Zeno
Swiss manufacturer of mechanical Pilot's watches
Template:TOC links The company traces the beginning of its watch manufacturing back to the year 1868 when Jules Godat as a watchmaker in La Chaux-de-Fonds sets up an independent business. In his small studio Jules Godat produces especially large silver pocket watches for railroad workers.
In 1900 the watchmaking workshop is enlarged and thus equipped with electric drive of the machines. In 1920 André-Charles Eigeldinger takes over the Godat watch production. Eigeldinger specializes in the manufacture of observation watches for military use, slide rule and pocket watches .
The brand Zeno
In 1922 André-Charles Eigeldinger registers the watch brand ZENO. The name (short form of Zenodopolus) goes back to the two Greek philosophers Zeno and means "gift of Zeus" or "divine gift".
After the First World War, the demand for wristwatches constantly rises, which is why the production in the intermediate-war years is reorganized. In 1937 the first watches with integrated stop function and acoustic telemeter are made.
In 1949 the company for the first time takes part at the Swiss Watch Fair in Basel. In the following years, the engineers of the house develop several digital watches with "jumping hours", sister watches (for nurses) and "boys watches".
Zeno under Felix W. Huber
Zeno-Watch has focuses primarily on the private label production and temporarily moves the production to the studios Atteslander at Biel, where the first mechanical pilot's watches are developed. On 23 June 1964 Felix W. Huber takes over the management of the company and moves the watch assembly and the service department to the Rhine city of Basel. Since then Felix W. Huber determines the image of all Zeno watches.
One of the first Basel creations include the first vacuum-diver watch "Compressor". A first public breakthrough comes in the 1970 years with the launch of the futuristic spaceman collection as well as with acquisitions of various Swiss Watches fabrications as Josmar, Corona, Empire, Le clip, Helveco and Imhof.
Since it is not easy to find enough watchmakers and specialists in Basel, cooperation with other watchmakers is soon looked for. Since 1975 Zeno pocket watches as well as the printing of the dials are made in the canton of Ticino. Quartz watches are mostly produced at Neuchâtel (city).
As a specialist in mechanical pilot's watches and oversized wrist watches, the watch company, which till today remained independent, in recent years has strengthened the development of watches reminiscent of the historical beginnings of the watchmaking (for example, with tourbillon escapement). In the Basel studios the watchmakers still finish by hand like in the traditional watch manufactures.
Address
ZENO-WATCH BASEL
Uhrenfabrikation - Felix W. Huber
Elsässerstrasse 207a
CH-4013 Basel - Schweiz
Tel. +41 61 321 69 29, Fax. ..27
[email protected]