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Couture 1930s Bucherer Depose ArtDeco 18kGold 40StoneTrimmedWatch TennisBracelet

About the Item

Trimmed with 40 rose-cut diamond-like stones and marked "deposee" on the Swiss clasp like antique European couture jewelry, this Art-Deco period unique Bucherer luxury snake-chain dress watch tennis bracelet has marquise-shaped accents on the top and bottom of its shiny rectangular bezel. While the fineness of the silver metals is unmarked and seems to be mostly 18K white gold, it comes with its original 1930s black-velvet-and-white-satin gold-edged box, when most pieces of jewelry by Bucherer were intricately designed with diamonds, platinum, and/or gold. Its gold-printed text inside the box highlights the in-house atelier in Lucerne, Switzerland, where Carl Bucherer was among the first jewelers to specialize in one-of-a-kind handmade watches as one of the country's premiere retailers since 1888. Fastening with a fold-over clasp with an antique interior safety catch, the watch is merely a decorative bracelet currently, as its mechanical hand-wound movement needs to be recalibrated by a specialist. Today's Bucherer Group that was incorporated in 2000 does not do antique watch repairs or cleanings. The late Swiss entrepreneurs Tschiu and Voss made the "Tevo" 15-jewel movement of many Bucherer-family watches after the brand opened a sister-boutique in Zurich where the duo were based. Suggesting that this would not be complex for an outside professional, the dial still easily twists with a consistent winding sound in one direction, while it can be partly pulled out to enable rotation of the two hands in either direction to set the time, which is marked around the edges in black to denote minutes. This type of watch was typically recalibrated during a cleaning every few years. There is no evidence of loose parts or damage, nor that it was worn often at some point. While the age of the original box and style of watch contribute to our assessment of the soft flexible-chain bracelet and bezel as polished white gold, the other white metal parts could be platinum, silver-gilt brass or stainless steel, which includes the case back, face, Arabic numbers, indicators, hands, dial, and clasp. Notice the gold undertone in our photo of the minutely-scratched bottom of the fold-over clasp. We photographed the watch in studio light in its black box, as well as in sunlight for better views of the sparkly stones, bezel side, and glass that seems to be lead crystal. The gold-printed text inside the storage box features the flagship city Lucerne, along with four locations in smaller print where the Bucherer family had initially operated four other Swiss shops: Zurich, Lugano, St. Moritz, and Interlaken. The earliest watches by the founding jewelry designer that date back to 1919 were only marked "C. Bucherer" along with an inventory number--not "Carl F. Bucherer" like one of the contemporary lines of the Bucherer Group that is not associated with any antiques. So this couture watch that is marked beyond "Deposee" with the relatively low inventory number "1724" on the back, with only "Bucherer" on the face, and with "Swiss 15 jewel Tevo" on the interior was likely designed by one of his sons, Carl Eduard or Ernst, who joined the business in the 1920s. Notably in 1924, they partnered with the founder of Rolex to diversify their watch offerings as one of that brand's first retailers. In an about face recently, Rolex, which has no retail boutiques of its own, bought Bucherer with its over 100 boutiques worldwide from the remaining family owner. Comparatively, bracelets by Bucherer now sell for upwards of US$10,000.
  • Creator:
  • Metal:
  • Stone:
  • Stone Cut:
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 1.19 in (30 mm)Width: 0.6 in (15 mm)
  • Style:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1930-1939
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Please seek an antique watch specialist for cleaning and/or repair if function as a watch is desired.
  • Seller Location:
    Chicago, IL
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU3244220015412

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