Time for another watch, with a story. Sometimes, I feel like a bit of an archaeologist. The more I dig the more I learn!
The subject watch is one I was given (as I recall), about 50 years ago. Poor rolled gold plated case, dull crystal, dial damaged, Swiss made.......four strokes against it. Yesterday (Saturday), with time on my hands, I decided to look for a better case, and replace the carpy crystal, and service the movement. I found a carpy 7-jewel Elgin in a good Canadian made, gold filled case which is the case shown. I went through the movement. The case proved to be a perfect fit for the movement. I fitted a new glass crystal by the time honoured method which requires no glue. Find a glass crystal which is a tiny bit too large, heat the bezel to about 400°, drop the crystal into place, allow the bezel to cool. Fait accompli! No glue.
The dial is marked “Blacks”. David Ernest Black (D E informally), had apprenticed as a watchmaker to a jeweller in Pembroke, Ontario. In 1903, at age 23, he decided to seek his fortune in boom town Calgary. He arrived here with 75 cents in his pocket. He was hired as a watchmaker by an established Calgary jeweller, L H Doll. In 1904, he found a location on the central Stephen Ave. Mall, and set up shop. His first store was tiny.....7’ x 14’. He found a ready demand for his watchmaking skills, servicing railroad watches for local railroad employees. By 1913, he had moved to larger quarters, and employed a staff of 62. He sold out to Henry Birks and Sons in 1920. Birks became established in Calgary. One provision in his deal with Birks is that they would establish an office for him in their store, for his use exclusively, for as long as he wished to use it.
In 1965, I took a job in a jewellery store less than one block from the aforementioned Birks store. We regularly saw D E out for his daily constitutional, summer and winter. During the summer, he was dressed impeccably in a white 3 piece suit, and a white Homburg hat, replete with a walking cane. During the winter, he wore a black 3 piece suit with a black Melton clock overcoat, black gloves, black Homburg hat, replete with walking cane. He walked around the block the Birks store was on. I neglected to mention, he always wore spats, as well. Don’t know what spats are? Google it!
The watch. Swiss made Cortebert movement, 17-jewels, safety barrel (not the usual Swiss going barrel), bi-metallic temperature compensating balance wheel, blued steel Breguet hairspring, movement marked adjusted to 4 positions, Blacks Service. Since Black was a railroad watch inspector, I have a strong suspicion this watch was used as a “loaner”, serving a railroader while his watch was repaired. The dial being marked Blacks tell me this watch is from before D E sold to Birks in 1920.
The images of the L H Doll building show only the facade of the building. I the late 1990s, there was a move afoot to demolish four heritage buildings along the Stephen Ave Mall, to make way for a new Hyatt hotel. There was a LOT of controversy over removing the buildings, one of which was the Doll Building. A compromise was reached. The facades of the four building were reinforced with steel beams, and then incorporated in the new Hyatt hotel structure!
