The search for the grail is the search for illumination
The Vulcain Cricket wasn't the first alarm wristwatch, but it was the first one to find a market. And what a market it found! Launched exclusively in the United States in late 1947, it became the first "it watch", finding a place on the wrists of presidents and "Mad Men" in the go-go 1950s and kicking off a genuine craze for alarm watches. But Vulcain was not known for great marketing. Was this…
The world's first alarm wristwatch wasn't the famous Vulcain Cricket but the virtually-forgotten Eterna Cal. 68. Based on a German design with roots in the 19th century, Eterna was too early to market with their alarm wristwatch. Although pairing it with a novel interchangeable base and equipping early dress and soldier's watches with the innovative movement, it failed to find a market or make a…
On February 18, 1958, representatives from Buren Watch Company and Universal Genève announced "the greatest technical advance in 30 years," the micro-rotor automatic watch movement. This joint announcement, and the actions of the inventors and companies before and after it, contradict the oft-repeated story of conflict between them. In fact, the invention and introduction was friendly, thanks to…
The sale of Baume Mercier by Richemont to Damiani Group spurred me to research the history of that famous brand. There was a Baume before Mercier, and this union has a story to tell of the integration and evolution of the watch industry. © Stephen Foskett for Grail Watch : Baume Before Mercier
Not everything gets more complicated as it evolves. The bezel, once a simple frame around the glass of a watch, became an integrated mechanism before it evolved into a simple numeric scale. From alarm clocks, navigational computers, and slide rules it became the most-recognized feature of the most iconic watches. Let's consider the history of the rotating bezel. © Stephen Foskett for Grail Watch :…
I have always seen myself as a storyteller and researcher. This is why I started the Grail Watch website, Watch Files podcast, and related social media. I love to share the stories of the people, companies, and craft of watchmaking and remain committed to this. Now the time has come to share my research notebook: Grail Watch Wiki, is now open to readers! © Stephen Foskett for Grail Watch : Follow…
Names like Omega, Zénith, and Invicta used to mean something: They used to refer to a specific thing and that connection no longer exists. Let's explore the lost meaning of some familiar brand names! © Stephen Foskett for Grail Watch : 10 Watch Brands That Lost Their Original Meaning
Repeating chimes were the most popular complicated watches at the turn of the century. But the advent of radium paint provided a better way to see the time at night. Blame Marie Curie for the loss of the chiming watch! © Stephen Foskett for Grail Watch : Blame Marie Curie For the Loss of the Chiming Watch
If you spend much time looking at watches from the 1950s (or thrift stores) you've probably seen one: A keychain with a fob that looks like a tire but contains a mechanical watch. Although the era of the tire watch has long gone, it proved to be an important milestone in Swiss watchmaking, showing that there was a market for a "second watch", as marketing whiz Georges Caspari called it. And the…
I posted my predictions and picks for the 2025 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) just before the jury announced the winners. My picks did not do as well as I hoped, and I have some questions on some. But as always the awards gave me the opportunity to examine and consider many fabulous new watches. Let's consider the results! © Stephen Foskett for Grail Watch : Reacting to the 2025 Grand…