Revello Joyas
who held store at Calle 25 de Mayo,

The watch was sold on the 19th of August 1921 and made it's way to Montevideo,
where I secured it some 95 years later.

It is a humble lever set Calibre 58, housed in a rather unusual german silver
0.875 full hunter (savonette) case.

It to has a rather decorative inner case back engraving - filled with
medalions. Interesting enough, IWC marketing department were still some 15
years after the great Milan Fair, still touting their win of the Grand Prix in
the watch section.

The calibre 58
within is unsigned - and despite it's age is in very good condition especially
if one considers that Maestro Jeroen has not yet got round to the restoration
and full servicing of the the watch.

Note the hallmarking. Typically, most of IWC silver cases were at that time
made of 0.800 silver and some of 0.900. Not to many in my colection bear the
0.875 hallmark.

A rather basic workhorse of a working mans timewatch - but one with good
Probus Scafusia heritage.