SPECIFICATIONS
935 sterling silver case measuring 29mm x 57mm
Dial body measuring 29mm x 29mm
Case thickness measuring 9mm
Original crown
Manual-Wound Tavannes 814 Movement
ANALYSIS
Between the late 1920s and early 1930s, many Swiss watchmakers began developing patents for pocket, travel, or handbag watches. These featured a case composed of one or two shells that protected the dials from impacts and allowed them to rise from the case body for easy reading of the time. These were years of intense experimentation, with many major Swiss manufacturers – such as Movado, Juvenia, Zenith, Longines, Lipmann, Eterna, Tissot, and others – competing to find highly innovative technical and aesthetic solutions in this field of watchmaking. Cyma and Tavannes were also in the race, and played a leading role. On February 15, 1929, they registered the name “Captive” under registration number 69301.
This name designated a watch with a case that opened a double-pane window above the dial by pressing two special buttons on the sides of the case. It was an immediate commercial success when it was exhibited at the 1930 Barcelona Exposition. Schwob & Frères & Cie S.A., which owned the two historic brands Cyma and Tavannes, took a step forward between 1932 and 1934, developing that original patent to create a watch they still called “La Captive,” which could be worn securely on a belt for sports activities. With patent no. 662027 filed in France-Belgium, both Cyma and Tavannes began production of these special watches, which, through a single push-button located under the buckle, raised the dial at a 90-degree angle from the case. It was a huge success, especially among certain categories of athletes, such as golfers and tennis players, who could devote themselves to amateur or competitive activities, leaving their pockets and wrists free. Naturally, the distribution chains for this product were the major jewelers and prestigious retailers such as Dunhill, Cartier, and Hermès.
The dial has a light background, featuring the double signature Tavannes and Hermès at 12 o’clock. The periphery features Arabic numerals in a “pseudo-Paris” style, with a very elegant, flowing and rounded font. The simple, essential design of the dial is complemented by beautiful diamond-shaped hands, a vibrant blue resulting from the kiln-tempered metal.
The beautiful case, with its trapezoidal profile and “mille righe” surface finish, is made of 935 sterling silver and was crafted by one of the most important Swiss casemakers: Huguenin Fréres. Their workshop, based in Le Locle, Switzerland, specialized in niello-decorated pocket watch cases from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century. They also provided the very first Olympic medals, and their distinctive “HF” hallmark – which can be seen on the inside of the case and caseback, along with the Swiss 935 sterling silver hallmarks and those distinguishing silver objects imported into Germany – was registered in 1905.
Inside this exceptional case is the hand-wound Tavannes 814 manufacture caliber, with 15 jewels, 18,000 vph, and a 38-hour power reserve.
