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By: Joel Pynson
Published: October 2024
Update : November 2024
1. From Borel & Courvoisier to Ernest Borel & Co.
Jules Borel
Jules Borel and Paul Courvoisier founded their company in Neuchâtel in 1859. In fact, the business could be traced back to an earlier date, since the two partners took over the comptoir of Henri Reynier fils, already active in the city [1]. The Borel & Courvoisier factory is a comptoir, meaning that the parts needed to make the watches come from different parts of Switzerland, and even France, and are "finished" at the comptoir. Thanks to customers inherited from Reynier fils, the company immediately began exporting to many countries, particularly the USA and China.
Borel & Courvoisier were extremely sensitive to the precision of their watches: as early as 1866, a company chronometer won first prize in the Neuchâtel Observatory competition.
In 1894, Paul Courvoisier retired from the company and Ernest Borel, son of the founder, joined his father [2].
Ernest Borel
In 1898, Jules Borel died. The company changed its name to Ernest Borel et Cie, successors to Borel-Courvoisier [3]. The partners were Ernest Borel, Sophie Borel-Courvoisier, widow of Jules, Adamir Debrot, a remarkable technician who remained with the company for over 50 years, and Siber Brennwald & Cie of Zurich, distributor of Borel watches in Asia.
Little is known about Ernest Borel & Cie's watches in the early 20th century. Not being a manufacturer, the company produced watches with a variety of movements that are difficult to authenticate today.
Jean-Louis Borel
Things began to change in the late 1920s. In 1926, Siber Brennwald & Cie, now Siber, Hegner et Cie, left the board, and Ernest Borel's son Jean-Louis joined the company [4]. Gradually, under the Elbro and Hermes brand names, the company freed itself from its heavy dependence on the Asian market by modernizing its manufacturing and launching numerous models of pocket watches and wristwatches, and from 1936 even sports counters [5].
From 1940, watches could be signed Borel, then E. Borel. Co, a registered trademark since 1945. The ranges are very comprehensive, with water-resistant, automatic, calendar, chronograph and jewelry watches.
1943
1945
In 1943, Ernest Borel called on the renowned illustrator René Bleuer for a series of advertisements that have become classics. René Bleuer worked with many watch companies in the 1940s and 1950s [6]. It was perhaps Bleuer who came up with the idea of a graphic representation of a couple where the woman admires her companion's watch [7]. Declined in multiple versions, the one depicting a couple dressed as in the 19th century finally became a registered trademark in 1946.
2. Ernest Borel chronometers
1945
Chronometry remains an asset for the company. A 1946 document specifies that the following marks are used on the dials [8]:
- standard quality: Ernest Borel Neuchâtel
- super quality: Ernest Borel
- precision quality with an official power bulletin: Ernest Borel Chronomètre
That year, Ernest Borel received 1,064 official reports, making the company second only to Rolex in Switzerland for series production of chronometers.
In 1947, Ernest Borel inaugurated a new factory in Neuchâtel, on the Route de Bienne [9]. Modern, bright and luminous, equipped with the latest watchmaking and testing equipment, it bears the inscription Chronomètres Ernest Borel on its façade.
These successes in the Official Control Offices were also linked to technical improvements pioneered by Ernest Borel. These included improvements to the regulating system, with the use of a new balance wheel [10], and above all the Incastar regulating system, without a ratchet, which operated simply by lengthening or shortening the balance spring and had no influence on position adjustment. This was the brainchild of Fritz Marti, inventor of the Incabloc [11].
1948
Ernest Borel obtained several thousand chronometer bulletins in the 1950s and 1960s, and even won a series prize for the 4 best wrist chronometers at the Neuchâtel Observatory competition in 1959 [12], 1960 and 1962.
3. Ernest Borel's golden age: 1945-1968
Like many Swiss manufacturers, after the 2nd World War Ernest Borel gave names to some of his models to facilitate promotion. The first of these models was the Rendez-Vous in 1946, and many others followed: Sahara, Sea Gem, Cocktail, Datoptic, Society, Flash, Deauville, Monaco, Space Gem, etc.
This was Henry DuPasquier 's arrival at the company [13]. Having joined the company as an executive assistant, he quickly assimilated the subtleties of watchmaking and proved to be an exceptional inventor and creative thinker. For example, he was responsible for the Cocktail model, launched in 1953, with its world-famous changing dial, the Monaco model with its asymmetrical case, and the highly successful Versailles and Cor de Chasse clocks.
With the end of the statut horloger, which had protected the Swiss watchmaking industry since the 1930s, Swiss manufacturers faced stiff competition from abroad in the early 1960s. This marked the beginning of company mergers, with the aim of pooling resources and skills. MSR (Manufactures Suisses d'Horlogerie), for example, which brings together Thommen, Vulcain, Buser and Phénix, was created in 1961.
ASUAG favored these company groupings, and in 1966 created Chronos Holding [14] with this objective in mind. Between 1966 and 1969, Chronos Holding acquired Cyma, Ernest Borel and Doxa, and brought them together under the holding company Synchron SA. Jean-Louis Borel was appointed Chairman [15].
4. Synchron period and quartz crisis
Synchron's organization was quickly put in place. The administrative center was located in Neuchâtel, on Ernest Borel's premises, while watch manufacturing was carried out in Le Locle, on Doxa's premises, for the entire group [16]. The ranges are divided among the different brands as follows: Cyma for precision watches, Ernest Borel for designer watches, with the Cocktail model, for example, being brought up to date, and Doxa for sports watches. In 1970, the group produced 250,000 watches and alarm clocks [17].
1973
Synchron got off to a good start: sales increased steadily, and thanks to Ébauches SA, the group launched quartz watches in 1973, as well as a range of Conquistador economic automatic watches, and jewelry watches [18]. In the same year, Synchron absorbed Compagnie des Montres Auréole SA in La Chaux-de-Fonds, with the aim of producing 1 million pieces.
But from 1975 onwards, things quickly went from bad to worse. Unable to withstand the dramatic fall in the price of American quartz watches, and the rise of the Swiss franc against the dollar and other currencies, the Swiss watchmaking industry suffered one of the worst crises in its history [19]. Many companies disappeared or were taken over.
In 1978, Synchron SA went into liquidation. The Aubry Frères group took over the brands and set about relaunching them.
5. Aubry Frères period
Aubry Frères was founded in 1920 in Le Noirmont, in the Franches-Montagnes, by Marc and Henri Aubry [20]. As the brothers' father had already been in business since 1917, this date will ultimately be considered as the founding date. Under the Ciny brand, the company had made a name for itself respected the world over.
Marcel Aubry, son of one of the company's founders, enthusiastically took over the reins and embarked on an expansionist phase, acquiring Arthur Dorsaz et Cie ( Dogma watches) in 1972, and Société des Montres West End in 1973. And in 1978, Aubry Frères took over the Ernest Borel, Doxa and Auréole brands [21].
1991
Despite commendable attempts to revive the West End and Ernest Borel brands, Aubry Frères ran into difficulties in the late 1980s, and its Asian distributor, Hong Kong Truly, had to support the company financially. He finally took control in 1997.
2013
6. Main models Ernest Borel
Many Ernest Borel watches from the 1930s and 1940s have an original design, but the company didn't name some of its models until 1946.
- Rendez-vous
This extremely rare watch dates back to 1946, and it's very surprising. It features a tact alarm: at the time set by the crown and displayed on a small dial at 9 o'clock, a small auxiliary crown at 9 o'clock starts to turn and warns the wearer. It appeared only once in the watchmaking press of the time, and was certainly only produced in very limited quantities.
The Rendez-vous name was later used by Ernest Borel for classic alarm watches equipped with Ébauches SA's Alertic movement.
- Cocktail
This is Ernest Borel's best-known model. Launched in 1953, its success was immediate. The watch is equipped with a small 8.75-line movement with center seconds. The minute and seconds hands are replaced by transparent colored discs which, as they rotate, create attractive kaleidoscopic patterns. From the outset, there were numerous models for both men and women with a variety of motifs. Remarkably, the back of the watch is transparent to reveal the movement.
In 1954, the Cocktail model was the subject of a 3D advertising campaign: green/red glasses were supplied with the magazines so that the advertising could be admired in 3D!
1954
The Cocktail model was produced throughout the 20th century, and is still in the brand's catalog today.
1954
In the wake of this success, many imitators tried to circumvent Ernest Borel's patents [22]. Examples include Delbana with its Voltige model launched in 1954, or Invicta with its Graphomatic model from 1955.
- Datoptic
On a wristwatch, reading the date is not always easy due to the small size of the numerals in their aperture. Rolex was well aware of this, and in 1952 patented its famous "Cyclops" magnifier glued to the crystal [23]. In 1954, Henry Du Pasquier patented a magnifying glass set directly onto the dial aperture [24]. The Datoptic model was born in 1955, and has been available in steel, plated and gold.
1955
However, the laws of optics are clear: the magnification effect also depends on the distance between the magnifying glass and the object. Being very close to the date disc, Ernest Borel's magnifier is not as effective as Rolex's, and the Datoptic model had a relatively short career.
- Society
This elegant automatic watch in steel or plated, launched in 1956, has the distinctive feature of having a "drowned" crown, i.e. integrated into the case or bezel. The dial also has a mirror effect. The movement is equipped with the Incastar setting device.
- Flash
Curious wristwatches appeared at the end of the 1950s: they were equipped with a small lamp that could be switched on at will! The first was launched in 1956 by Ad. Allemann Fils, under the name Tourist Everlight. The watch featured a small bulb above the 12 o'clock index, which could be switched on by a push-button located on the side of the case at 2 o'clock [25].
1956
In 1958, the famous Fabrique Ernest Borel launched its own Flash model, based on its own patents and a slightly different principle [26]. The bulb was placed under the dial in a plastic housing running all the way around the periphery of the dial. When the push-button at 2 o'clock was pressed, the entire dial was illuminated. The battery could be recharged with a single cell, providing 6 months to a year's operation. The watch was available in steel or plated.
- Monaco
For the company's centenary in 1959, Ernest Borel launched several models, one of which, the Monaco, was quite original, with its asymmetrical case and drowned crown. It was an automatic model with a gold-plated case. Ernest Borel also presented other asymmetrical models in 1960.
- Space Gem
This is the last notable model from Ernest Borel's golden age. It's an automatic watch with date, featuring a case water-resistant to 200m, in steel or plated. There are high-frequency chronometer versions (36,000 vph) of this model.
See also: Aubry Frères-Ciny (coming soon) and the current Ernest Borel website
|1] Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie, 1944, 7-8, pp. 267-271
[2] FOSC 1894
[3] FOSC 1898
[4] FOSC 1926
[5] Revue Internationale d’Horlogerie, 1936, 20, p. 275
[6] Joel Pynson, René Bleuer, Charles Lemmel et l’âge d’or de la publicité horlogère des années 1940, Horlogerie Ancienne (AFAHA), 2020, 88, pp. 70-83
[7] Et non un couple dansant comme on peut le lire parfois
[8] Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie, 1946, 9-10, p. 14
[9] Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie, 1947, 11-12, pp. 533-536
[10] Brevet Ébauches SA CH 227189 de 1942
[11] Brevet CH 251174 de 1945
[12] La Suisse Horlogère, édition hebdomadaire, 1960, 8, p. 157
[13] Europa Star, 1965, 31, pp. 92-98
[14] Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie, 1966, 4, p. 471
[15] La Suisse Horlogère, édition hebdomadaire, 1969, 4, p. 102
[16] La Suisse Horlogère, 1970, 46, p. 1772
[17] La Suisse Horlogère, édition hebdomadaire, 1972, 9, p. 230
[18] La Suisse Horlogère, édition hebdomadaire, 1973, 6, p. 154
[19] Joel Pynson, La « crise du quartz » et l’horlogerie suisse, Chronométrophilia, 2021, 88, pp. 97-116
[20] FOSC 1920
[21] The Cyma brand was taken over by Claude Guilgot (Fabrique Delvina in Geneva).
[22] For example, Henry DuPasquier's patent CH 296061, registered on December 4, 1952.
[23] Brevet CH 298953
[24] Brevet CH 306108
[25] Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie, 1957, 3, p. 132
[26] Revue internationale d’Horlogerie, 1958, 4, p. 7
Acknowledgements
Most of the watchmaking archives were consulted at the Musée International d'Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and I would like to thank the Museum's curator, Mr. Régis Huguenin, and his team for their warm welcome.
The archives of the Fédération Horlogère, Le Davoine and L'Impartial are available online at www.doc.rero.ch
The archives of Journal Suisse d'Horlogerie, Europa Star, Revue Internationale d'Horlogerie and Suisse Horlogère are available at The Watch Library
The FOSC (Feuille Officielle Suisse du Commerce) is available on E-periodica
Notes :
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