Who can tell me anything about this Berna watch?

[Nuisance_Value]

After my father died I found this watch (among others) that I have absolutely no idea about. It seems to be 50's or 60's in design though I've searched the internet and found only one reference to Berna watches on an Italian site. The incabloc suspension system (which is near the bottom) is still used today and they have a website. The only thing you can't see is how slim it is, no more than 6mm in thickness. The face measures 33mm across not including winder (it's manual btw). The strap is a new one I put on. It seems to work fine, though could probably do with a clean/service.

So, any ideas who they were? Is it rare/worth anything? Though I'll never sell it, it makes a nice addition to my small collection and has massive sentimental value

[Spice_Weasel]

A whole raft of Swiss companies disappeared in the seventies as the quartz watch (and the digital watch) became more and more popular. In other cases they were absorbed into groups such as SMH (known today as the Swatch Group) and there is very little information on the interweb.

I have a number of similar watches to yours, though with names like GISA, Solo, Summit, Roamer and Sea Hunter - probably a mix of 50s and 60s designs with manually wound movements. I'm not sure that they are worth a great deal financially and googling them brings up no info at all.

Some names that disappeared (such as Alpina) are now reappearing on the market either as niche brands marketed by the bigger groups that own the trade names (eg in the case of Gevril) or where a brand name has been bought by an individual(s) seeking to launch a niche watch company that then (perhaps a little dubiously) advertises on the heritage of the older firm (eg Graham or Perrelet).

You never know, you could see the Berna name resurrected one day. In the mean time you have something of great sentimental value and something you are not likely to see on many people's wrists. It would make a wonderful dress watch - something that you wear occasionally with evening wear and which has a personal history behind it.

[Nuisance_Value]

What an informative post, thank you, and very interesting to know why many brands ceased trading due to advances in technology. I was merely curious as to whether any other PHers had heard or knew of Berna.

I might take it to a jeweller friend of mine that I'm going to see next week and ask him to give it a service. My father also had a Christopher Ward automatic, which again isn't particularly valuable except in sentimental terms.

I agree that it makes a lovely dress watch which is what I'll use it for. It also means I can concentrate on looking for a nice chronograph

Thanks again.

edited to add: Found out they were known as the Berna Watch Factory Co Ltd and ceased trading, I think, in 1959. Here is a link to the translated version of the Italian site, though I'm not sure Bern and Berna are the same. About halfway down

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&...

Edited by Nuisance_Value on Friday 3rd July 14:29

[eccles]

There's a couple of older Berna watches for sale on ebay, so there are some about!

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/?_nkw=berna+watch&amp...