As with the Calibre 41, the 59 was a major seller for M&ST, though a fraction smaller at 12′”.  Like the 41 it is a 3/4 plate cylinder aimed initially at least at the ladies market.  Just as with the 41 it came in both pocket and wrist watch cases.  Why they would offer such apparently similar calibres isn’t clear, there only being about 1mm difference between the cases of the two.

So far I have only traced the 59 back to 1911, so it is possible that in fact it is a later calibre and certainly it outlasted the 41 at least in terms of popularity since examples dating into the 1920’s can be found fairly easily.

Starting with my earliest datable watch for 1911.

 We see a very similar dial to that used on the 41’s of the same period.  Unsurprisingly the calibre details follow the same pattern.

Plate side we see the stem retaining screw operating directly on the stem and an oval shaped text ‘Made in Switzerland.’  This oval stamp seems something specific to M&ST and so far I have not seen it used by any other manufacturer.  Dial side we see a layout much the same as the 41 with a simple steel rocker with a heel top right on which the pin for setting the time operates.  The click screw is the left of the dial foot hole (and remains there) and the escapement mounting is independent from the plate allowing adjustment.

The calibre remains unchanged until 1915.

Sometime in 1915, we see some of the same changes applied to the 41 a year or two earlier.  Plate side the only change is the text which becomes ‘Swiss Made.’  Dial side we see a new design with a new shape rocker and the balance cock now attached directly to the plate.  Adjustment to the escapement is now done by a cut out around the lower cap on the escape wheel – a change made briefly it would seem in about 1913/1914 on the 41.

I have a 1917 that is the same as the above but reverts to having the oval ‘Made in Switzerland’ stamp.  I await further evidence to see if this is ‘normal’ or could be a later service swap with an earlier plate (the pivots run directly in the plate without bushes or jewels and a plate swap would be easier than rebushing).

In 1921 the calibre became stem set with some modification to the rocker and position of the stem retaining screw.

So the 59 spanned at least a decade of production and remained relatively unchanged throughout it’s life.  Unlike the 41 this as far as I’m aware did not have any variants.