Eska 'Royce' Ellipse

The 1960s and 1970s were a golden age for experimental watch design. Traditional round cases increasingly gave way to geometry, asymmetry, and sculptural forms, blurring the line between watchmaking and jewelry. This wonderfully unusual Eska is very much a product of that moment.

Founded in Grenchen in 1918, Eska was one of two watch brands produced by S. Kocher & Co., the company established by Silvan Kocher. In fact, the name Eska comes from the phonetic pronunciation of Kocher’s initials, “S.K.” The company also produced watches under the Royce name, particularly for export markets, and the two brands frequently shared manufacturing, movements, and design ideas. That relationship helps explain why closely related versions of this wonderfully eccentric oval design can be found bearing either the Eska or the Royce name on the dial.

This Eska puts design firmly at center stage. Its elongated elliptical case is surrounded by an open gold-tone outer frame, giving the central watch the appearance of floating within a larger oval. The crown is cleverly tucked into the upper edge, preserving the uninterrupted silhouette. From a distance, it reads almost more like a piece of Modernist jewelry than a conventional wristwatch.

Then there’s that dial. Natural tiger’s eye produces shifting bands of brown, bronze, black, and brilliant gold that change dramatically with the light. Eska wisely lets the stone do the work: there are no numerals or hour markers, just two slender white hands and the wonderfully period Eska signature. Since every piece of tiger’s eye has its own pattern and chatoyancy, each dial is effectively unique.

Powered by a Swiss hand-wound mechanical movement, this is a fascinating survivor from a more adventurous era of watch design. Sculptural, glamorous, and just a little strange, it also tells the larger story of Eska and Royce, two names, one manufacturer, and a shared willingness to make watches that looked nothing like everyone else’s.

Founded in 1918 in Grenchen, Switzerland, Eska was the creation of Silvan Kocher, whose initials provided the brand with its name: “S.K.” rendered phonetically as Eska. Operating as S. Kocher & Co., the company developed an unusually varied catalog, ranging from straightforward time-only watches to complicated pieces and highly decorative creations, including beautifully executed cloisonné enamel dials.

Eska was not the company’s only identity. In the postwar years, S. Kocher & Co. increasingly used the Royce name as a second brand, particularly for export markets such as the United States. Eska and Royce watches therefore share considerably more than a family resemblance: both were products of the same company and, in some instances, Royce-signed watches can even be found with Eska markings inside their cases. Broadly speaking, Eska became associated with some of the company’s more refined and decorative creations, while Royce frequently appeared on sportier and more utilitarian watches destined for international markets.

By the mid-20th century, the company had established a significant presence beyond Europe, particularly in North and South America, and had even developed production operations in Brazil to serve regional demand. Like many smaller Swiss manufacturers, however, it struggled with the dramatic changes reshaping the watch industry in the latter half of the century, and Eska ultimately ceased operations in 1987.

After nearly four decades of dormancy, Eska was revived in 2024, returning one of Switzerland’s more intriguing forgotten names to contemporary watchmaking. The reborn company draws on an archive that is surprisingly rich in both technical and design experimentation, allowing a new generation of collectors to discover a story that had largely disappeared from view.

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