On April 14, 1629, Christiaan Huygens was born. He invented the first pendulum clocks and laid the foundation for portable #watches.

#ThisWeekinHistory

A technical description of the original Microtor movement from 1958

The new Universal Genève Microtor movement

That gorgeous "Microtor" movement is awesome! I'm glad to see that it's true to the original yet (likely) has enough diameter to generate enough torque to keep the movement wound!

#watches #UniversalGeneve

1955 coverage of the launch of the Universal Polarouter in Europa Star

I love the look of the new Polerouter from the re-born Universal Genève! It's very true to the original, yet updated for modern times. And I love that it has a special "Microtor" movement!

But the original was called "Polarouter" (note the "a") when it was launched…

#watches #UniversalGeneve

Speechless.

images.nasa.gov

#Artemis #Earthset #eclipse #Earth #Moon #Space #Astrophotography

Baume Before Mercier The sale of Baume & Mercier by Richemont to Damiani Group spurred me to research the history of that famous brand. There was a Baume before Mercier, and this union has a story to tell of the integration and evolution of the watch industry.

The sale of Baume & Mercier by Richemont to Damiani Group spurred me to research the history of that famous brand. There was a Baume before Mercier, and this union has a story to tell of the integration and evolution of the watch industry.

Watch my blog (link in bio) for a detailed history of "Baume Before Mercier", publishing later today!

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1961 obituary of Alexandre C. Baume, older brother of William Baume, who ran Baume & Co in London

Baume & Mercier likes to connect itself to Frères Baume of the 19th century but these businesses were entirely separate. The real inheritor of the Baume family heritage was Baume & Co of London. They lasted into the 1960s and prevented the sale of Baume & Mercier watches in the UK.

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Paul Tcherednitchenko worked for Haas Neveux in Geneva when he met William Baume

It's not clear what happened to Paul Tcherednitchenko-dit-Mercier, though I suspect he probably returned to retail watch and jewelry sales. He seems to have been very successful at this, having lead sales for the Parisian firm of Haas neveux in Geneva before he met William Baume.


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Baume started a retail jewelry store a few blocks away from Baume & Mercier but appears to have been prevented from selling watches for a time. Once this time was up he sold Longines, Omega, Tissot, and Zénith watches. It must have galled him to see the big "Baume & Mercier" sign above the Quai…

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It's pretty likely that William Baume invested his inheritance to form Baume & Mercier, since his father died two years later and the Baume Frères watchmaking business he inherited was sold a few years earlier. Then he lost his entire investment in Baume & Mercier in the Depression.

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FOSC filing showing the exit of Baume and Mercier

I've been researching the history of #BaumeetMercier #watches and whoa it's weird!

Fact number 1: (William) Baume and (Paul Tcherednitchenko-dit-)Mercier founded "Baume & Mercier" in 1918…

…but they lost their investment and were forced out just 16 years later!

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Here's a shockingly good article about branding and the history of #watches as an expression of brand not a functional device.

I say shockingly good because the author is a painter and technologist, but captured this topic in a way I strive to.

paulgraham.com/brandage.html

Just completed an article on Homis, a watch brand from the Polish Szymanski family that lasted from 1917 to 1979. Most notable for inventing a flip-over reversible watch and one of the first #watches with an internal slide rule bezel!

wiki.grail-watch.com/index.ph...

Look at all those chatons!

The Backward Evolution of the Rotating Bezel Not everything gets more complicated as it evolves. The bezel, once a simple frame around the glass of a watch, became an integrated mechanism before it evolved into a simple numeric scale. From alarm clocks, navigational computers, and slide rules it became the most-recognized feature of the most iconic watches. Let's consider the history of the rotating bezel.

Not everything gets more complicated as it evolves. The rotating bezel was integrated with the watch movement before it evolved into a simple numeric scale. Here's how alarm clocks, navigational computers, and slide rules lead to the iconic Submariner!

Seiko SSA007 sports watch

Wearing this Seiko slide rule "Mike Wazowski" as I wrap up my latest Grail Watch article on the surprising history of the rotating bezel! #watches #wristshot

A custom wristwatch using an ETA 6498 movement

Here's the watch I built myself during a class at watchmaking school in Le Locle

#watches #wristshot

Follow My Research at Grail Watch Wiki I have always seen myself as a storyteller and researcher. This is why I started the Grail Watch website, Watch Files podcast, and related social media. I love to share the stories of the people, companies, and craft of watchmaking and remain committed to this. Now the time has come to share my research notebook: Grail Watch Wiki, is now open to readers!

I've always seen myself as a storyteller, which is why I started the Grail Watch website and podcast: I love to share the stories of the people, companies, and craft of watchmaking. Now I'm opening my research notebook for all to see: Grail Watch Wiki!

10 Watch Brands That Lost Their Original Meaning - Grail Watch Names like Omega, Zénith, and Invicta used to mean something: They used to refer to a specific thing and that connection no longer exists. Let's explore the lost meaning of some familiar brand names!

Names like Omega, Zénith, and Invicta used to mean something: They used to refer to a specific thing and that connection no longer exists. Let's explore the lost meaning of some familiar brand names! #watches

grail-watch.com/2026/02/26/10...

10 Watch Brands That Lost Their Original Meaning Names like Omega, Zénith, and Invicta used to mean something: They used to refer to a specific thing and that connection no longer exists. Let's explore the lost meaning of some familiar brand names!

10 Watch Brands That Lost Their Original Meaning

Names like Omega, Zénith, and Invicta used to mean something: They used to refer to a specific thing and that connection no longer exists. Let's explore the lost meaning of some familiar brand names!

Corrected: Happily Louise and her sons Maurice and Roger were up to the task, entering the post-war boom with new product ideas. Roger KilcKilchenmann had achieved the title technicien-horloger, a major accomplishment proving that he was adept at both watchmaking and manufacturing.

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Ironically, the Kilchenmann brothers and their children never saw much success despite running the company for 50 years. It was only Denis BuBuffat'schainatch that is remembered, and this only as a novelty!

/fin

Denis Buffat resisted the trend towards industry consolidation and refused to merge Actina into the growing Schwarz-Etienne company. Despite the success of the keychain watch he was forced into personal bankruptcy in 1962 and the company disappeared.

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1962 advertisement showing the Actina keychain watch, perhaps the only legacy of the firm

Denis and his father Henry Buffat took over Actina in 1955 and quickly introduced the best-remembered product of the factory: A keychain watch. This came just as the tire watch fad was raging and became as much of a success as the company ever saw.

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But Actina was now growing as hoped. The brothers had met aspiring businAstin, and Le Phare, all of which were a block from Actina's'sz, grand-daughter of Paul and Olga Schwarz-Etienne. Their family controlled Sultana, Astin, and Le Phare, all of which were a block from Actina's factory.

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Happily Louise and her sons Maurice and Roger were up to the task, entering the post-war boom with new product ideas. RoRoRoRoRoRoRochRocher Kilchenmann had achieved the title technicien-horlogermajorccomplishmentwinghatwas adept at both watchmaking and manufacturing.

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The new Actina logo is featured in this 1927 advertisement, a few years after the death of Charles Kilchenmann

The 1920s proved difficult, especially following the death of co-founder Charles Kilchenmann. Paul reorganized the business under his own name but he too died in 1932. His widow Louise (née Fischer) was left to face the Great Depression and World War II while raising her sons alone.

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On August 14, 1915, the brothers registered the Actina brand name. That same year they patented a watch escapement adjustment machine with Robert Linder, an instructor at the local school of watchmaking. Actina continued to move down-market with steel cases and a focus on smaller watches.

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1908 Kilchenmann frères advertisement showing a patented lacquered clock

At first, the brothers produced a variety of large and small #watches in silver and gold cases and lacquered clocks. But they needed to differentiate in this crowded market: A 1913 advertisement shows a shift to "petites pièces Argent et Or, Ancre et Cylindre."

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Actina was formed in 1903 by the Kilchenmann brothers, Charles and Paul, who came from Herzogenbuchsee in Oberargau to seek their fortune in the watchmaking city of La Chaux-de-Fonds. Business was booming, and their little firm was one of dozens formed that same year in the growing west end.

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