During the 1960s, over 100 different models of Sherpa were released, for every conceivable sport.ġ958 saw the launch of the Sherpa dive watches. Taking the name from the rugged, heroic Sherpa guides who escorted (and in many instances carried) European explorers to the summit, Enicar renamed their Seapearl line to Sherpa. Seapearl watches by Enicar were strapped to the wrists of the members of a Swiss expedition to the summit of Mt. Also, as Rolex did with the Explorer, Enicar turned its gaze to the highest peaks of the world.ĭrawing from the needs of mountaineers and explorers, Enicar launched their Sherpa line, developing various sports models through the 1960s. In 1954 their Caliber 1010 achieved chronometer certification. By the early 1950s, 70,000 movements were produced each year in their laboratory, movements which Enicar boasted had been cleaned with ultrasound technology, establishing the 'Ultrasonic' line of watches. After World War II, production expanded and improved under the helm of Ariste Racine, Jr. Ariste Racine, with the help of his brother Oskar, grew the company steadily into the 20th century, receiving wide acclaim for their robust pocket watches that became favorites among officers in WWI.īy the 1930s, Enicar was producing wristwatches, and set its sights on building watches that could be worn in any environment. was established in that horological hotbed of La-Chaux-du-Fonds. So his wife, Emma, devised an clever solution: reverse the family name to 'Enicar.' Thus, in 1914 Enicar S.A. By the time young Ariste Racine entered the family business and wanted to start his own brand, the name 'Racine' was already trademarked. The Racine family (themselves cousins of the Gallet watchmaking dynasty) were already well-known in the watchmaking hub of Jura as early as the 1700s, and in 1870 Jules Racine Sr manufactured pocket watches under the family name. Yet sometimes the connection is obvious: all it takes is to reverse the name to make the connection clear.Įnicar is a brand that has only recently begun to gain traction among the collecting community, and yet its horological roots run deep. Brands that, from the names at least, don't seem to be connected, often are: Nivada and Croton, for example, or Heuer and LeJour (or Baylor). The world of horology, with its deep - often familial - connections, can be likened to a vast, impenetrable forest, entwined at the branches and at the roots.

Enicar watch serial numbers