Festina F16184 16-04-29-Festina Tour de France-RalfR-N3S 3753

Festina is a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

watch brand. In 1985, businessman Miguel Rodríguez acquired Festina, a brand founded in Switzerland in 1902, thus forming the ''Festina-Lotus group.''

History

Festina was created in 1902 by the Stüdi family in the city of

La Chaux-de-Fonds La Chaux-de-Fonds () is a Swiss city in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometers south of the French border. After Geneva, Lausanne and Fribourg, it is the fourth largest city l ...

, in Switzerland. In 1935 the founding-family transmitted the brand to businessman, Willy Burkhard von Wilhelm. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the company was based in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. In 1975, Georges Uhlmann, an entrepreneur who had a significant presence in the Spanish and Italian markets, acquired the firm. In 1984, the Spanish businessman Miguel Rodríguez, from La Linea de la Concepción (Cadiz), acquired the Festina

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...

and all its rights. The Festina brand derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

"''Festina lente''" which means: "''Make haste, slowly''", a phrase that according to Roman historian, Suetonius, is attributed to Augustus Caesar, known for his prudence: "Walk slowly if you want to arrive at a well-done job sooner". Within the Festina Group the brands Jaguar, Candino and Perrelet are Swiss-made. In 2002, Festina acquired the Swiss watch brand Candino. In 2004, Festina acquired the luxury watch brand, Perrelet, founded in 1777 by the prestigious watchmaker Abraham-Louis Perrelet.

Marketing

In 1992, Festina became the official Timekeeper of the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

until 2016, staying for decades closely linked to the world of cycling as a sponsor / timekeeper of the most important events of the cycling agenda (Tour of Spain, Tour of Britain, etc.). In 2016, actor

Gerard Butler Gerard James Butler (born 13 November 1969) is a Scottish actor and film producer. After studying law, he turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as '' Mrs Brown'' (1997), the James Bond film '' Tomorrow Never ...

became an ambassador of the brand and image of its campaigns worldwide thus moving its brand positioning towards the lifestyle category.

Festina Group

With more than 30 years of history, Festina Group is today an international company specialized in the production and commercialization of commercial price range watches and precision parts. The Group currently owns seven different brands of watches. Calypso, Lotus, Festina, Jaguar, Candino and two luxury brands Perrelet and L.Leroy. Festina also owns two jewelry brands, Lotus Style and Lotus Silver, to satisfy the demands of a wide range of public. The Group's headquarters is located in Madrid, while the main production centers, owned by the Group, are located in Switzerland and Spain. Today the Group, which has seven subsidiaries (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Benelux The Benelux Union ( nl, Benelux Unie; french: Union Benelux; lb, Benelux-Unioun), also known as simply Benelux, is a politico- economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighboring states in western Europe: ...

, Switzerland,

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

) is present in more than 90 countries on five continents with more than 5 million watches sold per year. * Festina * Candino * Jaguar * Perrelet * L.Leroy * Soprod - produces Swiss-made mechanical and quartz watch movements Soprod company website
* Calypso * Lotus * Kronaby

References

External links

*
Official US website
Manufacturing companies established in 1902 Watch brands Spanish brands Watch manufacturing companies of Spain Manufacturing companies based in Barcelona {{Spain-company-stub