Elmo & Montegrappa S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of luxury goods that was founded in 1912. The company is currently based in Bassano del Grappa, Italy. Montegrappa is mainly known for their fountain pens, as reflected in their original slogan of “Manifattura pennini d’oro e penne stilografiche” (“Manufacturer of gold nibs and fountain pens”). High …
Lemania was a Swiss watch and movement manufacturer that was founded in 1884 by Alfred Lugrin. Lugrin had trained at Jaeger-LeCoultre, and up until around 1930 the factory was named after him. The brand was then renamed as Lemania Watch Co. and based in L’Orient, Switzerland. SSIH To survive the Great Depression, Lemania joined the …
Omologato is a British watch brand founded in 2015 by designer Shami Kalra and is based in Windsor, England. Inspired by cars and motorsport, the brand also has direct involvement in racing via their partnerships with racing series, teams, and circuits from around the world. Early Omologato Models Early timepieces included Grand Prix nods right …
Wyler was founded in 1896 by brothers Paul and Alfred Wyler in Bienne, Switzerland. Meanwhile in Varese, Italy, Innocent Binda opened a watch repair shop in 1906 and relocated to Milan in 1926. Binda began importing and marketing Wyler watches in Italy under the Wyler Vetta brand in 1930, with some early timepieces using …
Movado was founded in 1881 by Achille Ditesheim in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The Ditesheims were a family of watchmakers who owned several companies in the area, and in 1892 Achille and his brothers combined their businesses to form L.A. & I. Ditesheim, Fabricants. Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, the company was …
Cabestan was founded in 2003 by Swiss designer and watchmaker Jean-François Ruchonnet, who has previously worked for Chopard and also designed for brands like Breguet, De Grisogono, and TAG Heuer. The brand Cabestan was named after the capstan from yachts. While details are lacking, Cabestan appears to have shut down around 2021. The final …
Zenith SA was originally started in 1865 by Georges Favre-Jacot in Le Locle, Switzerland as George Farve-Jacot & Co. Inspired by the success of other companies selling reliable and affordable watches through mass production, Favre-Jacot became the first manufacturer to build in-house movements. His “Zenith” movement won the Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris …
Cartier International SNC was founded in 1847 by French businessman, jeweler, and watchmaker Louis-François Cartier in Paris. The founder’s grandson, Louis Cartier, designed the now-famous Cartier Tank in 1919 that was inspired by thanks used in World War I. Movements and Change of Ownership Shortly after, Cartier formed a joint-stock company with Edward Jaeger of …
Panerai was founded in 1860 by Giovanni Panerai in Florence, Italy. In addition to establishing a watch shop and workshop, the Italian watch manufacturer also served as the city’s first watchmaking school. Panerai would go on to supply watches and other precision instruments to the Royal Italian Navy, most of which contained Rolex movements during …
The history of Girard-Perregaux SA extends back to the late 18th century when watchmaker Jean-François Bautte signed his first watches in 1791. Bautte is credited with creating a manufacturing company in Geneva that consolidated all facets of watchmaking under one roof for the first time in history. The Birth of the Girard-Perregaux Name Girard-Perregaux was …