Elka Watch Age Detection
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Short story – Elka Watch Co.
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Founded: around 1913–1917 in Amsterdam , by the E. L. Kocher family
(→ “Elka” = abbreviated from EL Kocher & Amsterdam ). - Origin: Dutch brand that had close ties to Omega and Eterna – for a long time the general importer of these brands for the Benelux countries.
- Production: Elka had watches manufactured in Switzerland (movements by A. Schild, FHF, ETA, Unitas) and assembled/regulated them in the Netherlands.
- Active: approx. 1917 – 1980 (1960s – 1970s last major phase).
After 1980 the brand became inactive; today it exists again as “Elka Watch Co. by Hakim El Kadiri” – but this is a modern new company (since 2022).
Classic Elka eras and serial number orientation
Since Elka mostly sourced Swiss movements, their serial numbers are identical to those of the movement manufacturers (A. Schild, ETA, FHF, etc.) .
Elka is therefore dated using the number blocks , the caliber and the logo.
| Serial number (approx.) | Typical caliber manufacturer | Time range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100,000 – 300,000 | Aegler / FHF, early vineyard works | 1915 – 1930 | Early wristwatches & pocket watches |
| 300,000 – 500,000 | A. Schild (AS 340 – 970) | 1930 – 1945 | Manual winding, 15 jewels, enamel dial |
| 500,000 – 800,000 | A. Shield / FHF 29 / 30 / ETA 1080 | 1945 – 1955 | “Elka Swiss Made – Antimagnetic”, shock protection |
| 800,000 – 1,000,000 | A. Shield AS 1130, ETA 2472, Unitas 6310 | 1955 – 1965 | Manual winding & automatic movements; mostly stainless steel cases |
| 1,000,000 – 1,400,000 | ETA 2783, AS 1903, Durowe 410 | 1965 – 1975 | “Incabloc”, date window, logos in capital letters |
| > 1,500,000 | ETA 2824-1 / Quartz | 1975 – 1980 | Late production, quartz models |
3. Stylistic dating
| feature | Period |
|---|---|
| Roman numerals, enamel / blurred edges | 1920–1935 |
| Arabic numerals, no luminous material | 1930–1940 |
| “15 Rubis – Swiss Made” on dial | 1930–1950 |
| visible shock protection (“Incabloc”) | from 1952 |
| Luminous numerals (Radium / Tritium) | from 1955 |
| Automatic movement, date window at 3 o'clock | from 1958 |
| ELKA SWISS MADE lettering in block capitals | 1960–1970 |
| Case back “Stainless Steel Back – Waterproof” | ca. 1960–1975 |
Caliber eras of the most common Elka movements
| caliber | Factory manufacturer | Dating | discrimination |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS 970 / AS 1130 | Adolf Schild | 1940–1955 | Manual winding 15–17 jewels |
| AS 1361 / AS 1700 / ETA 2472 | A. Schild / ETA | 1955–1965 | early automatic transmissions |
| ETA 2783 / AS 1903 | ETA / A. Schild | 1965–1975 | Automatic with date / shock protection |
| ETA 2750 / 2892-A2 | ETA | from 1975 | newer automatic models |
| ESA Quartz / Ronda | ESA / Ronda | 1976–1980 | late quartz watches |
Logo design
| logo | Period |
|---|---|
| Script “Elka Watch Co.” (curved) | 1920–1950 |
| ELKA in block capitals with "Swiss Made" in small print underneath. | 1950–1970 |
| “ELKA AMSTERDAM” (rare) | circa 1955 |
| “ELKA Elektron” / “Elka Quartz” | 1970–1980 |
| (today) modern reissue “Elka Watch Co. Since 1917” | 2022 onwards. |
Elka Watch Co., also known as Elka Watch Cy. and Elka Watch & Clock Co., was originally founded in 1877 in Groningen, Netherlands, by an ancestor of Lazarus (Eliazer) Kiek . Around 1868 , he moved to Amsterdam for his studies, where he remained and married. From 1895 until 1913 , Kiek worked as an independent watchmaker under the company name E. Kiek Jr. He then founded a company with his son, Louis Eduard Kiek, and son-in-law David van Gelder , husband of his daughter Marie Amalia, which was later named Elka Watch Co. Lazarus Kiek is considered the inventor of the modern wristwatch for the blind, which is still used in this form today. He also supplied a large clock for the blind to the Amsterdam Institute for the Blind.
Elka stood for Louis Eduard Kiek's son, Ernst Louis Kiek of Amsterdam . In 1925, Louis Eduard Kiek invented an unbreakable plastic watch crystal and founded NV Enohi (Eerste Nederlandse Onbreekbare Horlogeglazen Industrie), which exported these watch crystals worldwide until World War II. The Kiek family business was located at the important Kalverstaat 206 (show this location) , where they sold exclusive brands.
One branch was located at Leidschestraat 21 (show this location) (1920 video recording) , where less expensive watches were sold and there was also a workshop. For a short time, there was also a warehouse and factory for clocks and timekeeping devices at Reguliersbreestr. 49. After the Second World War , Ernst Louis Kiek became a partner in the company, and in 1949 a second branch was established in Switzerland: Elka Watch en Clock Company à Amsterdam, succursale de La Chaux-de-Fonds c/o Henri Grandjean SA rue Jardinière 57.
Besides pocket watches, wristwatches, and jewelry watches, the company also supplied Braille pocket and wristwatches, stopwatches, chronographs, chess clocks, master and slave clock systems, guard control clocks, signal clocks, and time clocks. The Elka Watch company in de Kalverstraat was one of the first Rolex dealers in the Netherlands; they also sold the brands Ulysse Nardin and Vulcain , and later added Breitling , Universal , Jaeger-LeCoultre , and Blancpain .
In addition, they also sold clocks and watches under their own Elka brand. At the time, Her Majesty Queen Juliana was also a customer. The shop at Leidschestraat 21 closed at the end of the 1980s. Ernst Louis Kiek and his wife Edith Verpoort continued to run the business on Kalverstraat until 2000. The marriage remained childless, and the company was dissolved. The couple also refused to sell the Elka name, which was closely associated with the Kiek family.
Source: Watchwiki, AI
