German rare gold graduate’s pocket watch Circa 1934

Gold open faced pocket watch by Heinz Eberhardt
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A gold German graduate’s piece – made at the Deutsche Uhrmacherschule Glashütte – with original box and additional glazed back, circa 1934.
14-Carat gold polished case. Signed silvered dial with applied gold baton hour indexes, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds, and original gold alpha hands. Signed 3/4 plate movement with gold screw compensation balance.
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Diameter: 53 mm
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Weight: 102 g
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Signed: Heinz Eberhardt Glashütte i/SA
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This watch took part in the fifth test for pocket watches at the German naval observatory in 1935 and produced excellent results. It was regulated by Alfred Helwig and while being presented for category II. Class, it came close to the results required for I. Class or Special Class and was awarded a first prize and the sum of 100 marks. With an original test certificate by the German naval observatory.
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Heinz Eberhardt was born on June 3, 1915 in Neustadt/Dosse. He attended the German Watchmaking School from May 1933 to September 1935. Eberhardt finished his apprenticeship in 1934 and passed his final examination in 1935; in 1938 he returned to the school for a short time and received his master craftsman certificate. In addition to a tourbillon (which he created together with Kuhls and Geitz), he produced a model of a lever escapement, a micrometre gauge and a pocket watch with lever escapement while at the school; for his master’s piece, he completely rebuilt a wristwatch. When Eberhardt left the school, he received a certificate of approval from the Grossmann foundation. He was one of a few students who were allowed to build a tourbillon only a short time after finishing their apprenticeship.
Afterwards Eberhardt worked with Geitz for the company Willenberg in Mainz, then for Junghans in Schramberg, for Huber in Munich and later in Glashütte for Strasser & Rohde and Gössel & Co. After World War II he was appointed managing director and workshop supervisor for Willenberg. Eberhardt eventually opened his workshop for timekeeping instruments in Wambach around Wiesbaden. He died on June 25, 1997.
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The watches produced at watchmaking schools were obviously mostly unique creations and of exceptional quality such as the rare Glashütte tourbillons made by the pupils of Helwig, there are quite a number of watch lovers who particularly specialize in collecting these watches. Just like this watch, these timepieces are usually ostentatious and plain but always at the highest technical level. The watches often only bear a number and the name of the school which makes them all the more interesting to many collectors, who enjoy researching the details of the marvellous timekeeper they have acquired and maybe even eventually identify its maker.