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gmmy775
·This is an interesting vintage watch from one of the more historical family names in the Swiss watch industry. This MARC NICOLET “Diamond” Hand Wind Dress Watch is in Stainless Steel and was produced between 1958 and 1964. It contains a 17 jewel A. Schild cal. 1430 movement. This is an iconic, sturdy, easy to service manual engine. I did not find any watchmaker marks on the inside caseback, so it is possible that it has never been serviced. The Timegrapher readings in the dial up position are: +8-17 seconds per day; a balance wheel amplitude at full wind of 222 degrees; and a beat error 0f 2.1ms, indicating that this is a durable machine. There is moderate corrosion on the mainspring gear. Marc Nicolet had Winton and LACO distribute their watches in the US, and the import code LXA would indicate that this was so in this instance. Both the movement and the inside caseback are signed Marc Nicolet. I have included a 1960 magazine ad to illustrate vintage.
This neat timepiece has an attractive case with long, facetted lugs. Very nice domed silver dial with white gold dauphine indexes. Indexes at cardinal points are trapezoidal with 1.5mm single cut diamonds in bezels. Dial is printed above center with a script “Marc Nicolet” and “DIAMOND” below that. At a diameter of 32.5mm it wears a little bigger than Omegas of the same era. The lugs are very pronounced and lets it appear larger than it is. The bracelet is a generic solid stainless steel model
The history of the Nicolet watchmaking family is long and involved. Two men of Tramelan-Dessus Nicolets were practitioners in the Swiss watch industry as early as the 1870’s. They were named Alcide and Samuel. Alcide Nicolet married Adele Vuilleumier in 1875, and they quickly embarked on creating a family of thirteen children. Of those, Achille, Paul Armand, and Charles were the most significant in furthering the Nicolet name in the Swiss watchmaking legacy. European records state that Paul Armand Nicolet was born in 1884, and it has been suggested that he is the particular Armand Nicolet that the current company alludes to. This “Armand” had at least three sons, Willy, Fernand, and Marc.
The numerous Nicolet family member businesses were primarily located in Tramelan-Dessus in Bern, and later also in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Neuchâtel. The company “Nicolet Frères” appears in the records in 1928, and the name suggests that was comprised of some of the many Nicolet watch men. Among the most significant company names used by the Nicolets during the 20th century was “Les Fils d’Armand Nicolet, Fabrique des Montres Telda Sàrl” (The Sons of Armand Nicolet, Watch Manufacture Telda Ltd.). This was the legal name for the main Nicolet operations after 1928 and before 1937, at which time it was incorporated as “Nicolet Watch SA”.
“Montres Marc Nicolet & Cie SA” of La Chaux-de-Fonds was registered in Switzerland on June 11, 1951. “Marc Nicolet & Cie SA” of La Chaux-de-Fonds was registered in the Official Gazette of the US Patent Office on April 22, 1958. This company evolved into “Marc Nicolet Sàrl SA” ad was registered in La Chaux-de-Fonds on September 4, 2014. It was deleted from the commercial register on July 18, 2018. It was subsequently re-registered as “Marc Nicolet S.à.rl, LLC” in Tramelan, and was engaged in Real Estate as of October 20, 2021.
Spec sheet:
Marc Nicolet 17j ss AS14309 manual 28992 No Date
Width w/o Crown: 32.55 mm
Length: 40.10 mm w/lugs
Depth: 6.80 mm wo/crystal, 10.70 mm w/crystal
Lug Width: 17.15 mm, lugs drilled
Crystal: 29.20Dia mm, in watch. Domed acrylic
Crown: 4.75Dia mm, not signed
Inside case back inscription; Marc Nicolet; Swiss; 28992
Engraving on outside case back: All Stainless Steel; Water Resistant; Incabloc; Non Magnetic; Swiss
Movement: A. Schild 17 jewel caliber 1430; unadjusted; manual wind, nickel plated; 18000 bph
Timegrapher 1900 readings in dial up position: +8-17 seconds a day; 222 degrees of amplitude; 2.1 milliseconds of beat error; 52 degrees lift angle
Engraving on Movement: Marc Nicolet; Seventeen 17 Jewels; 611-17; Swiss; Unadjusted; AS 1430 with Schild Logo under balance; Import code on balance bridge: LXA
Notes: Very nice domed silver dial with white gold dauphine indexes. Indexes at cardinal points are trapezoidal with 1.5mm single cut diamonds in bezels.
This neat timepiece has an attractive case with long, facetted lugs. Very nice domed silver dial with white gold dauphine indexes. Indexes at cardinal points are trapezoidal with 1.5mm single cut diamonds in bezels. Dial is printed above center with a script “Marc Nicolet” and “DIAMOND” below that. At a diameter of 32.5mm it wears a little bigger than Omegas of the same era. The lugs are very pronounced and lets it appear larger than it is. The bracelet is a generic solid stainless steel model
The history of the Nicolet watchmaking family is long and involved. Two men of Tramelan-Dessus Nicolets were practitioners in the Swiss watch industry as early as the 1870’s. They were named Alcide and Samuel. Alcide Nicolet married Adele Vuilleumier in 1875, and they quickly embarked on creating a family of thirteen children. Of those, Achille, Paul Armand, and Charles were the most significant in furthering the Nicolet name in the Swiss watchmaking legacy. European records state that Paul Armand Nicolet was born in 1884, and it has been suggested that he is the particular Armand Nicolet that the current company alludes to. This “Armand” had at least three sons, Willy, Fernand, and Marc.
The numerous Nicolet family member businesses were primarily located in Tramelan-Dessus in Bern, and later also in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Neuchâtel. The company “Nicolet Frères” appears in the records in 1928, and the name suggests that was comprised of some of the many Nicolet watch men. Among the most significant company names used by the Nicolets during the 20th century was “Les Fils d’Armand Nicolet, Fabrique des Montres Telda Sàrl” (The Sons of Armand Nicolet, Watch Manufacture Telda Ltd.). This was the legal name for the main Nicolet operations after 1928 and before 1937, at which time it was incorporated as “Nicolet Watch SA”.
“Montres Marc Nicolet & Cie SA” of La Chaux-de-Fonds was registered in Switzerland on June 11, 1951. “Marc Nicolet & Cie SA” of La Chaux-de-Fonds was registered in the Official Gazette of the US Patent Office on April 22, 1958. This company evolved into “Marc Nicolet Sàrl SA” ad was registered in La Chaux-de-Fonds on September 4, 2014. It was deleted from the commercial register on July 18, 2018. It was subsequently re-registered as “Marc Nicolet S.à.rl, LLC” in Tramelan, and was engaged in Real Estate as of October 20, 2021.
Spec sheet:
Marc Nicolet 17j ss AS14309 manual 28992 No Date
Width w/o Crown: 32.55 mm
Length: 40.10 mm w/lugs
Depth: 6.80 mm wo/crystal, 10.70 mm w/crystal
Lug Width: 17.15 mm, lugs drilled
Crystal: 29.20Dia mm, in watch. Domed acrylic
Crown: 4.75Dia mm, not signed
Inside case back inscription; Marc Nicolet; Swiss; 28992
Engraving on outside case back: All Stainless Steel; Water Resistant; Incabloc; Non Magnetic; Swiss
Movement: A. Schild 17 jewel caliber 1430; unadjusted; manual wind, nickel plated; 18000 bph
Timegrapher 1900 readings in dial up position: +8-17 seconds a day; 222 degrees of amplitude; 2.1 milliseconds of beat error; 52 degrees lift angle
Engraving on Movement: Marc Nicolet; Seventeen 17 Jewels; 611-17; Swiss; Unadjusted; AS 1430 with Schild Logo under balance; Import code on balance bridge: LXA
Notes: Very nice domed silver dial with white gold dauphine indexes. Indexes at cardinal points are trapezoidal with 1.5mm single cut diamonds in bezels.
