Mint Unworn 1940s Ormo 15 jewels w/tags

For Sale: Unworn 1940s ORMO by Raisch & Wossner – A Rare Find from Another Era


Up for sale is an ORMO watch from the 1940s, a timepiece that’s remained in mint, unworn condition all these years. Made by the German company Raisch & Wossner, ORMO watches were positioned in the mid-range segment at the time. This particular example is in remarkable condition, still with its original sales tags.



The Watch:

The case is tonneau-shaped, measuring 25mm without the crown, with a champagne dial, lumed Roman numerals, and yellow baton hands that have retained their original brilliance. The watch features the Forster 2080 movement with 15 jewels, which is untouched since its production, and it’s housed in a stainless steel case with intricate engravings.



Specifications:

- Brand: ORMO (by Raisch & Wossner)

- Case Shape: Tonneau-shaped

- Case Size: 25mm (without crown)

- Movement: Forster 2080, 15 jewels, manual wind. The Forster 2080 is a German-made movement introduced in the early 1950s as a successor to the Forster 2075. It features a form lever escapement and operates at a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour (vph), equating to 2.5 Hz. The movement is equipped with a screw balance and a rocking bar winding mechanism. Notably, this movement has remained untouched since its production and will require servicing to ensure optimal performance.

- Strap: NOS original elephant grey strap

- Lugs: 17mm fixed lugs

- Caseback: Engraved with Raisch & Wossner mark and "Boden Edelstahl"



The original sales tags indicate a price of “54,” which adjusted for inflation, would be around $850 today.



I’m offering this piece for $475. The watch runs, but due to being completely untouched, it will need a service to ensure continued reliable operation. I have many references here on the forum, so feel free to contact me via DM if you’re interested or need more information.

Wishing you all an excellent weekend!

On the wrist, pure elegance.

A bit of HISTORY:

Raisch & Wössner KG was established in 1887 by Wilhelm Raisch and Philipp Wössner in Pforzheim, Germany—a city renowned for its jewelry and watchmaking industries. The company initially focused on producing jewelry.


In 1922, they expanded into watch manufacturing under the brand name "Ormo," utilizing Swiss-made ébauches for their timepieces.


This venture into watchmaking was relatively short-lived, lasting only a few years.

Indeed a report compiled for the RAF command dated 28 June 1944, stated that Pforzheim was "one of the centres of the German jewellery and watch making trade and is therefore likely to have become of considerable importance to the production of precision instruments [of use in the war effort]."


On the evening of February 23, 1945, the RAF launched operation “Yellowfin”, sending 379 aircrafts to level the city.

Some 17,600 people, or 31.4% of the town's population, were killed. About 83% of the town's buildings were destroyed, two-thirds of the complete area of Pforzheim and between 80% and 100% of the inner city.



During that air raid, the Ormo factory & workshop was destroyed, never to be rebuilt.


This Ormo watch is probably one of the last few surviving timepieces from Raisch & Wössner's ill-fated horological endeavor - and its condition, mint, is second to none.

In this condition, it stands as one of the finest preserved relics of what this brand once represented—an enduring echo of a bygone era and a history whose horrors and madness have largely been forgotten.

Thank you for reading!