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Auguste Reymond swiss luxury watches history
Auguste Reymond started his factory in 1898 in the small town of Tramelan in the center of the Jura Mountain region of Switzerland. He then began to manufacture movement blanks, or ebauches, in 1906.
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Auguste Reymond started his factory in 1898 in the small town of Tramelan in the center of the Jura Mountain region of Switzerland. He then began to manufacture movement blanks, or ebauches, in 1906. He later gave the name of these ebauches UNITAS, after the UNITAS Watch Company he acquired in 1926. The Depression came soon after and the effect was felt throughout Europe. Auguste Reymond had no choice but to sell his factory to a group of investors who managed to sustain the company financially.
In 1926, Ebauches SA was formed in Neuchatel to hold Switzerland’s largest ebauches firms. These include Valjoux S.A., ETA S.A., Felsa S.A., Venus S.A. and others. Later in 1932, Fabrique d'Ebauches Unitas S.A. joined this confederation. Reymond did not make UNITAS movement for his watches only, but sold them to other watch manufacturers in Switzerland. This helped the company financially.
His watch firm’s complete name, Auguste Reymond S.A. (also known as ARSA) was the source of the name for his watches. Reymond also manufactured watches under the UNITAS name. To identify the UNITAS manufacturer, his Swiss ebauche was stamped using the letter U with a T within, placed within the shield outline (below photo). The caliber number was stamped on the ebauche.
Over the years in the 20 th century, many travelers to Switzerland who owned ARSA pocket and wristwatches and UNITAS wristwatches would travel by train to Tramelan to see the Manufacture Auguste Reymond. They would try to peer into the workshops to see the master watchmakers at work. ARSA pocket and wristwatches and UNITAS wristwatches were indeed truly recognized and appreciated for their affordability and style.
In the early 1930s, the Incabloc® movement shock absorber was developed and revolutionized movement durability and maintaining accuracy. Like many other Swiss movement manufacturers, UNITAS incorporated the Incabloc® system in their movements, of which is the UNITAS 6497 and 6498 pocket watches designed in the 1950s. The 6497 AND 6498 calibers became among the best pocketwatch movements ever designed, for both its ruggedness and accuracy.
In addition, the company also manufactured braille wrist and pocket watches for the blind, and a line of "jumping hours" watches with unique hour indication on the dial which were also developed during the 1950s. As expected, the company’s golden decades were in the fifties, sixties and seventies when the Swiss watchmaking industry experienced unprecedented prosperity. The Auguste Reymond S.A. building had become the landmark in Tramelan and employed many people in the town. However, a technological revolution was brewing that would shake the Swiss watch industry to its foundations – the introduction of the quartz movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Auguste Reymond S.A. did not manage to survive the arrival of inexpensive and highly accurate quartz movements. Sales of mechanical watches plunged while watches with quartz movements soared. The company had to be liquidated and its assets sold off. ETA also took the tools and related equipment for the UNITAS 6497 and 6498 pocketwatch movements. With the consolidation of the Swiss watch industry during this tumultuous period, many smaller watch companies closed their doors because there were unable to compete with inexpensive Japanese quartz movements. When Ebauches S.A. absorbed Unitas, Valljoux and other manufacturers within ETA S.A, many of the original ebauche names and calibre numbers were retained. That is why today, the UNITAS 6497 and 6498 calibers and the Valljoux 7750 and 7751 calibers manufactured by ETA still carry the name and caliber number of the original ebauche manufacturer.
Fortunately, James Choffat, a former manager of the company, managed to purchase much of the company's parts, movements, tools and equipment in an effort to keep the Auguste Reymond name alive. It was no longer feasible for the surviving company to remain in the same building it had occupied since 1910. Manufacturer Auguste Reymond moved from its original building to a smaller, more modern building in Tramelan and in 1989 the company was purchased by Nitella S.A. another watch factory in Tramelan. Today, it is under the direction of Thomas Loosli. Many of the newer models in the Auguste Reymond catalog are his designs.
The UNITAS 6497 is experiencing a resurgence today as a movement for wristwatches. At a whopping 16.5 ligne, it requires a massive case--just the thing for those wanting a manly watch. Both the UNITAS 6497 and 6498 movements remain the premier movements for mechanical pocket watches. A couple of years ago, Auguste Reymond began to offer a limited edition series of wristwatches, using original, new old stock UNITAS movements that have been, in the words from their current catalog, "...thoroughly restored, redecorated and individually numbered." The limited edition model for 1999 was the Ballad, using the UNITAS 6580 hand-wound movement manufactured in the 1960s with date at three oclock and small second hand at six oclock. The Ballad features a rectangular, sculpted case with round saphire caseback so the beautiful 17 jewel movement can be seen. Production was limited to 999 pieces. The creativity and quality of August Reymond pocket watches and wristwatches will ensure this company will be around well into this new millennium.
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