| Scalping Chief |
07-05-2005 12:16 AM |
[quote:24b2c]Arthur Pequegnat came from Switzerland to Berlin, Ontario ca. 1874 with his brothers, sisters and parents. In the 1880s he was importing watches for sale locally in western Ontario. Around 1897 Arthur built a factory in Berlin to manufacture ... bicycles! When that market started to decline, he began in 1904 to convert part of his factory over to making clock movements. Initially his clock cases were produced in local furniture factories, typically with quarter-cut oak but occasionally with mahogany or walnut. Later he set up his own small factory for case production in nearby Breslau.
The town name was changed from Berlin to Kitchener in 1916. After Arthur died in 1927, relatives continued to operate the company until 1941. At that time the shortage of brass, a key component of the clock movements and other parts, forced the business to shut down.
A whole book has been devoted to the history of this top-of-the-list, one-hundred-percent Canadian manufacturer of clocks. Six original company catalogues were found during research for the book, but no company production records were ever discovered. Approximately sixty-five catalogued models of mantel clock are known, as well as sixteen models of wall clock (with variations) and seven models of grandfather (hall) clock. The Pequegnat company also sold several "clock kits" for various sizes of clocks over the years - everything one needed except for the case.
Because it was one of the most well-known and successful CANADIAN clock companies, its products are very desirable in Canada. The company and the clocks it produced are subject of several books and articles by Jane Varkaris, FNWACC, a former NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors) director. The clocks' Canadian values are well documented in "The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Clocks" by J.E. Connell. (ISBN 1198-984X) This was first published in 1994, and now (2002) is in its second or third edition.[/quote:24b2c]
Thats my family.. Hell there is even a book published about us. We are still to date one of the most Famous clock company out of Canada.
They also opened Jewelry stores in Guelph, Stratford, Brantford, Waterloo, New Hamburg, Tavistock and Neustadt.
We are originally from Loveresse, Switzerland
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