Today, we uncover the stories of some historic watch brands that have fallen out of the spotlight and discuss their revival and relevance for modern times.
Six almost forgotten watch brands that deserve a comeback
Some of these brands are defunct and not producing watches, but some on the list have either been revived or under new management and are currently active, but not at the level where they deserve to be. Most have limited exposure to the watch trade media, and somehow do not communicate their products well, or could do with product revamps . To return to their former glory they could do with a revival. Without further ado, let’s crack on!
Universal Genève
Status: Being revived.
This is a beautiful brand founded in 1897, known mainly for their chronographs and innovative designs and high quality movements.
The company was recently purchased by Breitling in 2023, and though we have not discussed this with Georges Kern who is spearheading the revival, we offer that they will offer updates to classics watches with modern materials. Specifically we are thinking of the Compax – a three counter chronograph with various features and references. Perhaps the Ref. 12550 from the 1940s in the glorious champagne dial and 36mm yellow-gold case, fitted with an in-house Breitling caliber might be a good place to start. Though a steel or titanium case will do the trick for us as well.
Or the Tri-Compax with day, date and month indicators. Or the Polerouter, designed by Gérald Genta for Scandinavian Airline pilots navigating magnetic fields in the near North Pole. Or the Microrotor and Golden and White Shadow. There is so much potential.
Gruen
Current status: Defunct.
Founded by Dietrich Gruen who was a German watchmaker. He had migrated to the US and founded D. Gruen & Son in 1894, a partnership with his son Frederick G. Gruen. Father and son designed a series of pocket watch movements which were manufactured by the German watchmaking firm of Paul Assmann, and incorporated with an escapement designed by Moritz Grossman. In 1900 the corporate name became D. Gruen, Sons & Co. The movements were then no longer made in Glashütte, but in Switzerland. In 1903, they formed a Swiss subsidiary “The Gruen Watch Manufacturing Company”, located in Biel/Bienne. Gruen was one of the first US watch companies to offer basic Swiss made movements. The watches were offered in a wide variety of cases and prices, but adjusted, dialled and cased in the United States for tax reasons. Some of their finest movements were made by Jean Aegler, who later became a business partner of Hans Wilsdorf, of Rolex.
Notable vintage models are the Precision and the Curvex. A Gruen Precision 510 was worn on screen by James Bond (played by Sean Connery) in the 1967, You Only Live Twice and probably again in the 1971 Diamonds Are Forever. These were the days before brand positioning and grabbed sponsorship of the watch worn by the famous spy.
The latest production was in 1972, more than half a century ago and potential revival is to reintroduce Gruen design with, shall we dream, American made movements. This will specifically focus on heritage and craftsmanship. Or back to German roots with a Moritz Grossmann collaboration would be interesting as well.
While some companies have attempted at a revival of Gruen, but as far as we know, there is no official communication. We found an excellent resource at a site called Gruen Watch which appears to be a super-fan site.
Ernest Borel
Current status: Being revamped.
Next up, a brand which is still producing today. Ernest Borel was founded in 1856 by Jules Borel and stayed under family control until the quartz crisis. They continued under other ownership till the stock of Ernest Borel Holdings Limited is traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 11 July 2014. In 2018, the Hong Kong-based conglomerate Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group, took partial acquisition of the company. Citychamp also owns Corum Watches. Historically the brand made beautiful art deco style watches, which there seems to be a dearth of these days. With the exception of perhaps Jaeger-LeCoultre and their Reverso and the occassional Cartier. They also excelled in timing accuracy competitions including the prestigious Neuchâtel Observatory.
Though the brand is still in existence, their offering are mainly focused on fashion and no longer make these vintage styled models, despite the brand imagery of the grand old days. We would like to see the Ernest Borel Tank reintroduced with in a modern movement, no doubt there will be accusations of it being copies of more famous square watches though they have had it as long as most. As recently as July 2024, Boon Chong Soon, whom we have known as an excellent brand manager and a good friend, has been appointed Executive Vice President of Ernest Borel in addition to his senior role in Corum. We hope to see changes coming soon. Though at the time of writing, we have not heard from him yet.
Daniel JeanRichard
Current status: Dormant.
One of the more interesting watch brands. Daniel JeanRichard was the founder of the watchmaking industry in the Swiss Jura back in 1679. In 1988, JeanRichard as a brand was acquired by the Sowind group. The brand was relaunched in 2012 as a secondary line to their Girard-Perregaux brand. The watches were initially signed Daniel JeanRichard, I have two of those in my collection, but later became just JeanRichard. It provided a secondary, less ambitious and inexpensive channel to GP which was pitched as a high end haute horlogerie maison. But by 2017, the brand ceased production. Iconic modern JeanRichard watches included the Aquascope, Terrascope and Aeroscope. We are fans of the brand.
JeanRichard’s watches are very interesting to the collector for their historical significance, innovative designs and good movements. The brand is currently dormant, and in a recent discussion with Patrick Pruniaux, who became CEO of GP and UN in Aug 2018, and owner with an MBO in 2022, he said not to rule out the possibility. So we anticipate.
Eterna
Current stauts: active
The brand was founded in 1856 by Urs Schild and Josef Girard, though the name Eterna only appeared on the dial in 1889. The Schild family separated from the family business in 1974, and sold their company to the General Watch Company, the finished products department of the Ébauches SA group. Ébauches SA later was dissolved into ETA. But Eterna carried on. In 1995, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche took over the brand to make it a manufacture. Eterna reconnects with its past of true manufacture. It created the 6036 caliber in 2004, then the following year, it released the extra-flat caliber 3030, in 2007 the 6037 caliber and in 2009, half a century after the Eterna-Matic, the “Etera Spherodrive” system whose barrel is mounted on a ball bearing was born. The Eterna Uhrenfabrik was bought by was bought by Citychamp in June 2011 and became part of their arsenal.
Though the brand is still active, and have a couple of models in their Heritage series, like the chronograph above which carries the impressive in-house, column wheel flyback caliber 3916A. The brand is clearly punching below their weight category and deserve better. They have their own manufacture and make the mechanical movements themselves. The quartz movements are made by ETA. Their caliber 39, which is the basis for most of their movements, are well executed movements though designed for mass production. We would like them improving their communication, and be more present in various social media and websites (like us!) so they can get the respect they deserve.
Lip
Current status: Active
Founded in 1867, Lip has been a trailblazer in avant garde. The company also has the unenviable distinction of being embroiled in conflicts between workers and capital in France. Some of their iconic pieces are the l’Electronic: 1952 – the first models were worn by Charles de Gaulle and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the Mach 2000: Conceived by Roger Tallon, the designer of the TGV high-speed train.
The brand was revived in 1990, but currently produced fashion oriented designs. Though the Mach 2000 is being reinterpreted, as well as the Electric and French Connection. We have seen some of this return with the mechanical Caliber T18 not to be confused with their quartz T18 Churchill which is a Rhonda quartz movement. This 2024 release is a mechanical caliber which is based on the general measurements of the mechanical movement developed from 1931 by André Donat at the request of Frédéric Lip. The components are manufactured in Switzerland at Manufacture La Joux-Perret, is fully finished (circular graining and côtes de Genève) and angled in the workshops of Roland Bailly SAS and assembled in the workshops of Humbert-Droz in Besançon. However, their other movements are Rhonda (quartz) or Miytota (automatic). We will like to see more of the T18 mechanical, as this seems to be quite exciting. However, they do not seem to participate in any of the international shows and we have not handled the watches ourselves.
Concluding thoughts
So that’s our list. What other brands do you think are getting less recognition than what they deserve, either though lack of consistent, clear and engaging marketing messages or are currently defunct that you would put on this list?
7 Comments
Napoleon Bonaparte died in 1821 , how is he associated with Universal Geneve watch.
Thanks for pointing out. Mea culpa. Somehow that slipped through. Apologies and corrected.
I cannot find any information on that Lip T18 Mechanical, has it not need released yet?
The T18 mechanical movement can be found on the Lip website. Which initially led me to think the watch was not released yet. But this French retailer, Le Page has listed it.
It is available, for a few months already. But limited to 180 pieces, this gold plated version (of a regular and cheaper mechanical version) will not be available in many places.
There so many great dormant brands, the could be brought back from the dead, like American brands like Elgin or Waltham or Swiss brands like Corterbert or Lemania or even French brand Mortima there so many. The pity is that most of the brands that were once highly thought off that have been brought back recently have been poorly marketed example Bulova owned by Citizen or as you mention Eterna owned by the same Chinese business that also own Rotary and starving both brands of marketing investment that both brands are losing share,
So sad but true Leslie.