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The true story of Berna watches

The true story of Berna watches

Berna

Known for its famous regatta counter, Berna was one of the many manufacturers of counters and chronographs in St Imier.

Description

Joel Pynson

January 2025

Berna's history is also linked to other Swiss manufacturers such as Ernest Degoumois and Léonidas.

 

1. The Droz family

Alcide Droz founded his watchmaking factory in St Imier in 1864. His son Louis then joined him, and by 1883 the company was called Alcide Droz & Fils [1].

The company made a name for itself at the Swiss National Exhibition in Zurich in 1883. The Alcide Droz & Fils stand caused a sensation:

"The so-called waterproof watches from Messrs. Alcide Droz et Fils, Saint-Imier, also deserve a mention; they could hardly escape the attention of visitors, immersed as they were in a jar, in the company of perfectly alive fish, who were no doubt delighted to be able, for the first time in their lives, to see the march of time to within a few seconds. The crown of these watches is screwed on, which completely prevents water from entering the movement. [2] "

   

This appears to be the first Swiss attempt to producea water-resistant watch. Alcide Droz had patented his water-resistant case in 1883 in the USA [3].

Alcide Droz died in 1886. His widow Anna Elise and his son Louis took over the company under the name Droz & Cie, with a new partner: Constant Droz. He was an importer of watches to the English Indies, in Bombay, where he was associated with Jacques-Arnold Amstutz. This explains the mention "Comptoirs à Bombay et Calcutta" on Droz & Cie advertisements.

The Berna trademark was registered in 1887.

 

1895

Droz & Cie is not just interested in water-resistant watches. There are Berna watches, of good quality, Maxim watches, more economical, and above all, numerous chronograph models. In 1893, the Fédération Horlogère's special envoy to the Chicago Exposition, Charles Houriet, noted on the Droz & Cie stand double-sided chronographs and chronographs modified to "allow both hands to return to noon, even when the transmission mechanism is engaged [4]." This appears to be the first description of the flyback mechanism that would be "reinvented" many years later.

Also in 1893, Constant Droz and Jacques Arnold Amstutz set up a branch of their company in St Imier, under the name West End Watch Co, Droz & Amstutz. [5].

  

1906

For some obscure reason, in 1902 the Droz family withdrew from the company that bears their name [6]. This was no doubt due to financial difficulties, since despite an attempt to relaunch the company under the name Fabrique d'horlogerie Berna, it went bankrupt in 1908.

It was then taken over by Ernest Degoumois, manager of another St Imier factory.

  

2. Berna Watch Co.

1903

Ernest Degoumois set up his watchmaking factory in St Imier in 1888 [7]. He manufactured "bon courant et soignée" watches under the Bonheur and High-Life brands.

In 1908, he bought the Fabrique d'horlogerie Berna and merged it with his own manufacture under the name Berna Watch Co [8].

  

1909

The new manufacture is not taking over the Droz calibers, but concentrating on the Degoumois calibers, which are probably of superior quality. But you can't be based in St Imier and not be interested in chronographs and counters. As early as 1911, a fine chronograph caliber appeared, as well as calibers for sports counters.

  

1911

Berna Watch gradually began to specialize in chronographs and counters. Several patents were registered for this type of watch, as well as several models, including a version with a central minute counter, and a counter with minute display in circular apertures that would prove popular in sailing regattas, registered in 1914.

  

1914

In 1916, due to the difficulties caused by the First World War, Berna began manufacturing machines under the name BDM (Berna Département Machines). In 1922, Berna also became the Swiss dealer for Italian Veglia alarm clocks and Glashütte Strasser & Rohde astronomical regulators.

  

1916

1924

By 1928, the company was in difficulty and was taken over by Charles Jeanneret, head of the Léonidas factory [9].

  

3. The Berna watch factory

Léonidas and Berna did not merge and continued to exist separately. In 1930, Berna was renamed Fabrique de montres Berna [10], and production of chronographs and counters continued.

  

1936

After the 2nd World War, the Berna watch range was expanded to include ladies' watches, water-resistant watches, calendar watches, diving watches and more.

   

1947

1964

Finally, in 1964, the Berna and Léonidas companies merged, not under the Léonidas name but as Fabrique de montres Berna [11]. Léonidas had been bought out by Heuer the same year. Berna continued to be managed by Charles Jeanneret until his death in 1979 [12]. The Fabrique de montres Berna was dissolved the following year.

  

See also: Leonidas

 

[1] FOSC 1883

[2] Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie, 1884, 6, p. 159

[3] Brevet US 307 027

[4] La Fédération Horlogère, 8 octobre 1893, p. 349

[5] FOSC 1893

[6] FOSC 1902

[7] FOSC 1889

[8] FOSC 1908

[9] FOSC 1928

[10] FOSC 1930

[11] FOSC 1964

[12] FOSC 1979

 

The archives of Fédération Horlogère, 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 :

About Time To Tell: Time To Tell has one of the largest private digitized databases on the history of Swiss watchmaking, with over 2.3 TB of data on more than 1,000 Swiss watch manufacturers. This database has been built up over a period of some thirty years, and continues to be fed with around 50 to 100 GB of data every year. The database is made up of old documents, mainly Swiss trade journals, dating from the late 19th to the late 20th century. Most of these documents are not available on the Internet. Historical articles published on the time2tell.com website always cite the sources used.

Time To Tell is a private company, independent of any watch manufacturer.

©Time To Tell, 2025

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