Star Watch Case Company, The Baumgartner Collection, 1904-1931

This first edition of the Baumgartner Collection comprehensively catalogs Friedrich Alexander Baumgartner's watch case design and engraving work during his 27-year tenure at Star Watch Case Company from 1904 to 1931. The compilation presents 3,474 designs, offering a unique glimpse into his drawings for Star Watch cases. The collection has been methodically arranged, indexed, and made searchable to serve as a valuable resource for enthusiasts and serious collectors alike, as well as researchers, historians, and horologists, who will gain a renewed appreciation for the intricacy and craftsmanship involved in watch case design. Watch case enthusiasts and collectors will appreciate the two indices, which include an image-based index that comprehensively catalogs the images, whether by a particular design (e.g., birds, botanical, cabins, eagles, elk and deer, dogs, women, etc.), theme (e.g., Renaissance), case shape (e.g., pentagon, octagonal, or cushion), or production year; and, a list of all cases in the collection with transcriptions for all notes on the case drawings. The collection is an essential tool for horological research of Star Watch cases that secures Baumgartner's reputation as a distinguished American watch case artist and engraver.