This post assumes you have already read Part # 1
The story behind the second Twin
Before discussing this handsome fellow (of course, you all realized that the
1st twin was a female - right? After all a watch designed as a pendant to be
worn around the neck is very much a female timepiece) we need to understand
what dizygotic twins are.
" Dizygotic " which means a fraternal twin happens when two separate eggs
are fertilized by two separate sperm. The chance of having a fraternal twin is
also more prevalent if you're older than 35 .
Generally, fraternal twins will have about the same physical likeliness as any
siblings , _ they 're pretty easy to tell apart especially when they're
both of opposite sex _.
So after reading Part # 1, you can understand that I was driven to try track
down the owner of one of Henry Blanks beautiful Cal. 77 pendant watches -
so
that a similar pendant case could be re-made so as to house the Cal. 77
movement in that I had bought.
Yes, she can reside for the time being in a man's pocket watch case - but like
all lovely
ladies, she deserves a house of her own design.
Where to start? How does one find the original? We know that Henry Blank was a
well known jeweler, so maybe the American Jewelers Association had catalogs,
or even an example in a museum somewhere? That avenue sadly drew a blank.
Then, I came upon the idea - and remembered that I had once met the
[granddaughter of the previous IWC owner](/t/how-i-put-my-foot-into-it-and-
the-amazing-heritage-of-iwc/8247/post/221897/) and that she had told me that
the family today still had many pieces in their possession, dating from that
time. So maybe Mr. Henry Blank descendants had a pendant watch example.
A search on the internet, turned up the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Blank had 5
children. The last surviving daughter sadly passed away in 2009.
From this article above, I learnr that the Blanks lived in Glen Ridge - so
that's where to start searching. Who can help - well I know that our fellow
forum'ers Bill Barker and Alan Ross lived up there in the area of
Philadelphia. So I wrote them, and Alan immediately bounced back with a
response that this was his old neck of the woods and just a short drive from
his previous home! And that he was amazed to hear that so much of IWC's
American legacy (namely, the Cresarrow / Henry Blank wholesaler Company )
had been right on his doorstep and that Henry Blank had lived there for 42
years.
Bill too responded with "let me know what's needed". Game on!
However, this article and the Encyclopedia Titanic site, also had other leads
for me to follow up on, and I realised that the Blanks family were not only
located in New Jersey but all over the USA. One such lead, directs me to
Chicago, and I'm searching the web, looking for Cresarrow / Blank / Chicago
and in particular a sister, Mrs. William C. F. Speckin of Chicago who was
Henry 's sister. Maybe one of her 8 children are still alive - and just
maybe they could have an IWC pendant watch?
That 's when the second Twin appeared.
What a handsome timepiece this is - and it's clearly a Cal. 77 and cased in a
Cresarrow case. Truly magnificent and fitting MF's description precisely of
how such a case should look like. ...with intricate case engravings and inlay
enamel.
...don't assume that a Cresarrow case is a
"lesser"case
..and the case back bears the famous C... with the arrow through it
... and you can see the intricate goldsmithing
But can it be true - is that really the serial number of this watch Cal. 77
movement?
Is this movement number #726377 - wait a minute, that 's just 3
serial numbers lower than the Cal. 77 movement from the Pendant Watch which
is serial number 726380 !
Now rightly or wrongly I've always understood that one of Florentine Ariosto
Jones innovative approaches to engineering, and key to achieving volume
manufacture in those days, was that they built watches down there in
Schaffhausen in series of 10 watches at a time. This watch/movement by my
reckoning was / had to be part of the same batch.
Brotherhood of Friends
OK so Chicago, but where in Chicago? It 's listed on a well-known internet
auction site and under location is Chicago and nothing else. More Google work
- but all I've got is a picture of a store front end. And the seller is not
responding to questions on eBay. The price is high (reflected in the fact it's
an 18K gold piece, and in very nice condition).
Now, who do we know in Chicago? Well MF's used to be there - but he is now
vacationing in Italy. I know that Alan used to be there often but he too is
now in Florida but maybe he knows someone in Chicago who might be able to help
track down this jeweler. It's a Wednesday afternoon and I message Alan. I get
no response so I send more information.
In the interim and no response, I'm scowering the internet. I have a phone
number, but can't dial 1-800 from here. More Google work - and I have a name
of a company (removed here for obvious reasons) and a street address which
means of course nothing to me.
Then Allan gets back to me. I tell him I think I have a lead…
He says, " that 's less than 20 minutes' walk from where I am right
now ".
Before I can do anything more, Alan responds that he has phoned the guy and
that he has made an appointment to go see him the next day. This is what sets
this forum aside from all others. Collectors (or are they accumulators?) who
would go the extra mile to assist others.
What's a fair price? MF would know, but he is on vacation…. So I simply tell
Alan that he needs to go check the watch out - and if it's in the same
condition as what the photos depict, to please secure it for me. Alan not
being a pocket watch guy says " how do I know if it 's in good condition " I
say " please check that the enamel inlay in the case is all intact with no
chips or missing pieces ". Of course, I also tell Alan " you need to
negotiate me a better price! "
It's the next day, and my phone rings. A nervous Alan. " I 'm here at the
guy, the watch looks good, but it's not an enamel dial. I already told the
fellow that you know all about these vintage IWC's and that he should not
argue with you ". " No, No, Alan " - I say in vane " enamel inlay - not
enamel dial, It 's OK, go ahead and make him an offer " and Alan says "
here,
speak to him yourself. ", and the next minute I am on the line to the
jeweler.
And so it is folks, within 3 minutes I made the dealer a much more reasonable
offer - he got a good deal, I got a good deal and a whole lot of watch. And
within another 2 minutes I had paid for the watch by PayPal and he had the
payment in his account, and Alan had the watch in his pocket (where of course
all good pocket watches belong!)
Another email to the Heritage Club in Schaffhausen and a positive response -
Confirmed: It 's the Twin Brother.
Quote by Mr. David Seyffer IWC Museum Curator: " The two movements (#726377
& 726380) were indeed shipped together May 14th 1920 to Henry Blank. You
really can call Henry Blank Mr "77" … he really
was engaged with that movement.
- older than 35 *
- 94 years after they shipped.
fraternal twins will have about the same physical likeliness as any
"siblings **
- they sure do, both are Cal. 77 's only one without a little thingamajigi
sticking out at the bottom (the seconds hand).
they 're pretty easy to tell apart especially when they're both of opposite
sex ***
- Yes one male the other female.
And so it is - the twins are after being born just about 2-3 hours apart, are
re-united again
when the Delivery to me took Place at a GTG in London when Alan and his
wife came over to the
UK.
[Click Here to go to Part # 3 - the final Chapter](/t/i-have-a-dream-part-3-a
-tale-of-dizygotic-twins-the-titanic-and-a-brotherhood-of-friends-final-
chapter/3585/post/254349/)
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