{"product_id":"eska-royce-ellipse-as12307","title":"Eska 'Royce' Ellipse","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFounded in Grenchen in 1918, Eska was one of two watch brands produced by S. Kocher \u0026amp; 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePowered 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Eska","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44199352107095,"sku":"40993285","price":1650.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0809\/1255\/files\/AS12307_40993285_ESKA_ROYCEELLIPTICAL-6.jpg?v=1788366850","url":"https:\/\/www.analogshift.com\/products\/eska-royce-ellipse-as12307","provider":"Analog:Shift","version":"1.0","type":"link"}