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ZENITH
CAMERER CUSS & CO
LONDON
1959
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Absolutely rare, even unique on the market, rare Zenith watch stamped and sold by Camerer Cuss & co London.
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Camerer Cuss & Co. started as an importer of Black Forest clocks in 1788.
Camerer Cuss & Co. grew out of a partnership between David Kuss and Andrew Kamerer who came to London from Germany in 1845 to import and sell Black Forest clocks. David Kuss was a true businessman who brought a new dimension to the company by opening the first Camerer Cuss store in Shepherds Bush in 1879.
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At the start of the First World War, there was a great deal of ill will, even violence, towards anyone with a German-sounding name. In some parts of London, windows were smashed and stores destroyed. Reports circulated that the police had raided Shepherds Bush's premises, prompting a swift response in the form of an announcement in the national press that "we are loyal British subjects". Even so, it was deemed prudent to change the spelling of the surname from Kuss to Cuss.
Terence Camerer Cuss was responsible for the publication of two watchmaking books, "Antique Watches" & "Early Watches". He also published "Camerer Cuss & Co" in 1988, a bicentenary book (1788 - 1988) on the long-established company.
The last Camerer Cuss store closed its doors in 2002. Now the name Camerer Cuss is history.
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Presently, a watch from the famous house of Zenith, dressed and well-proportioned. The white dial, with applied indexes in the form of arrows, large indicators with numbers at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock, is sober and elegant.
The dial features the iconic Zenith logo with the star, stamped by "Camerer Cuss & co London" in a slightly retro style at the bottom. The metal dauphine hands are solid and without luminescence. The whole is relatively clean for a watch that is more than sixty years old.
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The case is a steel base, with a stainless steel clip-on back. There is some wear on the case commensurate with age, but nothing that detracts from the overall beauty of the watch. The crystal has a slight crack at 7 o'clock. The caseback bears the original reference number, 9381372, and the engraving "G.W. to G.M. 1959". The inside is embossed "Zenith Sporto" with the logo typical of the period.
The watch is powered by a Swiss made mechanical movement: the caliber 120 numbered here 4828712 confirming the engraving on the back dating the watch to 1959. The movement is protected by a transparent cover, I had never seen that before.
Overall, a beautiful and extremely rare reference stamped Camerer Cuss & co. The overall condition is very good, and the dial is really the part that makes this watch stand out.