Please Help ID these gold marks on a ladies Vitalis watch

[jcm]

I know the watch is swiss made but what do the marks mean? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would guess a maker,year etc...
thanks


Sorry part of the mark is stamped upside down I think
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[2209patrick]

Hello.

I think the bottom marks are Dublin import marks ( 18 carat) for 1952.
Hope someone else will confirm or dispute this.

Pat.
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[dognose]

Hi,

The mark is flattened but I believe Pat is correct. Dublin import mark for 18ct 1952.



The female head mark in the top righthand corner of the photo is the Swiss 18ct mark introduced in 1934. It may be possible to see a tiny letter under the head that would indicate the assay office that marked the case.

Trev.
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[jcm]

Thanks,
Well you are right(of course) it does have a C below the head. What is that?
Also anyone know the 27 means (to the left in the picture)
thanks
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[dognose]

Hi,

The 'C' represents La Chaux-de-Fonds where there has been an assay office since 1820.

The Hammer-head mark is the 'Responsibility' mark of the casemaker, all I can tell you is that this maker appears to be no longer in business.

Trev.
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[jcm]

Thanks for everything,I thought the mark looked right,but the hammering probably thew me off. Again thanks
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[jedilady]

Hello. Very dear friends of my family ran The Vitalis Watch Company. They were Jean and Genette Kramkimmel. The company was based in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

My father Harry Dillon was the only importer of Vitalis Watch into Dublin from 1949-1959. His business was H. Dillon & Company, Shamrock Chambers, Dame Street, Dublin. He would supply other jewelery businesses around the country from 1949-1953. In 1953 he opened the Swiss Gem Company Watchmakers and Jewellers 51 Lower O'Connell Street Dublin where he sold Vitalis watches. He also had The Vitalis Watch Company manufacture watch movements for the Swiss Gem Company, assembled the watches upstairs in the shop and these were marketed under the name of "Sonata". IHTH. Regards, Jennifer

[dognose]

Hi Jennifer,

Welcome to the Forum.

Many thanks for posting this information. I'll be adding the information to this topic asap: Firms Working in Ireland in the Late 19th and 20th Century

Presumably your father was registered with the Dublin Assay Office. Do you have an image of his mark, or could your describe it?

Trev.

[jedilady]

Hello Trev,

Some further info for you. My father Harry Dillon, would bring in the Gold Vitalis Watches and send them up to the Dublin Assay Office for the necessary import markings.

The watches, that he produced with the Vitalis watch movements, used rolled gold cases and so did not need any hallmarking. I therefore am not sure if he had his own mark of any kind.

I may be wrong. How would I find out if The Swiss Gem Company of Dublin had any mark registered at the Dublin Assay Office?

I look forward to you including my fathers/family business on the "Firms Working in Ireland in the Late 19th and 20th Century".

Kindest Regards, Jennifer.

[dognose]

Hi Jennifer,

If your father was sending the gold watch cases to the assay office to have the import marks applied, then he would have been registered. If you contact the Dublin Assay Office, I'm sure they'll supply the information about both companies to you. Their e-mail address is: hallmark@assay.ie

I've already added the bare details known about Harry Dillon and the Swiss Gem Company on page 11 of Firms Working in Ireland in the Late 19th and 20th Century

Trev.

[jedilady]

Hello Trev,
I've now head back from the Dublin Assay Office. Unfortunately they have no record of a hallmark for H.Dillon & Company Shamrock Chambers, Dame Street Dublin or for The Swiss Gem Company 51 Lower O'Connell Street Dublin. They informed me that sometimes during the period of the 1940's and 1950's importers of gold products would just send the products to them for a Dublin Assay Import hallmark.

Such a pity, I was really hoping to find a little bit more of my father's business history in Dublin. Kindest Regards, Jennifer.

[dognose]

Hi Jennifer,

I have in the past noted Irish import marks without accompanying sponsors marks, but I'm amazed that not even a registration was required, thus it appears no-one was recorded at that time as the sponsor taking responsibility for submissions.

Trev.