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Joël Pynson
February 2025
Hans Fink and Jean Uhlmann founded the Manufacture d'Horlogerie La Trame in Tramelan in 1918 [1]. But another Tramelan manufacturer, Adrien Rossel-Conrad, was already using the La Trame brand. The company's name was therefore changed the same year to Manufacture d'Horlogerie Unitas.
In 1921, Jean Uhlmann left the company and was replaced by Hermann Burri and Victor Châtelain [2].
1922
1924
Unitas produced mainly pocket watches with movements of 17 to 20 lines (38.2 to 45.0 mm).
During the Depression years, Unitas tried to forge closer ties with Berna, and in 1925 created the Compagnie des montres High-Life with the aim of selling the two companies' watches [3]. This association was not as successful as had been hoped, and High-Life sold only Berna watches.
By 1926 Unitas was in dire straits, and the company was taken over by Auguste Reymond (ARSA) [4].
With the creation of Ébauches SA, whose aim was to regulate the manufacture of blanks, Auguste Reymond transferred the right to Unitas blanks to Ebauches SA in 1932 [5]. Unitas thus became one of the trust's blank manufacturers, along with A. Schild, Peseux, ETA and others.
For watches, however, the Unitas brand continues to be used by Auguste Reymond.
1934
1950
See also: ARSA
[1] FOSC 1918
[2] FOSC 1921
[3] FOSC 1925
[4] FOSC 1926
[5] Philippe de Coulon, Les ébauches, 1951, published by Ébauches SA, pp. 196-197
©Time To Tell, 2025
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