Swiss silver unusual Art Nouveau watch with retrograde dial Circa 1910

Art Nouveau watch ‘Sector Watch’ dial
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An unusual Art Nouveau watch with retrograde display ‘Sector Watch’ made by the Record Watch C^O. in Tramelan, Switzerland, circa 1910. This watch has a numbered solid Art Nouveau triangle shaped case, which was crafted from silver and it has the “Holy Frères” case maker’s punch mark, a beautifully engraved back lid and a cuvette marked ‘Sector Watch’. The white enamel dial features retrograde minutes and hours scales with Arabic numerals, steel hands and is also marked ‘Sector Watch’. The triangle shaped movement, according to the Record Watch Tramelan Patent, features a lever escapement.
The movement is signed and marked with the patent number.
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Dimensions: 59 x 71 mm
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Weight: 97 g
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Signed: Record Watch C^O, Tramelan
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The item presented here is a popular and wanted collector’s watch. The Sector watch is unique in its design and is a wanted collector’s item among watch collectors as well as Art Nouveau collectors. Well preserved examples have already realised prices of up to CHF 5.000.

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Record Watch Co.
The Rector Watch Co. was a watch manufacturer in Tramelan, Switzerland, that was active between approximately 1903 and 1908. It is known for producing pocket watches with unique, hand engraved Art Nouveau cases, called Sector Watches, which were designed by the company and manufactured by Holy Frères. The company did not achieve commercial success and is primarily remembered for these exceptionally artistic and rare timepieces.

The Sector Watch is a rare and cherished piece due to its unique artistry rather than its commercial success.
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Holy Frères
The Holy Frères pocket watch casemaker company was founded in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, in 1893 by the brothers François (born in 1867 Saint-Imier) and Jules Holy (born in 1872 Saint-Imier). Initially they focused on decorating watch cases, the company later diversified into making medals and printing plates. In 1914 the Holy brothers won a gold medal at the Swiss National Exhibition in Bern. They moved to Geneva in 1920 and went bankrupt in 1921.