Hi OF, After 11 months of waiting, I finally received my Gallet Multichron 30M “Clamshell” for the first time. This watch was found in an old military trunk amongst other personal belongings of the previous owner. Before even receiving the watch in metal, I sent the watch to the Gallet Service Department right after winning it at an auction in May, 2016. The distinct "Clamshell" case was patented in 1936 by Schmitz Freres & Co., and acquired by Gallet in 1937. It consists of a two-part case, one part fitted over a specialized flared crystal, and then the second component. Those two parts are then clamped together and screwed down at four different points, with the screws located under each lug. With the help of Gallet Managing Director David, Gallet CEO Walter and Gallet Chief Technician Lou, as well as the Gallet service team, this watch was properly documented by Gallet and underwent a “Museum Restoration” which includes servicing to restore full functionality and appearance while carefully preserving history and provenance. The previous owner, Robert K. Zelle, was dashing, Yale educated, World War II pilot from St. Louis, Missouri. He attended John Burroughs School in St. Louis before graduating from Yale. He was a war veteran, accomplished entrepreneur, and noted philanthropist. Bob Zelle joined the United Sates Army Air Corps after graduation and served as a pilot and instrument instructor in World War II. He was a devoted supporter of educational institutions and philanthropic causes and was a committed volunteer. He served on the boards of Darlington School, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, The University School of Nashville and Alive Hospice. He was one of the founders of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. In 1989, Bob Zelle established a charitable remainder unitrust, naming USN as a beneficiary. This testamentary gift was the largest of its kind in the history of the school. In honor of exceptional philanthropic leadership, the USN Board of Trustees established the Robert K. Zelle Society, a donor recognition society. The Society was announced in 1997, and Bob was honored at the October 1997 board meeting with a formal resolution. The Zelle Society membership recognizes friends of the school who have made a provision for USN in their estate plans. Today, the Zelle Society includes estate planning vehicles from a growing group of trustees, alumni, parents, grandparents, and faculty. And University School remains grateful to its namesake, Robert K. Zelle. I was able to obtain some of his personal artifacts including his USAF sterling silver bracelet and his society pin. Being a Yale graduate, it is no surprise that someone like Bob Zelle was a member of the Wolf’s Head and Torch Honor Society. His name was also mentioned in the book “Flushing Out Skull & Bones: Investigations Into America’s Most Powerful Secret Society”. Hope you like the watch, and the provenance behind it! Best Andre
Stories, history, and connections like these are part of what makes throw hobby so incredible to me. Thank you very much for sharing, @Dre. Great photos as well!
Hi Nice watch , excellent story... great photos .... You know the only thing I can ad is photos of my Eterna ..... but will start a new thread and Steal your photos of the patent drawing.... Good Hunting Bill
Hi OF, Thanks heaps for all the kind words. I've been receiving a lot of messages in regards to what was done to the watch by Gallet, what sort of service they offer because not a lot of people seems to know about the service that they offer to collectors. Don't wanna be rude to not replying to all the messages including in whatsapp, fb or instagram, thought I might share some of my correspondence to Gallet here about the "Museum Restoration" of the watch. First of all, they offer regular service for your time pieces and you can find all the details here, http://www.galletwatch.com/new_gallet_watch_repair.html I have sent them one of my watch for the regular service as well, but this is what they said when I asked them about this particular watch, "Watches of this historic caliber receive "Museum Restoration" which includes servicing to restore full functionality and appearance while carefully preserving history and provenance. Upon completion of the servicing, we would honored to photograph the watch for our archives and upcoming Gallet book." I've asked on how the museum servicing was done, and I asked them not to touch the dial, polish the case, or replace the pushers and crown. This is their reply, "All of us at Gallet Service are obsessed, over-perfectionist watch lovers that prioritize originality and authenticity over anything else when it comes to our own timepieces. We clearly understand how you feel. With the Museum Servicing, the dial is handled from the edges with white cotton gloves and set aside in a hermetically seal container until servicing of the movement is complete. There is no attempt made to clean it. It is never touched except with a puff of static free filtered air to remove any dust particles. Our technicians spend more time undoing damage caused by incompetent watchmakers than any other task. If you do use another servicing entity, ensure that the treat the watch with the skill and respect it deserves. Besides its important provenance, the Gallet MultiChron 30M Clamshell with the 4 screw case is the world first water resistant wrist chronograph. It requires a special flared Gallet OEM crystal and seal (see attached image) that is inserted from under the bezel versus being pressed in from the top. These are parts exclusive to Gallet that other service facilities generally do not have access to." In regards to the documentation, "Fabulous! This will provide us with the opportunity to set up a publication quality 600 DPI shot utilizing the additional artifacts in the images. Our American headquarters has a large vault behind security gates with video surveillance, so your precious items will be safe. You watch holds special regard to us besides it provenance. Both the MultiChron 30M and our first Flight Officer model, both with the 4-screw Clamshell case, were used extensively by the United State Army Air Force due to their groundbreaking "waterproof" cases. This event was a major watershed moment for Gallet as it propelled us solidly into the world of professional timekeeping. Mr. Zelle's watch with accompanying USAAF bracelet, along with President Truman's personal Flight Officer chronograph, are obvious symbols of this important event for Gallet. We will have to schedule 2 appointments with the photographer for a before and after image session. Since we require a Gallet representative remain with precious items during the image shooting, your patience is appreciated." Though the normal servicing fee seems high for most people, especially compare to your local watchmakers fee, they maintain the highest standards of restoration. Their technicians will also be able to manufacture some parts individually when needed based on original specifications. Fortunately for someone like me who cares about originality, just like most of us here, they won't be able to refinished dial based on the original specifications. While they still have all of the original printing dies, now housed in their company artifacts collection, this printing method is no longer used. They used a micro screen printing method that involves numerous passes to lay-down each layer and individual index. While the results are quite impressive, a knowledgeable collector with a loupe can tell that the dial is not the original vintage example. Being the oldest watchmaking company in the world, I really think that they're a great company with great people working there. They care about preserving the history of the brand. Hope this helps. Best Andre
I love that you have not only had this watch restored so scrupulously, but have taken the trouble to discover and write up its provenance too. Many congratulations and may you have much joy of it!