Timewarp
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Zenith in Bombay
Sharing a little history of one of my favourite brands, ZENITH.
The building, now Mulla House, that housed The West End Watch Co. (2nd flr), situate on Mahatma Gandhi Road, at the Flora Fountain, Mumbai, (Bombay). Unfortunately the building exists but not the shop.
Zenith and Mahatma Gandhi have a story going, maybe another time…!
The building that housed the Zenith Sales office. Now we call them ADs.
Flora Fountain around 1900
In the sign, Henri Sandoz was misspelt and mispronounced as SANDOW, it was the cheapest in the range sold at the shop. Favre Leuba was the most fast moving.
Zenith, Favre Leuba and West End Watch Co. sold both pocket watches and wristwatches. Henri Sandoz only sold wrist watches.
In 1901, a sales and marketing between Zenith and Favre Leuba of Switzerland took place.
Both the families were close friends back in Switzerland and Henry A. Favre, who already owned a successful business in Bombay and Calcutta moreover in India, launched Zenith with the distribution for George Favre Jacot in the Indian peninsula, which ranged from Afghanistan to Burma!
The sales were carried out by a shop owned by the company The West End Watch Co., who was the sales agent for Favre Leuba in Bombay, they also sold their watches, The west End Watch Co.
The West End Watch Co. was an independent manufacturer at the time.
The sales head and owner of the Indian business was Louis Leuba a descendant of the founding family.
During the time of the sales and marketing strategy between the two companies, that funcyioned until the mid 1960s several pocket watches and wrist watches, especially high precision chronometers, did mention Zenith only but also Favre Leuba on the dial, though they were sold through The West End Watch Co.
The markings with Favre Leuba did not continue later than the 1950’s as these were the ‘left over’ stock or as we say the old stock.
The ‘Indian’ Zeniths did not have a STAR on the crown. That makes the distinguishing feature.
I don’t know the real reason but I presume some common parts my have been shared by Favre Leuba and Zenith, or maybe they assembled them in Bombay.
That’s all Folks!!!
(pl excuse the poor quality pics)
Some pics courtesey the internet during my research.
Zenith in Bombay
