Ref. 2091
Available in 40 mm or 43 mm
Small series of 100 timepieces only
Total Price 2,075.00 Euro
(NET excluded VAT)
Delivery time 4 weeks
Shipping free worldwide via DHL or FEDEX
Send us an Email to place an order or if you have further questions:
info@tourbywatches.com
he epoch of the Ottoman models ranges from 1690 - 1920. These pocket watches were then used in the Ottoman Empire. However, they were not
built by Turks, but mainly by French and later also English watchmakers. The German company Junghans also built wall clocks with such numerals for the Ottoman market. Ottoman models are primarily
characterized by the Ottoman numerals, which were completely abolished in 1920 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Today, these Ottoman pocket watches are highly sought-after collector's items, since only the
best watchmakers built such watches and only the most precious materials such as gold, enamel and tuquoise were used.
The tradition to manufacture watches for the Turkish market, dates back to the 17th century. Often precious copies were presented to
statesman. Today you can see a comprehensive collection in the Topkapi Sarayi Museum in Istanbul. In order to be successful in the Ottoman Empire the watches had to match the Turkish
style. The French watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet and Julien LeRoy had built in the 17th century their famous pocket watches with Ottoman figures. The French used a lot of gold for these
Ottoman pocket watches as well as precious stones, elaborate guilloche patterns and colorful enamel paintings. The Turks at this time had a weakness for pomp and colorful watches, mostly in
traditional turquoise.
In the 18th century, watches from England were imported into the Ottoman Empire. The brothers Edward and George Prior had specialized
in the development of Ottoman pocket watches were usually very elaborately decorated spindle pocket watches that are still running to this day 200 years later. Among collectors they are coveted
objects. These watches were often very large and were driven by a chain. There were not only technical masterpieces but also possessed a very robust construction.Visually, especially the
movements inside the watches were an absolute feast for the eyes with abundant decorations and hand engravings.
At the beginning of the 20th century after the fragmentation of the Ottoman Empire the demand fell sharply for lavish Ottoman pocket
watches. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the so called "modern Turk" wanted tie his country closer to Europe and replaced the old Ottoman figures with arabic numbers like used in Europe. The Turkish
nobility fell victim to Atatürks democratic system and this changed the design of the watches in Turkey. Instead of pomp and expensive pocket watches for the Turkish nobility they now needed
watches for simple people. The company Cortebert - then a Swiss watch giant - rose to the Turkish market and becamethe biggest exporter of watches. Cortebert was one of the largest Movement
Manufacturers at the time and was comparable today to ETA. Cortebert not only produced movements in large numbers but also sold watches under its own name. Their own pocket watches were mainly
built for railway workers throughout Europe and were usually simple in design and affordable. The quality of these railwaymen pocket watches but is still appreciated and the demand for old
Cortebert movements has exploded through the revival of the brand Panerai. Many watch collectors know that Cortebert sold these movements on to Rolex and then Rolex sold them to Panerai, who
built watches for the Italian and German Navy. Many Turkish railway watches come with the name "Demiryolari", today collectors can pay almost 10 times the value of the actual value of such a
watch. But that's another story.
In the new Turkey the expensive noble Ottoman pocket watches quickly disappeared from the market. Atatürk did not like to see people
with expensive watches that were diamond-adorned when the common people could hardly afford a cheap pocket watch. He himself was not quite so modest, he had among other things a chronograph by
Patek Philippe, which was a gift from the King of England. Watches with Ottoman figures were no longer in the new Turkey.
Only the company Serkishoff, whose the watches were sold mainly for the Russian market, produced watches with Ottoman numbers up to the
1970's. These were usually very poor quality, the movements were from the Swiss company Zenith but were marketed under the pseudonym Billodes due to their inferior quality. Today, no more
watches are built with Ottoman numbers, even many Turks now vaguely know these numbers.
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