Watra. What Does Anyone Know About the History of this Brand?

[Mitch100]

My dad had no interest in watches. I only ever saw him wear two.

He wore this one occasionally.
















































However, the one he wore by far the most was this Watra. I am sure he bought it in the mid 1950s and he wore it nearly every day for more than 50 years.





























































I don't know anything about the Watra brand or its movements. The terms 'Bagobloc' and 'Ancre' leads me to believe that it may have been a French company.

Anyone have any information?






Mitch

[Eeeb]

I have seen Avias before... but not Watras. Others may know more.

These watches come from the 'golden era' of Swiss watches - Post WWII and pre-quartz shakeout. At that time, a number of entrepreneurs would buy movements, cases, dials, etc and contract for the creation of a watch which they would then wholesale to retailers. In the States, Belair continues that tradition but not many of these firms survived to today unless they were part of Swatch and a few other conglomerates.

[Marrick]

This thread French oldies again in 2006 has a suggestion that "BAGOBLOC" is likely an acronym for "blocage par bague" ("sealed by a ring") and Dr Ranfft has sold some watches in Bagobloc cases e.g: bidfun-db Archive: Wrist Watches: 910: Gents Sportivnie Kirowa Manual Wind, ca. 1960

I found this: BAGOBLOC, système breveté de fermeture par une bague qui plaquait le fond de la boite
je crois que c'est la Société MISEREZ de Besançon qui avait mis au point ce système.
Cette société fabriquait des fournitures horlogères, dont des boites de montres.

voici une clé Miserez, outil qui servait à l'ouverture ou fermeture des BAGOBLOC

see Montre Lebem

which is autotranslated as:

"BAGOBLOC, patented closed by a ring which presses the bottom of the box
I think it Miserez Society of Besançon, which had developed this system.
This company manufactured watch supplies, including boxes of watches.

Here a key Miserez, a tool that was used for opening or closing BAGOBLOC"



As for Watra, there does seem to be a fair few about - mostly on French sites - but I can't find anything about the brand.

[Outlawyer]

Your father had nice taste!

I don't know much about the brand either, but just won this one on ebay. The condition sold me, and the apparent thickness of the watch gives it a modern look somehow.