IWC at 5 Maiden Lane, New York

Amazing history here MF, thanks for sharing.

Now, I simply need to have that movement from the cover page, in my collection. If I locate one, do I get naming rights (as in Cal.xxxx) or will I need to battle the good Herr Doktor Seyffer on that one?

As a watch enthusiast and as an urban designer/architect, I'm impressed with both the history of the watches and even more on the rendered illustration of Maiden Lane.

It seems like the artist has taken the effort to capture many of the merchant's name, and the artwork could perhaps be co-sponsored by all the participating merchants. It depicts the higher class of customer and clean streets (which is not always the case in the days of horse carriage, horse manure was a major city management concern). All this is to maybe advertise Maiden Lane as a luxurious shopping destination.

Thanks for sharing, Michael!

This is a great thread, gentlemen. Thank you for the posts and illustrations.
Looking at the "N" caliber you can see the name-Schaffhausen-but no "IWC". I am wondering if any other watch maker was making watches in Schaffhausen in or about 1873. I don't think it could be Moser as he had his movements made in French-speaking Switzerland at that time. Or could some other company, such as Jurgenson. or Audemars, have contracted with Jones to make calibers for it/them?

Great story, Michael!

Illustrations are beautiful too!

Thanks

JK

Leopold S Friedberger: the genesis of a watch importing dynasty. No proof of antecedence required.

An enjoyable and informative thread. Thank you.

Thanks, Michael.
And by the way, William Barthman Jewelers sells IWC among other brands!

It is interesting that the catalogue of the Manhattan AD advertised the IWC movements in the cover, and not the case or even the complete watch.
It appears to indicate that the XIX century American customer chose the movement first, and then the case and dial.
If I am right, the American IWC customer of the XIX century may have been a more discerning crowd than today's customers, who seem to be more concerned with dials, members of this forum excluded.

Interesting article, Michael. I'm still learning! Love it.

Nelson

+1!

That, IMHO, may have something to do with the fact that in that era Swiss companies needed to show that their movements are superior to ones made in America. Back then, IWC made most movements in-house and needed catalogs to keep track of them as well as for their spare parts.

As a watchmaker, I find it important and beneficial for a watch manufacturer to have their own movements. And, I'm very pleased to see that IWC has come back to their historical roots by once again, in the past many years, manufacturing their own stable of mechanical watch movements.

With consumers increasingly aware of what goes on inside a timepiece it is a tribute to the engineers at IWC who keep pushing the envelope in the quality and functions of the movements they introduce each year.

Regards,
Jack Freedman

The following advertisement shown in "IWC International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" by Tölke and King is from "The Watchmaker and Jeweller" of May 1873.

Tölke and King point out that a factory building of the type shown did not exist in Schaffhausen at that time.

The "descriptive catalogue" referred to at the bottom of the above is probably the 1873 catalogue shown by MF. It would be interesting to see all of the catalogue, especially so given the above refers to "Our line of watches, of seventeen different pattens".

I wonder of F.H. Mathez established contact with IWC/Jones two years earlier. Here we have an F.H. Mathez (not sure if it is the same one as above) bound from New York to Liverpool on 8 July 1871.

Cheers from the cellar