The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Does anyone here know of the Swiss watchmaker Augustin Perrenoud? I have looked him up and his watches, but I can find are auction results rather than history, which I am looking for. I recently purchased a pocket watch movement with the dial and movement signed Augustin Perrenoud and I would like to know more information about him as I fix the movement.

Thanks!

Active in Switzerland from 1860s to 1880s so it's early. Not much documentation that I am aware of simply because of the period, the relatively small ateliers of this era are not particularly wee written of. You may find a paragraph or two in some of the general histories of 19th century Swiss watchmaking, but that's about it unless you stumble across someone who has already researched it.

Would you say the small swiss ateliers are generally rare from that time period? Or is there a large difference between the quality and rarity of some? I just bought the Augustin Perrenoud movement along with one by N. Tobias, Jules Huguenin, and Ch. Latour Geneve. Do you have any information on those watchmakers (assuming there is more info than Augustin Perrenoud that you gave me)?

Thanks again!

There are hundreds of these firms, some bigger than others. Perrenoud was fairly prolific as evidenced by the number that come up and Huguenin is another well known name, but unfortunately it was a common surname so many, many Huguenin branded watches of very different qualities. Reference books list him as operating in Le Locle, but also acknowledge three different Jules Huguenins so takes your pick!

Not familiar with N. Tobias, there is a famous Tobias in Liverpool (England), but different initials.

Charles Latour also has very little noted - the Pritchard reference lists him as selling through a US agent in 1884, that's about it.

If anyone's interested, I just finished restoring this watch!

Here's the watch in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9L_UWKlTEQ

Nice. I must say I'm quite impressed with you stick-to-it-ness. Sheesh, when I was 16 most of my grand ideas ended with a killer weekend party.

Good for you.

_________________
SHARKMAN

Yeah I must say you're on your way to awesomeness! Congrats on learning an awesome skill...

_________________
"I don't got the bright watch I got the right watch" -Jay Z