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Fabrique d'Ébauches Aurore was a watch movement factory in [[Villeret]] active from [[1918]] through [[1975]].

==Fabrique d'Ébauches Aurore==

On July 1, [[1918]], the Fabrique d'Ébauches Aurore began official operation. The factory would be located on the hill above [[Villeret]] on the opposite side of the railroad tracks from the rest of the village and was connected directly to [[Saint-Imier]] by road and railroad as well. 

The company was initially founded as a partnership between watchmaker [[William Bourquin]] of Villeret and mechanic [[Georges Guerrin]] of [[Epiquerez]], with watchmaker [[Charles Meyrat|Charles-Gérald Meyrat]] of [[Tramelan-Dessous]] and mechanic [[Marcel Cattin]] of [[Les Bois]] also participating. All four of the founders lived in Villeret near Saint-Imier and were working to expand the success of the watchmaking city to their neighboring village. The official name of the firm was '''Guerrin, Bourquin et Cie., Fabrique d'ébauches Aurore''', reflecting the primary partners.

The company soon registered a number of proprietary movement designs, all of which were compact and designed for ladies watches. This included a range of round, oval, and octagonal movements, which were updated in [[1925]] with a new barrel-shaped design. The firm also registered a trademark in the shape of the letters "AV" in a trapezoidal outline.

==Fabrique d'Ebauches Bernoises==
:See Also: [[Fabrique d'Ebauches Bernoises]]

Aurore was absorbed into the new [[Fabrique d'Ebauches Bernoises]] cooperative on June 7, [[1927]], officially becoming known as '''Fabrique d'Ebauches Bernoises S.A., Etablissement Aurore, à Villeret''' on September 29. Although Aurore was thus under the control of the board of FEB (and thus [[Ebauches SA]]), it continued to be managed independently. Specifically, the management team under FEB consisted of [[Georges Guerrin]], [[William Bourquin]], [[Marcel Cattin]], and [[Charles Meyrat]]. But [[Alphonse Ehrsam]] and [[Robert Schild]], head of the Commercial and Purchasing offices of Ebauches SA, respectively, were also given authority.

When César Schild retired in [[1935]], [[Sydney de Coulon]] took over as director of Ebauches SA, FEB, and Aurore. Marcel Cattin's power of attorney was removed in [[1945]] but reinstated (along with [[Willy Meyrat]]) in [[1949]]. Georges Guerrin and Charles Meyrat retired in [[1951]] and William Bourquin retired in [[1952]]. In [[1953]], following the death of [[Maurice Robert]] of [[FHF]], [[Denis Robert]] was named to the board.

The offices of FEB were moved from Bienne to Corgémont, closer to the factories, in [[1957]].

Jean Laesser was given power of attorney for the Aurore factory in [[1963]]. Willy Meyrat retired from the board in [[1971]].

The Aurore factory in Villeret was closed around [[1975]] and the branch was officially deleted from the business register in September of [[1978]].

[[Category:Villeret]]
[[Category:Fabrique d'Ebauches Bernoises]]