Couple of watches

[jk103]

I received this watch from one uncle. It is a gold Helbros hand wind from West Germany still looks good and works great. Anyone know anything about it?http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u306/jk103/DSCN0676.jpg

I received this watch in the early 70's from another uncle. Doesn't work. It has an Ebauches Bettlach EB8800 movement in it with Swiss Watch Co. of America on it. The dial says Bolivia Presidential. Is this watch a keeper?
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u306/jk103/DSCN0669.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u306/jk103/DSCN0661.jpg

[pacifichrono]

I like the cushion case, but must admit I've never seen a "one jewel" movement!

[Ray MacDonald]

Helbros was originally a Swiss company founded just prior to World War I. Lately it seems to be a brand owned by an American company (like Invicta I suppose.) Your auto looks to me like late 1960s.
The Bolivia looks like a pin lever watch - inexpensive movement, probably not worth fixing.

[Axel66]

..., but must admit I've never seen a "one jewel" movement!

But they are existing:;-)

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/6640/1jewelhu8.jpg

Gruß,

Axel

[Ray Smith]

The Bolivia looks like a pin lever watch - inexpensive movement, probably not worth fixing.
Seems to me I remember seeing the "Bolivia" watches being peddled by street vendors in the 60's.They tried to pass them off as,"Bulova" watches to unsuspecting people.There were several variations on the theme simulating what were expensive watches of the day.

[jk103]

Thanks for the responses

[soviet]

Hi Axel,

Do you have any idea who made that one jewel movement? I have two 17 jewels date version of that movement. The watch brand is Fonda, and another is a DPRK watch!:-d

Zhang

[Chascomm]

Hi Axel,

Do you have any idea who made that one jewel movement? I have two 17 jewels date version of that movement. The watch brand is Fonda, and another is a DPRK watch!:-d

ZhangDon't forget the 19 jewel Sea-Gull :-d

[Axel66]

Hi Axel,

Do you have any idea who made that one jewel movement? I have two 17 jewels date version of that movement. The watch brand is Fonda, and another is a DPRK watch!:-d

Zhang

Sorry no idea so far.
Just can tell you that the watch is a Kienzle.

Cheers,

Axel

[Chascomm]

Sorry no idea so far.
Just can tell you that the watch is a Kienzle.

Cheers,

AxelKienzle? Interesting :think:

The used to make their own pin-lever movements with a 3/4-plate layout similar to Ruhla. Then Kienzles from the late 1970s seem to use the Ruhla calibre 24. Roland Ranfft lists some examples with Bettlach pin-lever calibres. But your watch has a Swiss pin-lever that isn't Bettlach, or Baumgartner, or Ronda. What is it? :-s

Can somebody help? Roland? Harmut? This question is starting to bug me.

[Hartmut Richter]

Kienzle? Interesting :think:

The used to make their own pin-lever movements with a 3/4-plate layout similar to Ruhla. Then Kienzles from the late 1970s seem to use the Ruhla calibre 24. Roland Ranfft lists some examples with Bettlach pin-lever calibres. But your watch has a Swiss pin-lever that isn't Bettlach, or Baumgartner, or Ronda. What is it? :-s

Can somebody help? Roland? Harmut? This question is starting to bug me.

Sorry - can't help you there, although it's bugging me too. It's obviously a Kienzle Cal. 053010 but that doesn't get us much further. The German watch magazine "Chronos" (No. 6 of 2005) brought out a review of Kienzle with an overview of a lot of calibres but this one wasn't among them. Kienzle seem to have used movements by themselves, Durowe, EB, ETA and even Seiko. The Cal. 053/20 was the (form movement) Cal. EB 1612 but nothing on an 053/10 or 053010. Maybe the thing has rarity value?!!

Hartmut Richter

[Axel66]

Thanks a lot for your comments Hartmut!
I don't think, that a 1 jewel movement is such a rarity, talking about Kienzle!:-)
However it would still be interesting to know the manufacturer of the movement.
I'm confident that "ES" will lead to something.

Cheers,

Axel

[soviet]

Don't forget the 19 jewel Sea-Gull :-d

Thanks.:-) I almost forgot it. This Seagull 19 jewels movement is very unusual. It is a 19 j pin-lever movement. My other two 17 jewels version are full jewelled eascapment. It is a rare version of this mysterious movement.

[Chascomm]

Thanks a lot for your comments Hartmut!
I don't think, that a 1 jewel movement is such a rarity, talking about Kienzle!:-)
However it would still be interesting to know the manufacturer of the movement.
I'm confident that "ES" will lead to something.

Cheers,

Axel'ES' is the best clue we've got now. I'm hoping that if the manufacturer and approximate production date can be established, it might shed some light on the very similar North Korean 'Peony Mountain' watch.