Uwersi, or Vereinigte Uhrenfabriken Ersingen (VUFE), was a manufacturer of watch movements and watches that was also one of the pioneers in the development of electric wristwatches.
The history of Uwersi / VUFE
In 1949, Pius Reiling founded a watch manufacturing company in Ersingen near Pforzheim. In 1950, Helmut Epperlein, born in Chemnitz in 1911, joined the company. He had recently moved from Dresden to Ersingen, where he initially traded in jewelry. The company, now called Vereinigte Uhrenfabrik Epperlein & Reiling or Uhrenfabrik Epperlein & Reiling, initially produced mainly alarm clocks, kitchen clocks, and similar items. Reiling left the company in 1952, and Epperlein took over the company on his own.
In January 1957, the company’s name was changed to Uhrenwerk Ersingen (Uwersi). Further name changes followed: Vereinigte Uhrenfabriken Ersingen (VUFE) (1959), Uhrenfabrik Uwersi (date unknown), Uhrenwerk Ersingen (EUW) (1964).
When exactly the company began developing and producing wristwatches and their movements is something I was unable to determine. By 1953, Epperlein already had 180 employees and was manufacturing five different wristwatch calibers, including its own patented calendar mechanism. Clearly not a small company, yet information about it is hard to come by.
The company marketed its products under the following brand names:
- Avo
- EUW
- Epperlein
- Ersingen
- Falgona
- Fallog
- Parex (unconfirmed)
- Uwersi
- VUFE
From around 1952, Epperlein worked on the design of an electromechanical wristwatch and registered several patents in this context. Between 1955 and 1960, he collaborated with the American watch manufacturer Hamilton Watch. Epperlein and Hamilton were granted reciprocal use of each other’s patents. In 1957, Epperlein launched the Epperlein 100, the first German electromechanical wristwatch.
Unfortunately, it was very prone to errors, so Epperlein launched a new in-house development in 1959, also under the name Epperlein 100. However, Epperlein was not commercially successful with this model, so he transferred his patents to Hamilton in September 1959.
The history of this collaboration and the watches that resulted from it would go far beyond the scope of this article.
In addition to patents for electric wristwatches, the company has also registered registered design patents for classic mechanical movements. These include German registered design DE1688274 from 1954 for a calendar mechanism for watches (‘Kalenderwerk für Uhren‘). In 1955, a patent of the same name, CH309973, was also registered in Switzerland.
VUFE also registered its own shock protection system in 1955 under the title ‘Elastisches Zapfenlager für Uhrwerke’ (elastic pivot bearing for watch movements) as German patent DE928400.
Despite the failure of the electromechanical wristwatch, the company had grown to more than 400 employees by 1960. In 1961, Epperlein even opened a branch plant for the manufacture of wristwatches and travel alarm clocks in Wilferdingen near Pforzheim. However, the economic situation apparently became worse and worse in the following years. In 1962, Epperlein had to file for settlement proceedings to avert bankruptcy. The amount involved was three million German marks. At that time, the company still had more than 300 employees. In 1963, the company headquarters was finally moved to Pforzheim.
The settlement proceedings mentioned above were not revoked until 1965. In April 1966, the Pforzheim District Court opened bankruptcy proceedings against the company’s assets, which were revoked just one year later. Helmut Epperlein died in Pforzheim on February 8, 1969. In April 1971, the company was dissolved by the District Court.
The watch movements
This article will focus solely on purely mechanical movements; electromechanical movements will not be discussed. First, here is an overview:
| Movement | Dimensions | Escapement | Variants |
|---|---|---|---|
| E.U.W. 10 1/2 ´´´ | 10 1/2´´´ | Pin lever | * Old, small seconds * New, small seconds * New, sweeping seconds |
| 47/11 | 8 3/4 x 12´´´ | Swiss lever | * Small seconds * Small seconds, pointer date * Sweeping seconds |
| 57/4 | 5 x 6 1/2´´´ | Swiss lever | * No seconds |
| 57/5 | 5 1/4 x 8´´´ | Swiss lever | * No seconds * No seconds, date |
| 57/6 | 5 1/4 x 8´´´ | Swiss lever | * No seconds |
| 57/8 | 10 1/2´´´ Automatik: 12 3/4´´´ (mit Rotor) | Pin lever or Swiss lever | * Pin lever, small seconds * Pin lever, small seconds, date * Pin lever, small seconds, pointer date * Pin lever, sweeping seconds * Pin lever, sweeping seconds, date * Swiss lever, sweeping seconds * Swiss lever, small seconds, date * Swiss lever, sweeping seconds, date * Swiss lever, automatic, sweeping seconds, date |
| 57/9 | 11´´´? | Pin lever | * Sweeping seconds |
| 57/10 | 10 1/2´´´ Automatik: 12 3/4´´´? | Swiss lever | * Sweeping seconds, old: barrel bridge with two screws * Sweeping seconds, new: barrel bridge with three screws * Automatic, sweeping seconds |
| 57/10A | 11 1/2´´´ | Swiss lever | * Automatic, sweeping seconds |
| 57/12 | 8 3/4 x 12´´´ | Swiss lever | * Small seconds * Small seconds, date * Sweeping seconds(ohne Kloben) * Sweeping seconds (with cock) * Sweeping seconds (without cock), date * Sweeping seconds (without cock), date |
| 57/51 | 5 1/4 x 8´´´ | Swiss lever | * No seconds * No seconds, date |
All of the Uwersi movements listed have a balance frequency of 18,000 bph. The date is designed in accordance with the patent shown above and does not have a quick-set function. To advance the date by several days, the hands must be turned several times over a time interval of 24 hours.
E. U. W. old / new
These movements are shown in movement catalogs, but I have not yet come across an actual example. They are likely to be the oldest movements from Uwersi, as they are already listed in the 1952 edition of Flume K1 catalog. They have a diameter of 10 1/2´´´, a pin lever escapement, a rocking bar crown winding mechanism and the click on the dial side.
The movement is available in an older version (left in the picture) and a newer version (right in the picture). In the newer version, the click mechanism has obviously been simplified. The newer version is not only available with small seconds, but also with indirect sweeping seconds.
Uwersi 47/11
This movement is also listed in the Flume K1 catalog in the part from 1952, but there it is still listed as E. U. W. 47/11. The form movement, measuring 8 3/4 x 11 3/4´´´ has a Swiss lever escapement, a rocking bar winding mechanism, and the click on the dial side.
There are three variants of the movement:
- 47/11: With small seconds, no date
- 47/11 CLD: With small seconds and pointer date
- 47/11 SCI: With indirect sweeping seconds, no date
Uwersi 57/4
A smaller 5 x 6 1/2´´´ form movement with a Swiss lever escapement and no seconds, of which I have not yet been able to obtain a specimen. Therefore, there is only a picture of the dial side from the 1959 Feilner catalog. However, it is also listed in the Flume K1 catalog in the part from 1957.
The bridge side looks like a more compact version of the Uwersi 57/5 (see below).
Uwersi 57/5
Another form movement from Uwersi with a Swiss lever escapement, also listed in the Flume K1 catalog in the part from 1957. Similar to the Uwersi 57/4, but slightly larger at 5 1/4 x 8´´´. This movement also has no seconds. It is available in two versions:
- 57/5: Without date
- 57/5 CLD: With date
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a picture of the version with date.
Uwersi 57/6
This is also a form movement with a Swiss lever escapement and is also listed in the Flume K1 in the part from 1957. At 5 1/4 x 8´´´, it is the same size as the 57/5 and also has no seconds. Unlike the 57/5, it has a crown winding mechanism with a rocking bar, and the click is located on the dial side. There is only one variant of this movement.
Uwersi 57/8
A round movement that is also listed in the Flume K1 in the part from 1957. Its many variants range from a simple hand-winding pin lever movement with small seconds to a Swiss lever escapement with automatic (AUT), indirect sweeping seconds (SCI), and date (CLD):
- 57/8: 10 1/2´´´, pin lever, small seconds
- 57/8 CLD: 10 1/2´´´, pin lever, small seconds, date
- 57/8 CLD: 10 1/2´´´, pin lever, small seconds, pointer date
- 57/8 SCI: 10 1/2´´´, pin lever, indirect sweeping seconds
- 57/8 SCI CLD: 10 1/2´´´, pin lever, indirect sweeping seconds, date
- 57/8 SCI: 10 1/2´´´, Swiss lever, indirect sweeping seconds
- 57/8 CLD: 10 1/2´´´, Swiss lever, small seconds, date
- 57/8 SCI CLD: 10 1/2´´´, Swiss lever, indirect sweeping seconds, date
- 57/8 AUT SCI CLD: 12 3/4´´´, Swiss lever, automatic, indirect sweeping seconds, date
I can show you a few of them here:
The automatic module, the Robot-Automatic, was not developed by Uwersi itself. If you would like to find out more, you can find detailed information here: The Robot-Automatic
Uwersi 57/9
This movement is listed in the Flume K1 catalog in th part from 1957 and in other movement catalogs. Unfortunately, the diameter is listed differently in each source: 10 1/2“, 10 3/4”, 11″. It has a pin lever escapement, sweeping seconds (presumably indirect), and a rocking bar winding mechanism. I have not yet come across a genuine example of this movement.
Uwersi 57/10
Another round movement that always features a Swiss lever escapement, direct sweeping seconds, and a crown winding mechanism with clutch. In other words, a significantly more modern movement than those shown previously.
There are a few variations here as well:
- 57/10 alt: 10 1/2´´´, hand winding, barrel bridge with two screws
- 57/10 neu: 10 1/2´´´, hand winding, barrel bridge with three screws
- 57/10 AUT: 11 1/2´´´, automatic
- 57/10A: 11 1/2´´´, automatic, differences to the 57/10 AUT are not known. Possibly just another name for the 57/10 AUT?
I can only show you the older 57/10:
Uwersi 57/12
A form movement measuring 8 3/4 x 12´´´ which is visually very similar to of the 47/11. Unfortunately, I do not know which details have been changed compared to the 47/11!
There are also several variants of this movement, all of which feature a Swiss lever escapement, a rocking bar winding mechanism, and the click on the dial side:
- 57/12: small seconds
- 57/12 CLD: small seconds, date
- 57/12 SCI: indirect sweeping seconds (without cock)
- 57/12 SCI: indirect sweeping seconds (with cock)
- 57/12 SCI CLD: indirect sweeping seconds (without cock), date
- 57/12 SCI CLD: indirect sweeping seconds (with cock), date
Uwersi 57/51
Finally, a 5 1/4 x 8´´´ form movement with a Swiss lever escapement, without seconds, which is listed in the 1960 appendix to the Flume K1 catalog. It appears to be the successor to the 57/5 and is available in the same two variants as the latter:
- 57/51: without date
- 57/51 CLD: with date
I have never encountered this movement in the wild either.
