Ronda

Ronda is a Swiss movement manufacturer best-known for quartz movements.

History

Ronda began supplying watch movement components in 1946. It was founded by William Mosset. At first, Ronda produced various watch components for other companies, but in 1952 it began production of ebauches under license for BRAC. The company struggled throughout the 1950s with the Swiss "watchmaking statute", which restricted which companies could produce their own watch movements. In 1961, Ronda received production rights and began producing complete mechanical watch movements. For a time, Ronda even sold a line of upscale watches with the Ronda brand name.

The company opened a subsidiary in Hong Kong in 1972, launching a line of quartz movements in 1974. In 1979, Ronda re-branded their assembled movements under the Harley name, beginning with the Harley-Quartz line of analog quartz movements before adding the Harley-Ancre and Harley-Lever mechanical lines. These lasted through 1985 before Ronda ceased producing mechanical movements completely. Production was moved largely to Asia, with Ronda becoming a leading supplier of quartz movements. Mosset died in 1985. In 1990, Ronda opened a new production subsidiary in Thailand, doubling its output. 50 years after beginning, Ronda became the first European watch movement company to be ISO 9001 certified.

Ronda broadened the product line in the 1990s, introducing the 1.9 mm Slimtech line in 1997 and a big date line the following year. A larger Thailand factory was opened in 1999, as the company presented the new Powertech line at Baselworld. By the 2010's, Ronda was established as one of the leading producers of quartz movements, producing about 20 million annually. Ronda manufactures movements in Thailand as well as at three sites in Switzerland.

At Baselworld 2016, Ronda announced that they would re-enter the mechanical movement business with the new R150 "Mecano" movement.