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Eugène Meylan, Glycine, and the Fight Over the First Automatic Watch

July 19, 2021 By Stephen Leave a Comment

What was the first automatic watch? English inventor John Harwood certainly deserves credit, and his unusual design was produced in some volume by A. Schild, Fortis, and Blancpain starting in 1926. And Leon Leroy produced a few “perpetual” watches a few years earlier. But one watch that stands out among the many self-winding watches released following the expiration of Harwood’s patent in 1931: Eugène Meylan’s automatic winding module, produced in volume by Glycine and Pretto, was the first practical and widely-produced automatic winding mechanism. And the man behind it has a fascinating story of invention, entrepreneurialism, and dedication with a truly heartbreaking ending.

Filed Under: History, The Watch Files Tagged With: Altus, ASUAG, automatic, Bienne, Eugène Meylan, Gigantic, Glycine, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Montbrillant Watch Manufactory, Mulco

How the Chronograph Became the “It” Watch Complication

June 23, 2021 By Stephen 2 Comments

Chronographs are so popular that cheap fashion watches today often feature bogus subdials with non-functional hands and pushers. But once upon a time, a chronograph was a simple tool seen more as an advanced stopwatch than a true complication. What was once a utilitarian tool for soldiers became an upscale choice for doctors, then an iconoclast choice for young people, and now a sign of fine watchmaking.

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Breitling, Breitling Chronomat, Chronograph, Daniel Roth, Europa Star, Excelsior Park, IWC Da Vinci, Leonidas, Martel, Nathan Weil, Patek Philippe

Eterna Majetek and Longines Tartarugone: Czech Aviator Watches

January 10, 2017 By Stephen 1 Comment

A friend who lives in the Czech Republic recently mentioned that he loved the classic Eterna Majetek pilot’s watch. Since I had heard of the Majetek (and similar Longines Tartarugone), I decided to delve into these pieces a bit more. Here are my thoughts on these impressive classic pieces, as well as the new Eterna Heritage Military 1939 homage.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Czech, Eterna, Eterna Majetek, Longines, Longines Tartarugone, pilot

Universal Genève Aero-Compax GMT Chronograph

November 25, 2014 By Stephen 3 Comments

Although not a well-known brand today, Universal Genève were leaders in the chronograph market in the 1940’s. And one sign of that success was the Aero-Compax, a full-featured pilot’s watch complete with chronograph and dual-time (GMT) complications. It’s no wonder that companies like Zenith and Girard-Perregaux chose Universal to build their chronographs back then!

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Aero-Compax, Chronograph, dead dial, Universal Genève, Universal Genève Aero-Compax

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