n 1891 a young, talented master watchmaker, Henri-Frédéric Sandoz, founded the Tavannes Watch Company in a small Swiss village, Tavannes, in the Jura mountains.
This 1930s "cioccolatino" is the perfect example of the style and technique of that era. The case was an early attempt to protect the mechanism from external agents. The dial , in glossy black, had the function of not reflecting light but ensuring easy reading of the time through the use of radium luminescent material.
Originally engineered for the adverse conditions of the battlefield, the Clamshell case derived its nickname from the way that the upper and lower sections of the watch case compressed together over a specially flared crystal, protecting the delicate inner mechanisms from the intrusion of water, dirt, dust, and caustic chemicals.
The mechanism, hand-wound, is manufactured by Tavannes. The condition of this piece of history is incredible and unaltered. A collector's piece for every vintage lover.