Hello OF,

I hope you are all fine.

I have a pocket watch that is probably 100 years old.

I am looking for the name of this brand mark with the lion and "marque déposée" (= "registered brand")

Anybody knows? Thanks in advance!
Mike

 

Sorry for the re-post but could this actually be an Omega?

I searched a lot in google for various brands and the closest model I can find is "Omega grand prix paris 1900"

Help please

 

Hello. The lion is the symbol of "Franche Comté", the cradle of watchmaking in France. Maybe a hint? ... not sure.

 

In Karl Kochmann’s book on European watch & clock maker trade marks, there are 152 pages of Swiss trade marks comprising approximately 1,400 trade marks. Guess what. That trade mark doesn’t show. Might be French. In an era when that watch was made, the craft method was used. Specialty manufacturers of components (not complete watches) shipped theirs parts to finishers who gathered the parts they needed to assemble a finished movement. So watches of the era were not produced by a “manufacturer”, but by many people. Provenance of such watches is often difficult to nail down.

@xxivolxx posted that there may be a French connection. So I went through the French section of Kochmann’s book (102 pages), and still no joy.

 

Thank you xxOlivxx for the hint. I checked Besançon manufacturers but I couldn't find a perfect match.

Thank you very much Canuck for checking the book and for the info about "multiple people manufacturing".

It could actually have been made in France, yes.

 

Likewise the 262 pages of Kochmann's book covering German trade marks. No joy. This trade mark may have belonged to a retailer, and thereby would not be related to manufacturing of the watch.

 

From Mikrolisk.de
Porrentruy is less than 5km from the French border, but in Switzerland (near Franche Comté )

 

you guys are really amazing!!!!!!!!!!!

I had checked Manufacture du Lion on google before but I didnt find the Lion logo. Will check Mikrolisk.de in the future.

Any advices about where to restore it?

 

For reference— Mike's in Geneva, CH.

 

The pocket watch was picked up this morning at my watchmaker. I took a couple of pictures to share with you. I think it was a lot of work to get it back to such a great conditions. He told me it was hard to find the right hands!! This pocket watch will be a gift to a family member. What are your opinions?

 

Makes me want to go find a pocket watch congrats!

 

You don't own a pocket watch? That's blasphemy.

 

Came out looking great. Congratulations.