Manufacturer: Eska Year: Circa 1955 Case No: 146’834 Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 12”’,17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Gold plated pin buckle Dimensions: 32mm Width Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
With magnificent artistry and craftsmanship, Eska has long been renowned for their unique cloisonné enamel dials featuring various motifs. During the 1950’s, one of the most prominent dial makers were Stern Frères who was supplying enamel dials to Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and also Eska.
Amongst all the artisans working for Stern Frères at the time, Ms. Marguerite Koch was one of the most respected enamellers in the industry at the time. With research from the Stern Frères archives, it is confirmed that all enamel dials delivered to Eska were all crafted by Ms. Koch. It was also believed that according to the archives the dial was sold to Eska for 180 Francs and Ms. Koch was paid 85 Francs for her craft. Her career at Stern Frères spanned approximately 20 years from the 1940s until the 1960s.
The present watch manufactured by Eska in a “Cioccolatone” case featuring a cloisonné enamel dial depicting a motif of a galleon at sea with possibly representing Christopher Columbus’s Santa Maria crafted by Ms. Marguerite Koch is offered in excellent overall condition.