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General Watch Co
General Watch Co. (GWC) was the watch companies holding of ASUAG. History ASUAG had been founded in 1931, with the assistance of the Swiss government and the Swiss banks, to combat the severe economic crisis and ensuing unemployment by means of refinancing (thus eliminate the deadly "dumping for survival" murderous competition within the still somewhat "cottage industry"-like status of a majority of the movements and parts thereof supplying companies) and complementary research and development programs in their respective companies. Its mandate was to maintain, improve and develop the Swiss watch industry. ASUAG also expanded gradually through the purchase of ebauches manufactures (movement blanks), movement parts manufactures (e.g. balance wheels, assortments, rubies) and a number of assemblers and manufacturers of complete watches, that were subsequently brought together under the subsidiary “GWC General Watch Co. Ltd.” Affiliated watch brands and companies * A. Reymon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holding Company
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies to form a corporate group. In some jurisdictions around the world, holding companies are called parent companies, which, besides holding stock in other companies, can conduct trade and other business activities themselves. Holding companies reduce risk for the shareholders, and can permit the ownership and control of a number of different companies. ''The New York Times'' also refers to the term as ''parent holding company.'' Holding companies are also created to hold assets such as intellectual property or trade secrets, that are protected from the operating company. That creates a smaller risk when it comes to litigation. In the United States, 80% of stock, in voting and value, must be owned before tax consolidation benefits such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Watch Manufacturing Companies Of Switzerland
A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by a watch strap or other type of bracelet, including metal bands, leather straps or any other kind of bracelet. A pocket watch is designed for a person to carry in a pocket, often attached to a chain. Watches were developed in the 17th century from spring-powered clocks, which appeared as early as the 14th century. During most of its history the watch was a mechanical device, driven by clockwork, powered by winding a mainspring, and keeping time with an oscillating balance wheel. These are called ''mechanical watches''. In the 1960s the electronic ''quartz watch'' was invented, which was powered by a battery and kept time with a vibrating quartz crystal. By the 1980s the quartz watch had taken over most of the market from the mechani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swatch Group
The Swatch Group Ltd is a Swiss manufacturer of watches and jewellery. The company was founded in 1983 by the merger of ASUAG and SSIH to move to manufacturing quartz-crystal watches to resolve the quartz crisis threatening the traditional Swiss watchmaking industry. The Swatch Group is the world's largest watch company and employs about 36,000 people in 50 countries. The group owns the Swatch product line and other brands, including Blancpain, Breguet, Certina, ETA, Glashütte Original, Hamilton, Harry Winston, Longines, Mido, Omega, Rado, and Tissot. History SSIH SSIH ( Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère), originated in 1930 with the merger of the Omega and Tissot companies. Swiss watch quality was high, but new technology, such as the Hamilton Electric watch introduced in 1957 and the Bulova Accutron tuning fork watch in 1961, presaged increasing technological competition. In the late 1970s, SSIH became insolvent due in part to a recession and in part to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Société De Microélectronique Et D'Horlogerie
Société de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie was the name of the holding company created by the merger enforced by the Swiss Banks in 1983 of the SSIH and ASUAG, renamed The Swatch Group in 1998. Ernst Thomke, previously CEO of Ebauches SA and ETA SA, was appointed to head the newly established conglomerate as its first CEO. He held his position until 1991. When he resigned, the newly elected President of the Board, Nicolas G. Hayek Nicolas George Hayek (19 February 1928 – 28 June 2010), was a Swiss businessman of Lebanese descent, and the co-founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board of The Swatch Group. Early life and education Hayek was born the second of three children, t ..., had already managed to become the only person of reference. References {{DEFAULTSORT:Societe de Microelectronique et d'Horlogerie Defunct watchmaking companies Companies established in 1983 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Société Suisse Pour L'Industrie Horlogère
Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère (SSIH) is a former group of Swiss watchmakers comprising the brands Omega, Tissot and Lemania. History SSIH was created on February 24, 1930 in Geneva by Tissot and Omega, to be joined in 1932 by Lemania Watch Co and A. Lugrin Co in L'Orient ( Vallée de Joux). The company specialized in the manufacture of horological complications, enabling Omega to obtain the timing of the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. This was an important step for the development of Omega's important Sports' Watches segment with exclusive chronographs, such as the Omega Speedmaster. The merger agreement foresaw Omega's concentration on the luxury watch segment, whereas Tissot's mission was to concentrate on the medium price range segment. In 1983, SSIH and the Allgemeine Gesellschaft der schweizerischen Uhrenindustrie AG ( ASUAG) the other most important Swiss Watch Group, were forced by their Swiss Banks to merge into a new holding company named So ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Technos (watches)
Technos is a watch trademark. It was first registered in 1924 in Switzerland, and gained popularity after World War II, especially in Japan and Brazil. The brand is now Brazilian-owned. History M. Gunzinger-Hug Co. The company was founded 1900 under the name M. Gunzinger-Hug. It was founded by Melchior Gunzinger, in Welschenrohr, in the Swiss Jura Mountains, Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland. Gunzinger Bros Ltd Melchior’s son, Joseph Gunzinger, took over the watch manufacturing facility in 1920 and changed the name to "Gunzinger Bros Ltd." In 1924 he registered the trademark "Technos" and started manufacturing and exporting watches under that name. Technos became a successful brand and the company began to increase its manufacturing capacity. It became one of the main employers in the area. In 1970, Josef Gunzinger sold the company to General Watch Co. At the time the company employed 450 people and exported watches worldwide, especially to Japan & Brazil. Soon however, wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rotary Watches
Rotary Watches Ltd was established at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland by Moise Dreyfuss in 1895. By the 1920s family members Georges and Sylvain Dreyfuss began exporting Rotary watches to Britain, which was to become the company's most successful market. Rotary later became the official watch supplier for the British Army. The well known “winged wheel” Rotary logo was introduced in 1925 and has since then undergone minor changes in appearance. Rotary became an international company selling watches in more than 35 countries. Since 2014, it has been owned by Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Limited (an investment holding company known as China Haidian Holdings until 2014). Background In 1940, Rotary became an official watch supplier for the British Army. Coinciding with the Second World War and the drafting of huge numbers into the army, the move put a Rotary watch in almost every household in Britain, leaving a lasting impression of the brand in the UK. In 2006, Rotary Watches ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roamer (watchmaker)
Roamer is a Swiss manufacturer of luxury watches, now based in Wallbach, Switzerland. History Roamer was founded by Fritz Meyer in Solothurn, Switzerland, in 1888. The company originally concentrated on manufacturing cylinder escapements,. Within only seven years, the company grew to sixty employees and started producing complete watches. In 1895, the company developed its first own calibre and named it "Number 38" to commemorate Meyer's 38th birthday. In 1905, Meyer joined fellow watchmaker Johann Studeli to form the partnership Meyer and Studeli (MST). In the same year, Meyer won a bronze medal at the Liège World Fair. The partnership continued to develop new calibres and enter them into more world fairs, winning silver medals at the Milan Fair in 1906 and Brussels Fair in 1910. The earliest identified watch is an unmarked lady's pocket watch containing an MST 41 cylinder escapement that has London silver hallmarks for 1908. In 1917 they purchased fellow Solothurn watchma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rado (watch)
Rado or Radó may refer to: Given name * Rado (died 617), Burgundian palace mayor * Rado (died 1057), Hungarian noble Surname * Alexander Radó (1899–1981), Hungarian-born cartographer and Soviet military intelligence agent * Elisabeth Radó (1899–1986), Yugoslavian opera singer *Tibor Radó (1895–1965), Hungarian mathematician * Sándor Radó (psychoanalyst) (1890–1972), Hungarian-American psychoanalyst * Christian Rado (born 1975), American racing driver * Gaby Rado (1955–2003), Hungarian-born British television journalist *James Rado (1932–2022), American actor * Jonathan Rado, American musician and producer *Richard Rado (1906–1989), German mathematician * Türkan Rado (1915–2007), first ever Turkish female professor of jurisprudence Business * Rado watches, a brand of the Swatch Group The Swatch Group Ltd is a Swiss manufacturer of watches and jewellery. The company was founded in 1983 by the merger of ASUAG and SSIH to move to manufacturing quartz-crys ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oris (watches)
Oris SA is a Swiss luxury manufacturer of mechanical watches. The company was founded in 1904 and is based in Hölstein in the canton of Basel-Landschaft. History Genesis and early growth Oris was founded by Paul Cattin and Georges Christian in the Swiss town of Hölstein. They bought the recently closed Lohner & Co watch factory, and on June 1, 1904 the two men entered into a contract with the local mayor. They named their new watch company Oris after a nearby brook, and they began the industrial manufacture of pocket watches. In its founding year, Oris employed 67 people. In 1906, the firm opened an assembly plant and second factory in the nearby town of Holderbank. Another factory followed in Como in 1908. By 1911, Oris had become the largest employer in Hölstein, with over 300 workers. To entice more watchmakers, it built houses and apartments for its staff, and it expanded so that by 1929 it had additional factories in Courgenay (1916), Herbetswil (1925) and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mido (watch)
Mido SA is a Swiss watchmaking company founded in 1918. It is an entry-level brand of Swatch group. History Mido was founded in 1918 by George G. Schaeren in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. ''Mido'' comes from the Spanish phrase ''Yo mido'' meaning ''"I measure"''. In the 1920s, Mido introduced ladies' watches with color-enameled shaped cases and modern straps as well as timepieces for gentlemen in art deco style. Mido found a market in the flourishing automotive market by producing watches in the shape of radiator grills of a wide range of brands such as Buick, Bugatti, Fiat, Ford, Excelsior, Hispano-Suiza, etc. In 1934, Mido launched the Multifort design, the first Mido to use a self-winding automatic movement. It was shock-resistant, anti-magnetic and water-resistant. In that same year Mido launched watches with unbreakable mainsprings. This was also the very first time that any watch manufacturer utilized this type of spring within the marketplace. During this time pe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
