112 - École d'Horlogerie Neuchâtel - Montre École

École d'Horlogerie Neuchâtel - Montre École (*) An ornamental Swiss graduate's pocket watch with skeletonised dial in a Niello-silver case with matching watch chain, made at the watchmaking school Neuchâtel Movm. No. 1920, Cal. LeCoultre 19RV, Case No. 1920, Dimensions 53 mm, circa 1900, Weight 80 g, Origin Schweiz Case: Niello silver, poppy and spike decoration, gold crown, case maker's punch mark "Niel HF" (Huguenin Freres / Huguenin Freres & Co. / Fabrique Niel). Dial: Skeletonised. Movm.: Skeletonised bridge movement, lever escapement, gold screw compensation balance. The École d’horlogerie de Neuchâtel (Neuchâtel Watchmaking School) was a historic Swiss technical school for watchmaking in the canton of Neuchâtel. Institutions of this kind, founded in the 19th and early 20th centuries, were established to train fully qualified watchmakers and to counteract the later shortage of skilled labour caused by highly specialized, division-of-labour production methods. Graduates of these watchmaking schools often built their own pocket watches or movements as final examination pieces. Today, these watches - known under the designation École d’Horlogerie (e.g., from Neuchâtel or Le Locle) - are traded as rare collector’s items. Case: very good. Dial: very good. Movm.: very good, capable of running, cleaning recommended.