Henry Sandoz-Mamie

Henry (or Henri) Sandoz-Mamie (1878-1936) was the son and heir of Henri-Frédéric Sandoz-Sandoz, founder of the Tavannes Watch Co. The younger Sandoz joined management of the company in 1904 and took over following his father's death in 1913. But the post-war bust of Swiss watch production and worldwide economic depression saw Sandoz forced out of his family's firm.

Henri Sandoz was born on April 18, 1878 in Le Locle, the first son and second child of watchmaker Henri Sandoz. In 1892 the Sandoz family moved to Tavannes so the elder Henri could establish a watchmaking operation in the new factory there. The resulting firm was very successful, growing into one of the largest producers of Swiss watches by the turn of the century.

Henri Sandoz married Marie-Berthe Mamie (1877-1946) around March 1900. The couple had three children, Berthe-Irène "Betty", Betty-Francine, and Henri.

In 1904 the younger Henri Sandoz was given power of attorney at Tavannes Watch Co along with Eugène Romy. The pair would take over the company along with Henri's older sister Nelly Sandoz in 1913 following the death of their father.

Henri Sandoz founded the Tacy watch company in Moutier in 1916.

The younger Sandoz was very involved in politics, becoming secretary of the Radical Party of Tavannes in 1898 at the age of 20 and becoming president of the party two years later. Henri Sandoz-Mamie served as mayor of Tavannes for 10 years, starting in 1910. He would become a national councilor for the Liberal party in 1925. He represented the Bernese Jura on the Council and held the position until 1931.

In 1920, Henri's daughter Betty married Fernand Roblin, technical director of the Tavannes Watch Co. The French Roblin was seen as a successor to Henri and joined management of the company soon after.

Henri Sandoz-Mamie was forced to resign from Tavannes Watch Co in 1933. His son-in-law Fernand Roblin remained with the firm, however, replacing Henri in many aspects of the company. On January 16, 1934, Sandoz announced that he would resign as National Councilor. The failure of the company nearly bankrupted him and he was forced to sell most of his possessions at auction on October 13, 1934.

The Sandoz-Mamie family moved to Lausanne in 1934 as Henri's health issues mounted. He worked as a traveling salesman for a typewriter company and lived in modest circumstances. He died on February 25, 1936.