110 - École d'horlogerie Le Locle - School Watch

École d'horlogerie Le Locle - School Watch (*) A very fine Swiss graduate's pocket watch - Montre Ecole - in a Niello-silver case with matching watch chain, made at the watchmaking school Le Locle Movm. No. 1809, Cal. LeCoultre base 20RV, Case No. 1809, Dimensions 50 mm, circa 1900, Weight 101 g, Origin Schweiz Case: Niello silver, intricate lily decoration, an exquisitely crafted silver cuvette with a geometric guilloché finish. Dial: Enamel. Movm.: Bridge movement, lever escapement, gold screw compensation balance. The Technicum du Locle (also known as Technicum Le Locle) was a historically significant watchmaking and technical school in the Swiss town of Le Locle (Canton of Neuchâtel), which was originally founded in the 19th century as a watchmaking school (École d’Horlogerie). The term is now mainly used in connection with rare, highly complex ‘school watches’ (Montres École). The school’s roots date back to the 1830s, when it was established to train the next generation for the flourishing Swiss precision watch industry in the Jura region. At the turn of the century (1901), the institution moved to new premises on Rue du Technicum – named after it – and established itself as an expanded technical education centre under the name Technicum. Case: very good. Dial: very good. Movm.: very good, capable of running, cleaning recommended.