Belora, May - June 1974: a Portuguese watchmaking magazine

Here is a selection of articles from the May and June 1974 issue of Belora magazine. In what was the first issue after the 25th of April, the magazine carried on as normal, except for the editorial, which suggested setting up a watchmakers' trade union free from the State. Most issues of the magazine can be consulted in PDF through a subscription to the "Europa Star Club".

Editorial - a suggestion about creating a trade union

Fifty years ago there was a watchmaking magazine in Portugal: Belora. The magazine always took a markedly educational approach, and in the editorial of the May-June 1974 issue it suggested creating a watchmakers' trade union, clearly separate from the goldsmiths and completely independent of the State. A name was even suggested: "O Sindicato dos Profissionais da Indústria e Comércio de Relojoaria". The idea was presented as the most modern of ideas, an unprecedented novelty in the country.

The CFH - a training centre funded by companies in the sector

As an example of what could be done in Portugal, Belora presented in the same issue the structure of the CFH, the Swiss Watchmaking and Jewellery Training Centre, financially supported by several companies in the industry.

Since 1974 the centre has been a legally autonomous, entirely non-profit foundation. Located in Lausanne, a university city on the shores of Lake Léman, an international meeting point and tourist centre, the CFH is financed largely by the organisations, associations, groups and individual companies of the Swiss watch industry. The foundation also benefits from the material support of Swiss and foreign producers or distributors of diamonds, pearls and gold jewellery.

7th chronograph course - 1974

Further on, the same magazine announced the list of students and a summary of the 7th chronograph course. The course was taught by Aldo Bernasconi's deputy: Master Américo Henriques.

The Watch

The following article was about "The Watch": the various types of watch were simply classified into the following curious categories:

• The calendar watch

• The chronograph watch

• The counter

• The Roskopf watch

• Anti-magnetic

• Jewels or rubies

• Shock absorbers

• Water resistance

Will the Basel Watch and Jewellery Fair separate from the Swiss Industries Fair?

This was the headline of the news item about the second watch and jewellery fair in Basel, a city known for having been the stage for Baselworld until 2022.

"The great new success achieved this year by the second European Watch and Jewellery Fair, held as part of the Swiss Industries Fair, surpassed all expectations, even though it had already been expected to be very great. The fact is that the 850 exhibitors who took part in it have become definitively convinced that choosing Basel to host this Fair was a most judicious decision; and the 180 companies already registered for the new show have now risen to more than 250."

Checking the water resistance of watches from the point of view of sales

The article discussed the importance of checking the water resistance of watches for sales purposes, a process especially relevant for watches rated at 2 to 4 atmospheres. It presented a device called the Portescap CEP, designed to test water resistance safely. The check was simple and considered accessible to retailers, using a foot pump to inject air and a pressure gauge to measure the pressure. The device was robust and capable of testing up to 10 atmospheres, the resistance needed for a dive to a depth of 100 metres. Quick and efficient, the test gave satisfactory results and positioned the CEP as a valuable tool among after-sales services for ensuring the quality and water resistance of watches.