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Harry jenkins
·I just want to post about this amazing watch. They appear so very rarely. It's been three years since I saw one come up - it was on Chrono24. From what I hear it can be once per decade for one to surface. The thing I like about them most is not only the obvious functionality and usefulness but the unusual, simple, utilitarian appearance - which owes a great deal to the 'pushers' - presumably one is to set the alarm time, and the other is to set the time time.
It is simple and It has the look of a chronograph, the classic blocky numerals of the era which I am a fan of, a hefty case to fit the 15 jewel movement which was originally intended to be, or was more commonly used in a pocket watch - often seen sold as the 'Ghandi' alarm pocket watch. On the pocket watch version, the orientation of the dial is different, with the sub dials being instead positioned vertically, obscuring the 12 and 6. Apparently, much fewer versions were made in the wristwatch case - I think I read somewhere that the idea of a wrist alarm didn't catch on too well so they were discontinued. I am always looking for more information about these watches. I have been able to find little in the way of trends or information in terms of where the bulk of them ended up being initially sold 100 years ago. I am no expert in the type facing used for numerals on watches / pocket watches, but the blocky numbers are often said to be 'military' by sellers, which makes sense for ease of legibility. This, in opposition to the serifed fonts often used during this period on many chronographs. Perhaps it was devised with a military application? I don't know.
(This photo is from timeanagram.com)
I did find a website called Timeanagram.com who had the remnants of a listing which had long since sold and found some of the published information interesting: "There are versions with a 43mm nickel case and a 46mm solid silver case, with the latter being considered a higher-end or earlier model". I didn't know that there were different case sizes or materials. I had always just considered myself lucky to be looking at whatever picture of them I had been able to find online.
"The movement has two mainsprings, both wound by the crown. The watch's mainspring is wound by turning the crown in the 12 o'clock direction, while the alarm mainspring is wound by turning the crown in the 6 o'clock direction. There was no way to turn off the alarm; once it started ringing, it could not be stopped".
According to armbandwecker.at, "the alarm takes 45 seconds" - and having seen/heard a video of one chiming at Timeanagram.com - I can say it is a beautiful sound and would cut through any ambient noise you could think of. A real urgent, musical, insistent, mechanical alarm.
The only similar watch I have ever seen is the Angelus wrist alarm. Being a font snob - in my opinion the Zenith version of the more boxy numerals look better, and I miss the pushers. But it is still pretty excellent.
(This photo is from classic driver.com)
Early, large silver wristwatch with alarm function (Angelus manufacture calibre SF 125).
From 'Angelus-collectors-guide-2016'
"Most commonly used in these early Angelus clocks are the early alarm clock movements SF 125 (30h power reserve) and SF 130 (eight days power reserve). The calibre SF 130 was also advertised in an interesting ad in the year 1924: in addition mentioned are pocket watches with repetition, however just the alarm movements were advertised as patented by Angelus.13 Angelus alarm movements dur- ing the 1920ies were also used in the earliest alarm wristwatches of Angelus, such as a silver watch with 46mm diameter with SF 125 in picture 10 (email dial, the alarm is set with a pusher in the crown, serial no. 34555, sold on December 10th 2014 by Artcurial Paris, lot 524)."
Ultimate grail.
It is simple and It has the look of a chronograph, the classic blocky numerals of the era which I am a fan of, a hefty case to fit the 15 jewel movement which was originally intended to be, or was more commonly used in a pocket watch - often seen sold as the 'Ghandi' alarm pocket watch. On the pocket watch version, the orientation of the dial is different, with the sub dials being instead positioned vertically, obscuring the 12 and 6. Apparently, much fewer versions were made in the wristwatch case - I think I read somewhere that the idea of a wrist alarm didn't catch on too well so they were discontinued. I am always looking for more information about these watches. I have been able to find little in the way of trends or information in terms of where the bulk of them ended up being initially sold 100 years ago. I am no expert in the type facing used for numerals on watches / pocket watches, but the blocky numbers are often said to be 'military' by sellers, which makes sense for ease of legibility. This, in opposition to the serifed fonts often used during this period on many chronographs. Perhaps it was devised with a military application? I don't know.
(This photo is from timeanagram.com)
I did find a website called Timeanagram.com who had the remnants of a listing which had long since sold and found some of the published information interesting: "There are versions with a 43mm nickel case and a 46mm solid silver case, with the latter being considered a higher-end or earlier model". I didn't know that there were different case sizes or materials. I had always just considered myself lucky to be looking at whatever picture of them I had been able to find online.
"The movement has two mainsprings, both wound by the crown. The watch's mainspring is wound by turning the crown in the 12 o'clock direction, while the alarm mainspring is wound by turning the crown in the 6 o'clock direction. There was no way to turn off the alarm; once it started ringing, it could not be stopped".
According to armbandwecker.at, "the alarm takes 45 seconds" - and having seen/heard a video of one chiming at Timeanagram.com - I can say it is a beautiful sound and would cut through any ambient noise you could think of. A real urgent, musical, insistent, mechanical alarm.
The only similar watch I have ever seen is the Angelus wrist alarm. Being a font snob - in my opinion the Zenith version of the more boxy numerals look better, and I miss the pushers. But it is still pretty excellent.
(This photo is from classic driver.com)
Early, large silver wristwatch with alarm function (Angelus manufacture calibre SF 125).
From 'Angelus-collectors-guide-2016'
"Most commonly used in these early Angelus clocks are the early alarm clock movements SF 125 (30h power reserve) and SF 130 (eight days power reserve). The calibre SF 130 was also advertised in an interesting ad in the year 1924: in addition mentioned are pocket watches with repetition, however just the alarm movements were advertised as patented by Angelus.13 Angelus alarm movements dur- ing the 1920ies were also used in the earliest alarm wristwatches of Angelus, such as a silver watch with 46mm diameter with SF 125 in picture 10 (email dial, the alarm is set with a pusher in the crown, serial no. 34555, sold on December 10th 2014 by Artcurial Paris, lot 524)."
Ultimate grail.
