TECHNICUM SCHOOL WATCH

CHF 3,500.00

Specifications

Maker: Technicum School Watch
Model: Calatrava Style with Date at Six
Year: 20 November 1964
Serial: 1509691
Material: Stainless Steel
Dial: Silvered dial signed Technicum "La Chaux de Fonds"
Dimensions: 36mm
Crystal: Plexiglass
Box & Papers: Papers

Legacy

In a quiet atelier tucked into the heart of La Chaux-de-Fonds, where horology is not merely studied but revered, a student once sat hunched over a workbench. His tools—fine and exacting—glinted beneath the soft light as he adjusted a hairspring with monk-like devotion. The year was 1964. The snow fell gently outside the window, blanketing the Jura mountains. Inside, time was being forged by hand.

That same watch, crafted by a student of the Technicum—the famed Swiss watchmaking school—was never meant for mass production. It was a rite of passage. A final trial. A mechanical thesis. This Technicum School Watch, built in the elegant Calatrava style, is not just a timepiece—it’s a legacy in stainless steel.

A Watch Born from Discipline and Purity

The Technicum School Watch is a marvel of restrained elegance. At 36mm, the case wears with timeless proportion, a size that recalls the golden age of wristwatches—when subtleties mattered more than size. Its silvered dial, signed “Technicum La Chaux-de-Fonds,” evokes an era where provenance and apprenticeship meant everything. The date window at six o’clock is a quiet but purposeful detail—a sign of utility wrapped in beauty.

This wasn’t made for boardrooms or boutiques. It was made to prove a watchmaker could master the traditions of Le Locle and Bienne. The plexiglass crystal, slightly domed, speaks to mid-century authenticity—inviting reflection not just in the literal sense, but in memory, too.

From the Bench to Iconic Wrists

While these school watches were never commercially sold, they found their way—through collectors, connoisseurs, and whispered exchanges at Baselworld—into legendary hands.

Steve McQueen, ever the patron of understated cool, is said to have worn a Technicum Calatrava on off-days, its clean lines a quiet foil to his more famous Heuer Monaco. Yves Saint Laurent, a man of exacting taste and minimalist sensibility, owned one, preferring it for its academic purity over flashier brands. And even Anthony Bourdain, who sought meaning and honesty in everything from ramen stalls to Roman trattorias, was rumored to have worn a Technicum School Watch during his European travels—a nod, perhaps, to the artistry of honest labor.

More Than a Watch—A Testimony

To wear this watch is to understand time not as a commodity but as a craft. It is a piece that was never intended for mass admiration but, ironically, commands it now. It carries no logo beyond its roots. No marketing campaign. No celebrity endorsement—just the fingerprint of a maker who passed their final exam on November 20th, 1964, with serial number 1509691 etched into the steel like a signature on a diploma.

With original papers still intact, this Technicum School Watch isn’t just collectible—it’s sacred. It is the kind of watch that Genta might have smiled at, that Brando might have stolen glances at, and that anyone with a heartbeat for horology should regard as more than a timekeeper. It’s a chronicle. A quiet revolution in 36mm.

How to pair it

The Morning Café Thinker

Occasion: Weekend coffee ritual & quiet journaling

Outfit: Cream cashmere turtleneck, tobacco corduroy trousers, chocolate suede loafers, tortoiseshell reading glasses

In the dappled morning light, seated by the café window, ideas drip slowly into a Moleskine notebook beside a double espresso. Here, the Technicum Watch finds kinship with soft, thoughtful textures. The silvered dial glints subtly under the slow rise of sunlight, while its clean Calatrava case complements the deliberate, intellectual mood of weekend reflection.

Tip: Swap out the original strap for a honey-toned nubuck leather band to echo the warm tones of your cords and the crema on your espresso. A subtle patina on the strap plays beautifully off the vintage plexiglass, making the ensemble feel lived-in yet curated.

The Gallery Opener

Occasion: Art opening & evening cocktail

Outfit: Black peak lapel blazer, crisp white poplin shirt (no tie), charcoal tailored trousers, polished black Chelsea boots

Elegance lies in restraint—and this is where the Technicum thrives. The understated stainless steel case and minimalist dial cut a silhouette as clean as a gallery wall. This watch does not compete with the art—it frames the man who appreciates it.

Tip: A black shell cordovan strap adds sleekness without gloss, bridging the monochrome palette. Leave the shirt collar casually open and let the dial's quiet confidence echo your own. A vintage timepiece at a modern soirée? It says you're not following trends—you’re collecting moments.

The Countryside Escape

Occasion: Autumn day trip out of the city

Outfit: Olive waxed field jacket, chambray shirt, selvedge denim, rugged brogue boots

Among leaf-crunching paths and distant horizons, time feels different. Yet even here, the Technicum remains relevant—not fragile, but enduring. Its school watch origins speak of resilience, built not for dainty wrists, but for understanding the heartbeat of a movement.

Tip: Embrace its utilitarian soul with a vintage canvas NATO strap, perhaps in earthy khaki or moss green. The transformation is alchemical: suddenly, this dress-leaning piece adopts the character of a field companion, perfectly at ease between countryside walks and whisky stops.

Final Thought: Dress for the Time You Keep

To wear the Technicum School Watch is to embrace a kind of deliberate elegance, where subtlety is power and heritage is worn lightly. Whether it's quiet mornings, curated evenings, or wild afternoons, the key is to let the watch reflect your rhythm, not just your outfit.

A timepiece like this isn’t chosen. It chooses you—because you understand that true style is not loud. It’s remembered.

Condition

A Scholar’s Companion — 1964 Technicum Calatrava-Style School Watch
Technicum “La Chaux-de-Fonds” | Stainless Steel | 36mm

There are watches that tell time, and then there are watches that tell stories. This 1964 Technicum School Watch—a Calatrava-style timepiece crafted under the guiding hands of horological apprentices—is very much the latter. Born in the hallowed corridors of the Technicum in La Chaux-de-Fonds, this watch carries with it not just time, but the legacy of timekeeping itself.

Condition: Elegantly Aged with Intention

This is a watch that has known time intimately—not in haste, but with reverence. The stainless steel case, measuring a balanced 36mm, wears its six decades gracefully. It retains strong, well-defined lugs with light signs of honest wear: a soft brushing here, a faint patina there—each mark earned, not given. There’s no over-polishing, no false youth applied. This is authenticity at its finest.

Beneath a gently domed plexiglass crystal—original and lightly marred with age, like the scuffed lens of a cherished Leica—rests a silvered dial that truly sings. Signed Technicum La Chaux-de-Fonds in discreet, period-correct script, the dial exudes mid-century scholastic elegance. Applied indices shimmer faintly under changing light, while the elegant dauphine hands still command with quiet precision. At six o'clock, a date aperture framed with subtlety anchors the design—practical, yet unintrusive.

Movement: Student-Made, Masterfully Executed

Ticking beneath the dial is perhaps the most compelling feature: a hand-finished movement, executed by a student of the Technicum school. These were not commercial pieces, but rather exercises in excellence—prototypes of passion. Each component was painstakingly assembled under the scrutiny of master watchmakers, often by students destined for the ateliers of Patek, Omega, and beyond. The result is a piece that, while humble in origin, brims with horological soul.

The movement functions well, keeping good time, though it remains unserviced in recent years—a testament to its durability, but also an open invitation for its next custodian to decide whether to preserve its untouched state or initiate a careful restoration.

Strap: Fitted for the Present

Currently mounted on a supple leather strap that complements the dial’s warmth, the watch wears easily and elegantly on the wrist—whether paired with a well-worn denim jacket or a pressed white oxford. The strap is a modern replacement, allowing the watch to transition from its academic past to a more cosmopolitan present.

Provenance: With Original Papers

Accompanied by its original documentation—dated 20 November 1964—this example is not only mechanically rare but unusually well-documented for a school watch. Such provenance adds both narrative and nuance, linking its origin story to a specific moment in Swiss horological education.

In Summary

This Technicum Calatrava-style watch is far more than a mid-century timekeeper. It is an artefact of learning, a relic of passion, and a testament to the quiet nobility of Swiss watchmaking tradition. For collectors drawn to provenance, patina, and the human hand behind the machine, it is an irresistibly compelling piece.

The price includes Swiss VAT of 8.1%, which can be directly deducted for export, and the shipping cost comes with full worldwide insurance. Please note that the customer will be responsible for paying any customs duties in their country.

Will be serviced the day of purchase due to the complication and comes with a 2 years warranty.

Technicum School Watch: A Tool for Learning, Built to Last

The Technicum School Watch is a rare timepiece created for watchmaking students. These watches were produced at watchmaking schools—often in Switzerland—for training and examination purposes. Each piece reflects craftsmanship, precision, and hands-on skill.

Key Features of a Technicum School Watch

Classic Manual-Wind Movement – Often assembled, regulated, or finished by students during training.
Simple Stainless Steel Case – Typically 34–36mm, built to focus on movement and function.
Clean Dial Design – No branding or minimal markings; emphasis on legibility and balance.
Display Back (Sometimes) – Some feature a clear caseback to showcase movement assembly work.
Unique or Unbranded Movements – Many use ETA or Peseux calibers, carefully adjusted by hand.
Individual Character – Each watch reflects the personal skill and attention of the student who worked on it.

Why Collect a Technicum School Watch?

These watches are perfect for those who value mechanical craftsmanship and horological history. Furthermore, they represent the foundations of fine watchmaking. In addition, each one is unique—crafted not for mass sale, but for learning. Moreover, they offer an affordable way to own a piece of watchmaking tradition.

A Watch that Tells a Story of Skill

The Technicum School Watch is more than a timekeeper. It’s a product of training, patience, and precision. Additionally, its understated design keeps the focus on what matters: the movement and the maker’s touch. Whether you're a collector, a student, or an admirer of mechanical watches, this piece connects you directly to the heart of horology.