Schlesicky Frankfurt Chronometer Age Determination
Share
Schlesiky, Frankfurt a. M.
- Name: often “ Schlesiky – Frankfurt aM ” or “Uhren Schlesiky, Frankfurt”
- Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Active: approximately 1920 – 1970 (documented in address books of the 1930s – 1960s).
- Type of business: Watchmaker / Jeweler / Watch dealer
- Position: not a manufacturing business, but a specialist shop that bought Swiss and German watches (A. Schild, FHF, Unitas, Durowe etc.), some of which were signed with its own brand “Schlesiky Frankfurt” .
The brand was therefore a trademark – similar to, for example, Haller, Koopmann, Rothenburg or Lidecke.
The business existed in Frankfurt at least until the 1960s.
| Period | Types of watches | Typical characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 – 1930 | Pocket watches & early wristwatches | Silver/nickel case, enamel dials, A. Schild/FHF/Rebberg-Werke |
| 1930 – 1950 | Wristwatches (manual winding) | FHF 30, AS 970, AS 1130; steel case, Arabic numerals, small seconds |
| 1950 – 1970 | Mechanical / Automatic Wristwatches | Durowe, ETA, Felsa; signed dial “Schlesiky – Frankfurt aM” |
Serial numbers and dating
The serial number is usually the serial number of the Swiss or German caliber and provides an indication of the year of manufacture.
Here you will find the usual areas depending on the typical manufacturer:
| Serial number (approx.) | Caliber / Movement manufacturer | Year of construction (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 200,000 – 500,000 | Aegler / FHF early series | 1920 – 1930 |
| 500,000 – 900,000 | A. Schild (AS 340 – AS 970) | 1930 – 1940 |
| 900,000 – 1,500,000 | FHF / A. Schild / Unitas | 1940 – 1955 |
| > 1,500,000 | Durowe / ETA / Felsa (automatic possibly) | 1955 – 1970 |
Dating characteristics outside the serial number
| feature | Chronological context |
|---|---|
| Enamel dial | before 1935 |
| Metal dial with “Swiss Made” | from 1935 |
| Luminous numerals (radium) | 1935 – 1950 |
| Central second hand and shock protection (Incabloc) | from 1950 |
| Automatic / Date | from 1955 |
| Engraving “Antimagnetic / Waterproof” | typical after 1950 |
Example time assignments
| Engraving on watch | Serial number | Movement / Caliber | Presumed year of construction |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Schlesiky – Frankfurt am Main” | 532,410 | A. Schild AS 970 | ca. 1933–1935 |
| “Schlesiky – Frankfurt am Main” | 1,215,805 | AS 1130 (= “Wehrmachtswerk”) | ca. 1942–1943 |
| “Schlesiky – Frankfurt am Main” | 1,845,220 | Durowe 410 / ETA 1080 | ca. 1957–1960 |
Schlesicky, Friedrich Carl Ferdinand
German watch and chronometer maker
Friedrich Carl Ferdinand Schlesicky was born on January 30 , 1816, in Kleve, North Rhine-Westphalia, and worked in Frankfurt am Main during the second half of the 19th century. He became a master watchmaker in 1842 and later a court watchmaker . His first marriage, to Anna Maria Carolina Bübke, daughter of master watchmaker Johann Christian Bübke , produced a daughter, Maria Catharina (born December 3, 1846). He later married Susanna Apollonia Margaretha Ströhlein, with whom he had a daughter, Maria Caroline (born August 11 , 1866 ). Pendant watches bearing the signature Schlesicky-Ströhlein are also known.
Between 1894 and 1910, a total of 39 marine chronometers were submitted to the Hamburg Naval Observatory for testing by Schlesicky or his successors under the Schlesicky name. The Glashütte watchmaker Paul Löwe worked for the Schlesicky company for two years. Schlesicky also manufactured pocket watches, travel watches, ladies' watches, chest watches, microscopes, and other optical instruments.
Source: WatchWiki, AI
