The True Story of Fero and Arlea

Robert Feldmann was already working as an assembler when he decided to start his own watchmaking factory in 1948 in Wolfwil, in the canton of Solothurn.

At that time, the Swiss watch industry was governed by the “watchmaking statute,” which required authorization from the Swiss Watchmakers’ Federation to establish or expand a watch factory. Robert Feldmann received authorization to establish his factory, but only to manufacture affordable Roskopf-style watches.

Alfred Hasler founded his watchmaking factory in Biel in 1917. In 1920, he registered the Arlea trademark, and the company became Alfred Hasler, Manufacturer of Arlea Watches. It was a watchmaking company specializing in small ladies’ watches, like many other factories in Biel at that time.

In 1957, Robert Feldmann took over the factory. Arlea’s headquarters were moved to Wolfwil, allowing the Feldmann family—Robert and his son Max—to manage the two brands, which remained separate: Arlea for anchor-escapement watches and Fero for Roskopf watches.

But with the arrival of inexpensive quartz watches in the late 1970s, the Swiss watch industry fell into crisis. Production of Fero watches ceased, and the Arlea brand was discontinued.

The history of Fero can be found here, and that of Arlea can be found there.