Monday, March 15, 2010

VINTAGE AUTHENTIC COLLECTOR ITEM SILVANA CHRONOGRAPH GENTS WRISTWATCH (SOLD)


SILVANA WWII CHRONOGRAPH MILITARY MEN'S WRISTWATCH

MILITARY COPPER DIAL

CRYSTAL IS CLEAN WITH NO CRACK OR SCRATCHES

THE LANDERON 17 JEWEL CHRONOGRAPH MANUAL MOVEMENT

LUMINOUS HANDS AND RED CENTRE SWIPE HAND

LUMINOUS COLOR ARABIC MILITARY MARKER

STAINLESS STEEL CASE MEASURES APPROXIMATELY 38mm EXCLUDING THE CROWN AND 42mm LUG TO LUG

UNSIGNED CROWN

BROWN GENUINE LEATHER BAND FITS 8.5" WRIST

DISCONTINUED MODEL... RARE!

EXCELLENT CONDITION, KEEPING TIME AND RECENTLY SERVICED

MOST OF ONLINE AUCTION HOUSE PUT A MINUMUM PRICE FOR THIS WATCH AT USD750.00 (RM2,475.00)

PRICE/HARGA: RM1650.00 (SOLD) RM1,100


BRIEF HISTORY OF SILVANA WATCHES


The Silvana watch brand name can be traced back to the 19th Century, founded in 1868. The "Association Cantonale Bernoise de Fabricants d'Horlogerie" stated that Silvana envolved from the split of the A. Reymond S.A., Tramelan. The Manufacture d'Horlogerie A. Reymond S.A. was founded in 1898. Therefore the first Silvana watches were made already in the 19th Century. A remarkable fact which places Silvana among the oldest Swiss watch brands.


The registration of the watch factory Silvana S.A. took place on 24 May 1923 in the Commercial Registry of Courtelary, domiciled in Tramelan. At that time the company employed approximately 70 people. In the same year the Silvana factory was admitted to the "Association Cantonale Bernoise des Fabricants d'Horlogerie" as an independent member.


In 1929 Silvana merged with the traditional and then famous watch factory H. Gasser & Co. from Bienne and on 17 February 1931, Silvana S.A. moved their offices and production to Bienne. Until 1935, Silvana watches were produced at H. Gasser & Co.


On 27 December 1935, Silvana transferred their activities back to their origins to the charming village of Tramelan in the Swiss Jura. Between 1936 and 1969, the watch factory Silvana S.A. developed continously and in the 1960's business expanded gradually and turnover increased year over year.


Silvana's markets were not only restricted to Europe, Silvana products were very popular also in South America, in the Middle East and the Caribbean. Both the distribution and sales were organized out of the company's own offices in Bienne.


Silvana was very successful with their lines of pocket watches during 1940 - 1970, with motifs such as "La Montre Paysan", "La Montre Chasseur" or the special edition "Chemin de Fer Turc" graved on the back of the watch. A special diving watch was very well sold in South America and the Caribbean during the 1960's.


In 1969 the owner of the watch factory Silvana S.A. joined with an industrialist from Neuchâtel, who aready possessed the brands "Avia", "Helvetia" and "Fleurier Watch". This cooperation resulted in the firm Avia & Silvana S.A., which soon thereafter was integrated into the holding company of the Societe des Garde-Temps S.A. SGT, a conglomerate, which, besides owning various prestigious watch brands, ran subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad and wrote turnovers of over 100 million Swiss Francs per year.


In July of 1982, SGT sold the brand Silvana to a commercial firm in Bienne and on 27 February 1992, Silvana AG was founded and registered in the Commercial Registry of Zurich. It is through the guidance of this company, that the spirit of a century old craftsmanship, honouring the high quality standards of famous Swiss watchmaking will lead the Silvana brand to new heights.


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