Poldy Froidevaux

Poldy Froidevaux (1920-1985) was a maker of watch glass in La Chaux-de-Fonds. He was the son of Helyette Schwarz, eldest child of watchmaker Paul Schwarz-Etienne, and Roger Froixdevaux.

Poldy-Roger-Gaston Froidevaux was born on April 2, 1920, in Le Noirmont. His mother Helyette Schwarz came from the Schwarz-Etienne watchmaking family. She and her brother Gaston Schwarz married Roger Froidevaux and Marie-Pauline-Léontine Froidevaux around 1916. It appears that his mother and father were divorced within a decade of Poldy's birth and he was raised in the Schwarz-Etienne family. Since his aunt Léontine had died in 1918 he was no longer involved in the Froidevaux family and there is no further mention of them in Schwarz family records. His mother was known simply as Madame Helyette Schwarz through her death in 1955.

Poldy Froidevaux and Julia-Cécile Baumann (husband of Ferdinand Baumann) formed Froidevaux et Cie. in 1951. The company was a successor to the firm founded by Fridolin Bergeon, a French national who produced glass, secret springs, and pocket watch cases for the American market. Less than two years late, in November of 1952, the company was renamed Poldy Froidevaux, with the Bergeon family no longer involved in management.

Poldy married Yvonne Berenguer of Spain in July 1945 but re-married Yvonne-Andrée-Olga Grivel in December 1955. Yvonne was made a director of the company in January 1956, a tradition of the Schwarz-Etienne family.

The company was incorporated as an Sàrl in November 1964. Valued at 20,000 francs, Poldy was the majority shareholder with Yvonne owning 10% of the firm. It was located at Rue du Parc 137 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

The company faced bankruptcy in 1977 but survived a few more years. It was finally liquidated in 1984.

Poldy Froidevaux died on May 13, 1985, at the age of 65. He was survived by his wife Yvonne along with Christine Grivel and Mr. and Mrs. André Grivel.