Tavannes Yellow Gold Rectangular Dress Watch - Unpolished

Tavannes Watch Company is the product of a rare and highly successful union between two Swiss firms with complementary strengths. At the center of this story is Henri Sandoz, an entrepreneur who founded Tavannes Watch Company in Le Locle before relocating to the village of Tavannes in 1891. There, he crossed paths with the Schwob brothers, founders of CYMA, a company already well established in assembling high-quality watches from Swiss-made components. Sandoz brought with him a focus on complicated watchmaking — particularly repeaters and chronographs — while CYMA contributed industrial scale and organizational efficiency. What began as collaboration soon proved mutually beneficial, culminating in a formal merger in 1903.

Following the merger, the firm operated interchangeably under the names Tavannes, CYMA, and CYMA-Tavannes, but the philosophy remained consistent: precision, innovation, and manufacturing excellence. By 1910, the company had grown into one of the largest watch manufacturers in Switzerland, well ahead of its peers in the standardization of parts and production tolerances. True to Sandoz’s original vision, chronographs became a particular point of distinction, combining technical ingenuity with robust, long-lived movements. Together, Tavannes and Cyma built a reputation that quietly positioned them among the most capable and forward-thinking Swiss manufacturers of their era.

The piece that we have here is something of a departure from that original vision, at least in terms of complications... 

This rectangular yellow gold dress watch is nothing short of a beautiful piece of 'Deco' design, with 1920s motifs littered throughout. Coming in at 22mm x 30mm, it features three sets of gorgeous engraved case bands, engraved and paint-filled 'Arabic' numerals on the top-case itself, and a simply stunning guilloché pattern covering the curved caseback. Inside, the silver dial has developed patina across the surface, while retaining clear black text, a 'railroad' minute track, and a blued-steel 'fancy' handset. Powering this piece is a manual-winding movement signed Tavannes.

This piece is a true gem lost to time. Wonderfully executed and completely off the radar, making for a hell of a buy in the space of 'Art Deco' solid gold Swiss watches.