This is a particularly interesting Swiss pocket watch, combining classic Cyma Tavannes watchmaking with a remarkable piece of Canadian industrial history. The case back is engraved, “Presented by The Steel Co. of Canada Ltd. to Michael Eftoda after 25 years service completed Aug. 1952,” giving the watch a very specific and meaningful provenance. Stelco was one of Canada’s major industrial companies, and presentation watches such as this were an important way of recognizing decades of service.
The dial is an especially attractive two-tone sector design, with a crisp silvered centre surrounded by a contrasting warm rose-coloured chapter ring carrying large Arabic numerals. A fine outer minute track frames the dial, while the blue-toned hands and subsidiary seconds register add a restrained touch of colour. The dial is signed Cyma Tavannes, along with Mappins, connecting the watch to the prominent Canadian jewellery retailer.
Inside is a handsome 17-jewel Swiss manual-wind movement, signed Cyma/Tavannes and marked for adjustment to two positions. The movement has beautifully finished bridges, blued screws, ruby jewels and traditional Geneva-style decoration, making it considerably more refined than the average period pocket-watch movement.
The case has an elegant, relatively slim profile with a stepped knife-edge construction, smooth bezel and substantial hinged bow. Its understated design fits perfectly with the transition from traditional pocket-watch styling toward the cleaner aesthetics of the mid-century period.
What makes this watch truly special, however, is the story preserved on its back. Presented to Michael Eftoda by The Steel Company of Canada in August 1952 after 25 years of service, it represents a tangible connection to Canada's industrial past. It isn't simply a vintage Swiss pocket watch—it is a personalized Canadian artifact commemorating a quarter-century of working life.
This is a particularly interesting Swiss pocket watch, combining classic Cyma Tavannes watchmaking with a remarkable piece of Canadian industrial history. The case back is engraved, “Presented by The Steel Co. of Canada Ltd. to Michael Eftoda after 25 years service completed Aug. 1952,” giving the watch a very specific and meaningful provenance. Stelco was one of Canada’s major industrial companies, and presentation watches such as this were an important way of recognizing decades of service.
The dial is an especially attractive two-tone sector design, with a crisp silvered centre surrounded by a contrasting warm rose-coloured chapter ring carrying large Arabic numerals. A fine outer minute track frames the dial, while the blue-toned hands and subsidiary seconds register add a restrained touch of colour. The dial is signed Cyma Tavannes, along with Mappins, connecting the watch to the prominent Canadian jewellery retailer.
Inside is a handsome 17-jewel Swiss manual-wind movement, signed Cyma/Tavannes and marked for adjustment to two positions. The movement has beautifully finished bridges, blued screws, ruby jewels and traditional Geneva-style decoration, making it considerably more refined than the average period pocket-watch movement.
The case has an elegant, relatively slim profile with a stepped knife-edge construction, smooth bezel and substantial hinged bow. Its understated design fits perfectly with the transition from traditional pocket-watch styling toward the cleaner aesthetics of the mid-century period.
What makes this watch truly special, however, is the story preserved on its back. Presented to Michael Eftoda by The Steel Company of Canada in August 1952 after 25 years of service, it represents a tangible connection to Canada's industrial past. It isn't simply a vintage Swiss pocket watch—it is a personalized Canadian artifact commemorating a quarter-century of working life.