In 1874, in La Cote-aux-Fées, Georges Edouard Piaget founded a watchmaking company that within a few decades was to become one of the most popular options for those in search of luxury and precision. In 1911 the company was taken over by the founder’s son, Thimotée. In 1943 the “Piaget” brand name was registered and the company began to sign and sell watches under its own name. It was a second birth for Piaget, due principally to Gérald and Valentin Piaget, the founder’s grandsons, who worked to expand the brand geographically, with the intention of making it more widely-known. During this time, the production units were worked at maximum capacity and, very soon, the old workshops were modernised.

Patek Philippe began in 1839 in Geneva, when Antoine Norbet de Patek and François Czapek founded “Patek Czapek & Co". Some years later, in 1844, Antoine Norbert de Patek asked Jean Adrien Philippe to become the new technical director after meeting him in Paris. One year later, Antoine Norbert de Patek, Jean Philippe Adrien and Vincent Gostowski founded “Patek & Co” in Geneva. In 1851 this became “Patek Philippe & Co”. It was in 1851, during the Great Exhibition in London, that Queen Victoria came to admire the world’s first keyless watches. Later, the Countess Koscowicz of Hungary wore the first Swiss wristwatch made by the new company. In 1887, Patek Philippe registered its brand symbol; a red grid cross, which is also the emblem of the Spanish Calatrava Knights Order.

The history of Omega began in 1848 when Louis Brandt set up an assembly workshop in La –Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland. His two sons, Louis-Paul and Cesar, changed the workshop into a manufacturers in 1879. The year 1892 marked the creation of the first “minute-repeater” wristwatch and, in 1900, the first industrially-made Omega watch was created. In 1901, a watch was specially created for motorcyclists, that could be directly attached to the fuel tank. This production was the first of many to partner Omega with the world of sport. In fact, soon after in 1909, the watchmaking company was responsible for the timekeeping of the Gordon-Bennett Cup, an international ballooning race. Later, in 1932, Omega was also given the responsibility for timekeeping during the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The first Panerai watchmaker’s shop was opened in 1860 by Giovanni Panerai on the Ponte delle Grazie in Florence. The company was later passed down through the family, first to Giovanni Panerai’s son, Leon Francesco and, later, to his grandson, Guido. From 1890 to 1900, Guido gave the family’s business a new impetus, specializing in high-precision mechanisms and also becoming the official supplier to the Royal Italian Navy. At the turn of the century, the shop moved to the Piazza San Giovanni site in Florence, where the Panerai boutique can be found today, still keeping the Orologeria Svizzera name on the shop door.

The Longines story began in 1832 when Auguste Agassiz moved to the tiny Swiss town of Saint-Imier and started to work for Raiguel Jeune, a trader in watch parts. In 1847, Auguste Agassiz became the sole owner in the business. In 1852, his nephew, Ernest Francillon, joined the company, finally taking over from his uncle in 1862. In 1866, Francillon acquired two plots of land on the outskirts of Saint-Imier, on the right bank of the Suze river, near a place called Les Longines (meaning “long and narrow fields “ in the French dialect of the area). There, he built the first Longines factory, an investment that marked the beginning of a long and prestigious story. In 1867, the company produced its first movement (L20A).

Jaeger-LeCoultre “La Grande Maison”, based in the Vallée de Joux, was founded in 1833 by Antoine-LeCoultre, inventor and self-taught watchmaker, who dedicated his life to the pursuit of timepiece precision and reliability. His dedication is expressed in the volume of his work; during 30 years, he created over 350 calibres of different sizes of which 99 were with repetitions, and 128 were supplied with chronographs. The name Jaeger derives from the Parisian Edmond Jaeger, who, in 1903, called on Jacques-David LeCoultre (Antoine’s son) to collaborate in producing the calibres he had invented. The two men’s cooperation and friendship were to give rise to the creation of the Jaeger-LeCoultre brand in 1937.

The “International Watch Co.” (IWC) is the first and only brand of watches to be manufactured in north-eastern Switzerland, in the city of Schaffhausen. It was in this town that in 1868, the American engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones established a watch factory to supply the USA with timepieces. In 1850, he met the industrialist Johann Heinrich Moser, who became his company partner. . In 1880, Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel took over the “Internationale Uhrenfabrik”, marking the beginning of the story of the International Watch Co. Only one year later, Rauschenbach died and his 25-year-old son took over the reigns of the company until 1905. Despite his short period with the company Johann Vogel played an important role as technical director and also designed the IWC calibres that were to be used until 1919.

In 1980, Carlo Crocco founded his company and created the Hublot watch. The timepiece was gold and fitted with the first natural black rubber strap in the history of watch-making. This became a very successful style in watch design, and was the focus of interest for many leading watch- making brands in the mid-nineties. This first model, presented at the Basel Fair in 1980, became an immediate success. Subsequently, the Hublot brand was named “The Royals’ watch” as their watches were worn by princes and kings all over the world. For example, the brand’s success in Spain was largely due to King Juan Carlos I becoming one of Hublot’s clients at the end of the 1980s.

1791 Nineteen-year-old Jeanne-François Bautte first signed his name to a watch. This date marked the birth of Girard-Perregaux, and the beginning for a new watchmaker in Geneva, whose timepieces have gone on to have a great success all over Europe. 1837 Jeacques Bautte and Jean Samuel Rossel took over from the founder, and perpetuated his success. 1852 Constant Girard founded Girard & Cie. Two years later, it took the name of Girard-Perregaux, following the marriage of Girard to Marie Perregaux. Thus, a new manufacturer opened its doors for business in la Chaux-de-Fonds.

“Master of Complications” is the slogan of the famous watchmaking genius, Franck Muller. Born in Switzerland on July 11th 1958, to an Italian mother and Swiss father, Franck Muller soon developed a passionate interest in all mechanical devices, and in particular, a passion for watches. In 1981, he entered the famous Geneva School of Watch-making. Gifted with exceptional technical talent, it did not take him long to gain an excellent reputation; Auction houses and collectors from all over the world sent him their treasures for restoration. After a period dedicated to the restoration of watches, Muller began the creation of unique timepieces under his own name.

1887 At the age of only 22 years, Georges-Emile Eberhard, a watchmaker’s son in Berne, founded the company Eberhard & Co. in La Chaux-de-Fonds, an area at the heart of Swiss watchmaking tradition. The launch of the company’s first pocket-watch chronograph marked the beginning of a long series of successful products, signed with the brand’s slogan; “innovation with tradition”. The company advertised itself as the high-quality watch manufacturer for explorers, sportsmen, pilots and business men of that time. 1919 The launch of a wrist chronograph featuring a strap with mobile attachments and a hinged case back.

“The key to perfect time” is the original slogan of the Corum brand, with the official logo and graphic symbol being a vertical key that decorates the dial. The name of the brand derives from the Latin word “Quorum”, metaphorically indicating that the minimum number of people necessary to found the company had been reached. The brand Corum was officially established in 1955 in La-Chaux-De-Fonds, Switzerland. The team started with two people; Gaston Ries, who had an eye for detail and his nephew René Bannwart, who had an eye for beauty. The first Corum watch appeared on the market in 1958. This was known as the Corum Chinese Hat, a ladies’ watch whose bezel resembles the famous hat styling worn in China.

The company was founded in 1860, when Luis-Ulysse Chopard established his workshop in Sonviller, Switzerland. In a short period of time, its products became famous in Eastern Europe, Russia and Scandinavia. In 1920, the founder’s grandson Paul-Andrè Chopard moved the company to Geneva, the capital of “Haute Horlogerie”, establishing the company in one of the most prestigious watch-making cities in the world. In 1963, the company passed into the hands of Karl Scheufele, a descendant of a dynasty of German watchmakers and jewellers. He led the company through major developments and it quickly became one of the most quoted and recognised names in the industries of fine watchmaking and jewellery.

1884 Léon Breitling opened a workshop in Saint-Imier in Switzerland, specializing in the production of chronographs and precision counters for scientific and industrial purposes. 1915 Gaston Breitling, son of the founder, created the first wrist chronograph and subsequently began to produce the first wristwatches for pilots. 1923 Breitling produced the first chronograph with a push-button separate from the crown. 1932 Gaston’s son, Willy Breitling, took control of the family firm and, two years after the creation of the second reset push-button, the company gave the wrist chronograph its definitive form.

In 1775, Abraham-Luois Breguet set up his company on Quai de l’Horòloge, Ile de la Cité, Paris. Five years later, in 1780, he launched the first self-winding watch known as Breguet Perpétuelles and just three years later in 1783 Queen Marie-Antoinette commissioned one of his watches (to be given the Queen’s name), that was only completed in 1827. Following this was a long period of invention and patenting for the company. In this time Breguet produced: 1786 the first guilloche dial. 1790 the anti-shock device (reaching its finished model in 1806). 1795 the Breguet Tourbillon (patented, in 1806). 1796 the Breguet Perpetual calendar, Breguet Overcoil, and “Subscription”. 1810 the first Breguet wristwatch commissioned by the Queen of Naples. 1820 the Breguet “Double Seconds” (which was the precursor of the modern chronograph). 1822 the Breguet chronograph Ink in 1822.

This company was founded in 1735 with the opening of a workshop by Jean-Jaques Blancpain in Villeret, Switzerland. Over the course of almost 275 years of the brand’s history, the main goals of its expert watch-makers have been the pursuit of perfection and originality; a desire to create watches of such prestige and ingenuity as to deserve a place in the history of haute horlogerie. The brand’s philosophy maintains that the mechanical watch represents not only the union of components and mechanisms, but is also the product of innovation. Thus, Blancpain strove to develop extraordinarily complex mechanical movements; the essence of the Swiss watchmaking.

Baume & Mercier posses only one slogan “Accept only perfection, only manufacture watches of the highest quality". The company was founded by the brothers Louis Victor and Pierre-Joseph-Célestin Baume in Les Bois village, in the Swiss Jura mountains in 1830. For ten years, the company manufactured watches with escapement wheels and also introduced the cylinder escapement Lépine calibre. In 1847, the brothers chose London as the European city in which to expand their business, and in 1851 they founded “Baume Brothers”. It was the next generation that was to continue the company, again a two-man leadership in Baume. Louis-Victor’s son, Alcide Eugene headed the Swiss firm, while Alcide’s brother, Arthur Joseph, managed the London branch.

In 1875, in a laboratory in Le Bressus, Switzerland, Jules-Luis Audemars (1851-1918) and Edward-Auguste Piguet (1853-1919) founded this prestigious company. Audemars was a master in designing mechanical movements, whilst Piguet handled the financial and commercial side of the production. As the company, along with its reputation began expanding, a decision was made in December 1881 to found the “Audemars, Piguet & Cie” company. However, the “Grande complication” was immediately used in the identification of the company. Living up to its name, in 1882, it created a pocket-model chronograph, with quarter repeater, perpetual calendar and independent seconds. Ten years later, in 1892, the Audemars Piguet developed the worlds first minute repeater wristwatch (watch ref. 2416).

In 1845, Ferdinand Adolph Lange established the Saxon precision watchmaking industry in Glashütte, near Dresden, Germany. In 1868 it was renamed “A. Lange & Söhne”, and in 1875, his sons (Richard and Emil) finally took over the business. A memorable date for the prestigious brand is the year 1898 when a magnificent pocket watch was ordered by Kaiser William II as a gift to Sultan Abdul Hamid II. This watch is currently on display in a museum in Istanbul. In 1900, at the World Exposition in Paris, Emil Lange presented his famous A. Lange & Söhne “Centennial Tourbillon”, a watch that ninety years later was acquired at auction for a price of 1.5 million dollars.

Shortly before the Prince of Wales became Edward VII, he proclaimed the company Cartier “Jeweller of Kings and King of Jewellers”. In 1904, he granted the company the first ever Royal warrant as supplier to the Royal court of England. Today Cartier creations still enjoy the same prestige, maintaining the original “savoir-faire” whilst relentlessly seeking innovation. The foundation of the company dates back to 1847, when Louis-François Cartier took over the jewellery workshop of his master, Adolphe Picard, at 29 Rue Montorgueil in Paris. In 1899, Cartier moved into 13 Rue de la Paix, the prestigious brand’s current address.