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Bulova Accutron, the Watch of the 1960s

April 14, 2022 By Stephen 3 Comments

The Bulova Accutron was the most important watch of the 1960s, bringing a new level of accuracy and technology and shifting the balance of power in horology from Switzerland back to the United States. It was also a dead end, delaying the development of other electronic watches and distracting the American and Swiss industries from the rise of quartz. How did something with such promise fail to have a lasting hold on the market?

Filed Under: Commentary, History Tagged With: Beta 21, Bulova, Bulova Accuquartz, Bulova Accutron, Ebauches SA, Electric, Elgin, Hamilton, Hamilton Electric Ventura, Harry Henschel, Landeron, LIP, Max Hetzel, Mosaba

The Forgotten History of Jaquet-Droz, Switzerland’s Shared Watch Brand

April 22, 2021 By Stephen Leave a Comment

The name “Jaquet Droz” has had many different meanings since the birth of Pierre Jaquet-Droz 300 years ago. For two decades after its formation in 1961, the Coopérative de Fabricants Suisses d’Horlogerie and SAH were leading producers of Swiss watches, commanding a double-digit share of exports and revenue. Was this a success or a failure? And why does the modern haute horology company consistently skip any mention of this history?

Filed Under: History, The Watch Files Tagged With: Bienne, Breguet, Ebauches SA, etablisseur, Investcorp, Jaquet-Droz, Neuchâtel, Pierre Jaquet-Droz, SAH, Swatch Group, Swissonic

The Thin Watch War | The Watch Files: January 12, 1979

February 23, 2021 By Stephen 4 Comments

On January 12, 1979, the Swiss watch industry announced the thinnest watch ever made: The Delirium, developed by Ebauches SA for Concord, Eterna, IWC, and Longines, measured just 1.98 mm thick. It wasn’t a big seller, but was a PR exercise to show the world that the Swiss were innovating like the Japanese. And the novel design paved the way for another announcement four years later, the Swatch.

Filed Under: History, The Watch Files Tagged With: André Beyner, Anthony Kable, Anton Bally, ASUAG, Citizen, Citizen Exceed Gold, Concord, Delirium, Ebauches SA, Elmar Mock, Ernst Thomke, Eterna, Europa Star, Gerry Grinberg, Jean Lassale, Longines, New York Times, Paul Renggli, Renata, Seiko, Tiffany

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