Pronto Medical Nurse Fob Watch

Pronto 
Medical  
Nurse Fob 
1950's
Chrome, nickel
Manual wind  
Movement cal. ETA 1168 
17 Jewels   
Swiss made     
Ø 33.3 mm 

The Pronto watch factory was launched in 1890 Le Noirmont, Switzerland, not much later a second factory emerged in Langenthal. The company adopted several names over the years however it was always referred to as Maître, named after its founder Léon Maître. The Pronto brand name was registered after the turn of the century, in 1902 to be exact. 
Pronto can also be found in combination with the Verdal brand, and in the early days both would without an exception carried the ‘Fleur-de-lys’, also known as French Lily logo.
Early ads from 1917 U.S. Navy Nurse Corps reads: "No ornaments or jewellery other than a plain watch fob to be worn while on duty”. It’s hard to find an exact date when and where the first nurse fob watches appeared, but it was clearly invented by a clever girl which used a pin and ribbon to attach the watch to her uniform as a handsfree tool while helping the patient.
Nurse fob watches were also called a ‘60 second chrono’s’, as they could count down 60 seconds at a time.
Ticking away the time inside you will find the striking Swiss ETA 1168, with a 60-second sweep second function, it is a rare caliber especially due to the stopwatch function, it was launched in 1955. 
Glancing at the Pronto Medical fob watch I wonder, what story it would have to tell…were has it been, what has it seen, and who it might have saved. Without a doubt it has seen some action, though I might add that it seems a tad exaggerated in the photos, it seems to reveal much less traces of use, just sitting here at my desk. Its an interesting, intriguing watch.