Doxa 'Crystal Ball' Desk Clock History — WatchProSite Forum Digest

KMII · 2017-01-31T08:30:17Z

KMII showcases a Doxa 'crystal ball' desk clock, exploring Doxa's history beyond dive watches and the unique charm of converted pocket watches.

KMII

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

30 replies4999 views3 photos

KMII shares a fascinating Doxa 'crystal ball' desk clock, a unique piece that highlights Doxa's lesser-known history beyond dive watches. He delves into the brand's origins, its unexpected role during the Cold War, and the intriguing conversion of pocket watches into these distinctive desk clocks, offering a blend of horological history and personal anecdote.

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Doxa is a brand most of us associate with diving watches. Still, like most watch companies they had a history before - and in the case of Doxa it goes back to 1889. This history includes pocket watches as well as all kinds of wristwatches (from ultra thin, 8 day movement ones, etc.). I guess it has never been a brand that stood out especially on a global level - prior to their advent of some very innovative dive watch technology - and has primarily produced mid range mechanical timepieces of a kind that has gotten extinct in the quartz crisis (the hypothesis is mine).

The Cold War has produced many economic oddities. On the surface the two power blocs never tended to look favourably on any sort of economic co-operation but there was still lots of it going on, with the most unlikely of partners. If I look at the horological aspect, the Swiss decided to supply Venus movements to the Soviet space programme, then later on sold licence production rights to the Valjoux 7734 movements to the Soviets, too. And little Doxa, for some reason lost to time - these were the times prior to Compliance Departments in companies (in many countries bribing foreign officials was even a tax deductible expense - this meant as a description of the times, rather than as any sort of insinuation in the direction of Doxas business practices) - became one of the few officially recognised watch suppliers to former Yugoslavia.

After the age of pocket watches started coming to a close I guess some enterprising watchmakers took an opportunity to convert these into desk clocks. I have seen various brands, from Moser, Omega... to Doxa. One of the ways of doing so was to attach a spherical section both at the front and back to produce a crystal ball type of contraption, flattened at the back, so that it stands upright.

I have no clue where this one was dug up from by my father but I found it intriguing and as fathers are wont to do, he gladly gave it to me. I guess it is of little horological significance but it has a weird appeal and I like the idea of winding a hand wound clock every morning. And having a crystal ball in the office is certainly what most managers are looking for

Well, mine is stronger in telling time than predicting the long term future but it's still fun!

And it has heat blued hands, too

Finally, a slightly altered picture, which kind of looks more artistic and does a better job of bringing out the charm than my photography does

Thanks for viewing!

Key Points from the Discussion

The Doxa desk clock's design, with a spherical section on both front and back, creates a 'full globe' effect, similar to a two-sided JLC table clock.
The author's father collects clocks, and the acquisition of this Doxa piece is a welcome addition, despite spousal resistance to more clocks.
Another collector shares a similar experience with a growing clock collection, humorously noting the challenges of space and spousal approval.
The heat-blued hands on the Doxa clock are a detail appreciated by the author, reflecting a time when even 'lowly pieces' received significant finishing attention.

The Discussion

Alkiro1

Jan 31, 2017

That's the kind of watch related item I really love. It offers a vintage style which is perfect on a desk IMHO (much better than a snow globe LOL). It's a nice gift from your father ;-)

May be the start of a new collection my friend? Best wishes Alkiro

KMII

Jan 31, 2017

That is a slippery slope...

My father collects clocks and there is a large number of them about. I have gotten the evil eye from my spouse, when I mentioned getting a clock, so I guess this avenue is only partially open at the moment. And as you say - much better than any snow globe

Alkiro1

Jan 31, 2017

I'm sure your spouse is understanding. Just tell her that collecting watches or related items is better than cars because that's much lesser cumbersome :-)

Best wishes Alkiro

KMII

Jan 31, 2017

Now that's most certainly not the route to take...

As i very much intend to add the odd old car in a couple of years time. And then I would need to revisit my argumentation - remember, they never forget, even if we do

Alkiro1

Jan 31, 2017

Wise words... "they never forget" ;-)

Best wishes Alkiro

cazalea

Jan 31, 2017

It's easy for there to be "a large number of them about"

and while my wife would agree it might be better to have 8 clocks rather than 8 cars, when there are still 8 cars and we now have about 50 clocks ... there's a problem. Cazalea

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