133 - Harry van Zwoll - École d'horlogerie Le Locle

Harry van Zwoll - École d'horlogerie Le Locle (*) A very fine Swiss pocket chronometer with a pivoted detent chronometer escapement—a graduate’s masterpiece Movm. No. 161, Cal. Calibre-ecole 20'', Case No. 161, Dimensions 56 mm, circa 1900, Weight 144 g, Origin Switzerland, Original box Case: Silver, gold crown. Dial: Enamel. Movement: Bridge movement, Guillaume gold-screw compensation balance, balance spring with two terminal curves by Phillips. Manufactured at the Le Locle Watchmaking School. 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 center under the name Technicum. Harry van Zwoll was a German piano maker, watchmaker, and musical instrument dealer who worked in the East Frisian town of Bunde from the early 20th century onward. Case: very good. Dial: very good. Movement: very good, capable of running, cleaning recommended.