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·One day, 20+ years ago my father, an avid pocket watch collector, called me on the phone to say he had found his grail watch in an old jewelry store in Northern Indiana, USA. He told me the watch was a minute repeater with simple chronograph housed in a beautiful 18k pink gold hunting case. He told me that watch had no maker's mark but that it was "jeweled through the hammers" and very high grade and in excellent shape. My dad, a notorious cheapskate, had called to ask if he should buy it. It was more than he had ever paid for a watch and he felt guilty. I basically told him that if he didn't walk back into the store and buy the watch right now I would disown him.
My dad is still alive at almost 93 years old but he recently made me the custodian of this watch. We had determined long ago that the watch was made by the Swiss firm of Le Phare which was started by the master watch maker and entrepreneur Charles Barbezat-Baillot in the 1870s. What I did not know until today was that somewhere around the time my dad's watch was made in the late teens, Le Phare was taken over by Zenith who owned it until the early 1920's. So, it is possible that my father's watch is actually...a Zenith.
I am a still photographer by trade but this watch is best in moving pictures. I apologize for my video ineptitude, but I think this little two minute clip will show you what an interesting little watch this is...Zenith heritage or not.
My dad is still alive at almost 93 years old but he recently made me the custodian of this watch. We had determined long ago that the watch was made by the Swiss firm of Le Phare which was started by the master watch maker and entrepreneur Charles Barbezat-Baillot in the 1870s. What I did not know until today was that somewhere around the time my dad's watch was made in the late teens, Le Phare was taken over by Zenith who owned it until the early 1920's. So, it is possible that my father's watch is actually...a Zenith.
I am a still photographer by trade but this watch is best in moving pictures. I apologize for my video ineptitude, but I think this little two minute clip will show you what an interesting little watch this is...Zenith heritage or not.
