Eloga Slide Bracelet Ladies Wristwatch

Every once and awhile a watch crosses our path that we have never seen before.  That is certainly the case here.  This is an Eloga Bracelet Watch.Yes, we have had this brand before, but never this configuration, and that is because it is a custom designed watch made from ladies slide chain slides that adorned the slide chains for ladies pendant watches from the late 1890's.

The company had its origins in 1917 when Fritz and Hans Spahr started a watch-making concern in Lengnau in Berne, Switzerland - an very bold step in the midst of the First World War. During this turbulent period of history the Swiss watch-making industry continued to gain headway both qualitatively and quantitatively, and the timepieces produced by the Spahr brothers under the name Eloga gained in prestige.

Fritz Spahr junior became managing director after his father retired, and with the support of his uncle he displayed the necessary courage and perseverance required to build a new factory in 1941, in the dark days of the Second World War. Built near the train station in Lenglau, the premises were ultra-modern and met the demands of the increasingly sophisticated manufacturing methods.

It was not long before the younger Spahr’s solid training, professional skills and experience contributed to the growth and diversification of the company’s production of wrist watches. He mastered to perfection artistic and scientific timepieces, from sophisticated and sumptuously adorned ladies’ watches to high-calibre and complex sporting men’s watches.

It was in this era that the trade press named Eloga as one of the leading specialists in sports watches, with the diver’s model receiving particular acclaim. Fritz Spahr junior continued to guide the company with his customary brilliance and foresight until his premature death in 1965.

A Woman At The Helm

His widow, Grety Spahr, next took over the company’s reins, expertly shouldering all her husband’s responsibilities. With the help of daughter Gisela a new day dawned for Eloga watches, with the women offering more feminine and graceful Eloga watches. They ultimately launched the production of luxury watches for a more sophisticated European clientele.

Eloga, The Diamond Watch

Allowing their imaginations free rein, the Eloga women designed and created innumerable elegant Eloga watch designs, from diamond-studded brooch watches to bracelet jewellery, like the one we are presenting here, containing a concealed timepiece. Eloga watches fascinated women across Europe and over the Atlantic and the emergence of infinitely more varied and daring designs garnered many adherents in the prestigious world society. The company moved ahead by using high-grade diamonds and other precious gems. Eloga became acclaimed for its unique collection of jewelled watches, while the longevity and reliability means that an Eloga timepiece is truly of timeless value.

When Father Time was first getting started, Circa 1979, it was the fashion for ladies to collect Victorian Slides and have them made into bracelets.  During Victorian times ladies wore small pocket watches on a chain around their neck and the chain had a small slide that the owner could move up or down the chain to adapt to different collar configurations.  This is where these slides came from.  Some fashionable woman at Eloga  wanted to combine the look  of the Victorian Slide Bracelets to give this watch a unique appearance.  This is the result. The Eloga movement is from the mid 1950's.  The unique combination of these two styles have made a truly stunning and unique watch.  It is also unusual because it is all 14K solid gold.  There were many gold-filled slides but not too many 14K solid gold ones so the original hunt for these slides must have taken a long time. Take time to notice that the slides contain an amythest, a cabouchon coral, a ruby, a tiger's eye, 2 cameos, two emeralds, two garnets, and 4 seed pearls....what more could you want? The icing on the cake however is the spring loaded enameled gold cap that makes the watch into a hunting case (where the dial is hidden under the lid). It also has a unique framework around the watch head that sports 4 blue sapphires.  The owner would lift the beautiful enameled portrait lid to reveal the watch dial.  Once the time was discerned the lid would snap back into place covering the dial and the bracelet would be displayed with no hint of the watch evident.  Quite dramatic!  If you or your loved one wants something unique then this may be the watch for you.  One one year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence.

 

Father Time Antiques
2108 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
773-880-5599 
www.fathertimeantiques.com