Harwood Automatic - By Selza (Organa)

[Jet Jetski]

Hello,

Sorry I do not speak German, but at least I can read it a little with 'google translate' , enough to know there are friends here who know something of Harwood, Blancpain, Fortis and, I hope, Selza.

I have received a Harwood watch. My good friend, who has a beautiful Harwood, tells me that the movement is by Fortis.

But he says the story of my watch is poor, because the dial is from a different time. It is signed 'Organa'.

I am very happy with my watch , but also I would like to know more. I have investigated the brand 'Organa'.

Organa is a brand of Selza SA, Biel, and I have read that Selza worked with Harwood, even after Blancpain and Fortis.

But I found no good records, only reports. I found no Selza catalogue with a Harwood watch, no Organa catalogue so far. Or advertisement.

If anyone can help me to be certain Selza were working with Harwood, if they had a license from Harwood, I would be very happy.

Thank you from the UK.

If you reply in German that is fine too!

https://thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?/ ... et-jetski/

[MCG]

Willkommen bei uns!
Leider kann ich persönlich zu Deiner sehr spezifischen Frage nicht helfen; ich bin aber überzeugt, dass der eine oder andere hier Hinweise geben kann ...

Good luck anyway...

[Guntram]

Hi there and welcome to the forum,

I must admit I'm utterly confused... you have a Harwood watch that says Organa on the dial and Fortis on the movement. That sounds like a Mercedes that says BMW on the engine and Volkswagen on the back. What makes it a Harwood watch, then? Would you have any pictures of watch and movement?

(Oh, and as an aside, try deepl.com which beats Google translator by a mile. )

[Paulchen]

(Oh, and as an aside, try deepl.com which beats Google translator by a mile. )

Thanks for the tip, I didn't know this website yet.

Übersetzt mit DeepL.

[Jet Jetski]

The Harwood Watch Company was basically a finance company with a patented invention.

The Harwood invention and patent was licensed to other watchmakers.

Fortis and Blancpain are the famous producers of the Harwood watch.

Sometimes the Harwood Watch has 'Harwood' and 'Fortis' on the dial.

But Selza and Wyler also took a license with Harwood, and produced their watch with a Harwood movement.

In the same way, an early Rolex Daytona can have a Zenith movement.

A Tag Heuer watch can have an Eta movement, or Sellita, or Tag movement - or Zenith again! (Cal 36)

Selza produce their 'Harwood' watch in two brands I believe. Solix and Organa.

[Heinz-Jürgen]

The Harwood Watch Company was basically a finance company with a patented invention.

The Harwood invention and patent was licensed to other watchmakers.

Fortis and Blancpain are the famous producers of the Harwood watch.

Sometimes the Harwood Watch has 'Harwood' and 'Fortis' on the dial.

But Selza and Wyler also took a license with Harwood, and produced their watch with a Harwood movement.

In the same way, an early Rolex Daytona can have a Zenith movement.

A Tag Heuer watch can have an Eta movement, or Sellita, or Tag movement - or Zenith again! (Cal 36)

Selza produce their 'Harwood' watch in two brands I believe. Solix and Organa.

Die Harwood Watch Company war im Grunde genommen eine Finanzgesellschaft mit einer patentierten Erfindung.

Die Erfindung und das Patent von Harwood wurden an andere Uhrmacher lizenziert.

Fortis und Blancpain sind die berühmten Hersteller der Harwood-Uhr.

Manchmal hat die Harwood Watch 'Harwood' und 'Fortis' auf dem Zifferblatt.

Aber Selza und Wyler nahmen auch eine Lizenz bei Harwood an und produzierten ihre Uhr mit einem Harwood-Werk.

Auf die gleiche Weise kann eine frühe Rolex Daytona ein Zenith-Werk haben.

Eine Tag Heuer Uhr kann ein Eta-Werk haben, oder Sellita, oder Tag-Werk - oder Zenith wieder! (Cal 36)

Übersetzt mit www.DeepL.com/Translator

[Heinz-Jürgen]

Funzt.

[MCG]

The Harwood Watch Company was basically a finance company with a patented invention.

The Harwood invention and patent was licensed to other watchmakers.

Fortis and Blancpain are the famous producers of the Harwood watch.

Sometimes the Harwood Watch has 'Harwood' and 'Fortis' on the dial.

But Selza and Wyler also took a license with Harwood, and produced their watch with a Harwood movement.

In the same way, an early Rolex Daytona can have a Zenith movement.

A Tag Heuer watch can have an Eta movement, or Sellita, or Tag movement - or Zenith again! (Cal 36)

Selza produce their 'Harwood' watch in two brands I believe. Solix and Organa.

Not so sure if Rolex ever used unaltered Zenith movements though...

[Jet Jetski]

Heuer adapt the Zenith, Omega adapt the Valjoux

I am saying that in a watch, you find co-operation.

Just like cars - my Rover had a Honda engine.

To stay on topic - I am looking for records between Selza SA and John Harwood Self-Winding Watch Company.

I believe John Harwood stayed with Victor Gisiger when he arrived in Switzerland.

The personal relationship existed. Gisiger made introductions.

I have no evidence of a business relationship - always 'Fortis', always 'Blancpain'.

But the watches speak, too many for a coincidence.