Skip to content
The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Chronograph pocket watch

Technicum Cantonal Chronograph Pocket Watch

Partially verified

This keyless-winding pocket watch was produced by the Technicum Cantonal, Ecole d'Horlogerie in Bienne/Biel, Switzerland, circa 1930-1940. Housed in a round-shaped stainless steel case with a snap-on case-back, the watch measures 47.9 mm in diameter. It features a manual-winding movement with a lever escapement, built upon an Omega 39 CHRO ebauche dating between 1926 and 1944. The timepiece includes a 1/5 second chronograph, operated by a single round push-piece integrated into the winding-crown, and a dragging 30-minute recorder displayed on a subsidiary dial at 12 o'clock. A second subsidiary dial for continuous running seconds is positioned at 6 o'clock. and reflects the horological output associated with the Bienne/Biel horological school curriculum during the early 20th century, documented in the reference work by Estelle Fallet and Antoine Simonin.

Front view of the Technicum Cantonal chronograph pocket watch, showing the dial, subsidiary registers, and the winding crown with integrated push-piece.
Front view of the Technicum Cantonal chronograph pocket watch, showing the dial, subsidiary registers, and the winding crown with integrated push-piece. — Antiquorum. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
catalog.antiquorum.swiss
Category
Pocket watch · Chronograph pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Ecole d'Horlogerie
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
10
Source-reported date
Circa 1930-1940
Source-reported place
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
9 115 583

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Case and Dial Construction

The pocket watch is presented in a round-shaped stainless steel case featuring a snap-on case-back. Measuring 47.9 mm in diameter, the case design prioritizes utility, consistent with pieces intended for technical or horological education. The crown incorporates a single round push-piece used to control the integrated chronograph functions, allowing the user to start, stop, and reset the 1/5 second mechanism.

The dial is arranged with the Technicum Cantonal markings and includes two distinct subsidiary registers. A 30-minute recording dial is located at the 12 o’clock position, while the running seconds are indicated at the 6 o'clock position.

Evidence for this section
  • “Stainless steel, keyless-winding, round-shaped, horological school pocket watch, with snap-on case-back”
  • “1/5 second chronograph (activated by the single round push-piece located on the winding-crown), dragging 30-minute recorder (subsidiary dial at 12 o’clock)”

Movement and Escapement

The movement is identified as a 17-jewel configuration utilizing a lever escapement. The technical construction is based on the 39 CHRO ebauche, which was manufactured by Omega in Bienne/Biel. This specific ebauche production is dated between 1926 and 1944. The movement is marked with serial number 9 115 583.

As a horological school piece, the movement utilizes a platform established by commercial manufacturers of the era.

Evidence for this section
  • “Calibre 17’’’, lever escapement (based on 39 CHRO ebauche by Omega, Bienne / Biel, circa 1926-1944)”
  • “Movement No. 9 115 583”
  • “Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense”

Provenance and Documentation

The watch is attributed to the Technicum Cantonal, Ecole d’Horlogerie in Bienne/Biel. This institution provided professional training in watchmaking, and its student projects often utilized ebauches from local manufacturers like Omega. The identification of this specific watch is supported by bibliographic reference.

The piece is listed in the book 'Dix écoles d’horlogerie suisses, chefs-d’oeuvre de savoir-faire' by Estelle Fallet and Antoine Simonin. This publication documents the history and production of Swiss horological schools, situating this timepiece within the academic and technical output of the Bienne/Biel school during the 1930s and 1940s.

Evidence for this section
  • “TECHNICUM CANTONAL, ECOLE D’HORLOGERIE / UHRMACHERSCHULE, BIENNE / BIEL HOROLOGICAL SCHOOL”
  • “Bibliography • Fallet, Estelle, & Simonin, Antoine, Dix écoles d’horlogerie suisses, chefs-d’oeuvre de savoir-faire, Neuchâtel, Editions Antoine Simonin, 2010 (568 pp.), p. 340.”

Open research questions

  • To what extent did students modify the Omega 39 CHRO base movement as part of their curriculum?
  • Are there records of specific students at the Technicum Cantonal who were assigned this movement serial number?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Technicum Cantonal Chronograph Pocket Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerEcole d'Horlogerie“Brand Ecole d'Horlogerie”
DateCirca 1930-1940“Year Circa 1930-1940”
Case MaterialStainless steel“Stainless steel, keyless-winding, round-shaped, horological school pocket watch”
Diameter47.9 mm“Diameter 47.9 mm.”
Movement17-jewel lever escapement“17’’’, lever escapement (based on 39 CHRO ebauche by Omega, Bienne / Biel, circa 1926-1944)”
Chronograph function1/5 second with 30-minute recorder“1/5 second chronograph (activated by the single round push-piece located on the winding-crown), dragging 30-minute recorder (subsidiary dial at 12 o’clock)”
Movement Serial Number9 115 583“Movement No. 9 115 583”

Visible details

  • Round-shaped stainless steel case with snap-on case back
  • Single round push-piece chronograph actuator integrated into crown
  • Subsidiary dial for 30-minute recorder at 12 o'clock
  • Subsidiary dial for seconds at 6 o'clock

Research qualifications

  • Condition report notes overhaul recommended at buyer's expense
  • Movement based on an Omega ebauche, not an original school-manufactured calibre

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

TECHNICUM CANTONAL, ECOLE D’HORLOGERIE / UHRMACHERSCHULE, BIENNE / BIEL HOROLOGICAL SCHOOL WITH CHRONOGRAPH AND MINUTE RECORDER; STAINLESS STEEL

Reviewed 2026-10-26 · Record 6b6329f0fb

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

Other chronograph pocket watch records