History of the brands

The True Story of Century Time and Vacuum-Sealed Watches

Century

Patented by Hans-Ulrich Klingenberg, vacuum watches were marketed by several Swiss manufacturers beginning in the 1960s. Klingenberg also founded the company Century Time, which is still in business today.

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History of the brands

The true story of Société Horlogère Reconvilier

Reconvilier

Reconvilier watches suffered a double whammy: little appreciated during their existence because they were fitted with Roskopf calibers, and wiped out when American and then Asian quartz watches reached such low prices that the entire Swiss Roskopf watch industry disappeared.

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History of the brands

The true story of Invar watches

Invar

Achille Hirsch created a number of businesses in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The Compagnie des Montres Invar was intended to produce precision watches with their own calibers. The Invar brand was subsequently used by Achille Hirsch's sons, and the company ceased to exist in 1992.

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History of the brands

The true story of Repco watches

Repco

Founded by Pierre Nicolet, this Tramelan factory has remained faithful to mechanical watches and has not withstood the "quartz crisis".

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History of the brands

The true story of Rila watches

Rila

Rila is one of the many factories created by the Choffat family in Tramelan. Active until the "quartz crisis", it subsequently merged with the Dulux factory.

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History of the brands

The true story of Buttes Watch

Buttes Watch

Officially founded in 1923, Fabrique d'Horlogerie Buttes Watch, which specializes in chronographs, actually dates back to the 19th century.

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History of the brands

The true story of The Rode Watch Co, Fabrique Avia

Rode Watch

This American-Swiss manufacturer from the very early 20th century produced high quality watches, and created the Avia brand, taken over much later by Degoumois & Cie.

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