Vulcain

Vulcain is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1858 in La Chaux-de-Fonds by Maurice Ditisheim. The company is mainly remembered today for the Vulcain Cricket alarm watch released in 1947, but it had a long history of producing interesting watches, and was a manufacture in the first half of the 20th century producing its own movements.

Foundation

In 1858 Maurice Ditisheim founded his own company in La Chaux-de-Fonds. In his studio he made fine pocket watch, which he sold under his own name. His watches were characterized mainly by precision and quality. The workshop quickly grew to Manufacture Ditisheim. In 1894 for the first time watches of the brand Vulcain are offered. In 1900 Ditisheim registers the name 'Vulcain' as a brand name for his watches.

Vulcain's Chronograph

In the 1930s, Vulcain produced a 10.5-line movement with central seconds, Cal. 65 MS. This formed the base for Vulcain's in-house column wheel chronograph movement, Cal. 65 Y. An extremely compact movement, Cal. 65 Y was of interest to both fashionable wearers of chronographs, including ladies, as well as the armed forces, including the nation of Uruguay.

The alarm watch Cricket

Vulcain became especially known by their alarm watch Cricket, which was presented in 1947.

1961 the companies Revue, Vulcain, Buser and Phénix merged to form the Manufactures d'Horlogerie Suisse Réunis SA (MSR).

During the so-called quartz crisis in the 1980s the name Vulcain quietly disappeared from the dials, the market for high-quality mechanical wristwatches collapsed. The future seemed to belong to cheap quartz watches. The manufacture Vulcain still produced their watches for sister brands within the MSR. Also when the Cricket was produced again under the name of "Revue Thommen", this happened in the studios of the manufacture Vulcain in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Restart of the brand Vulcain under the PMH (Production et Marketing Horologer)

MSR experienced great difficulties in the 1990s as a result of the Asian financial crisis. The company shuttered its La Chaux-de-Fonds activities, historic home to Vulcain, in 1999, and divested. The Vulcain brand was acquired by PMH (Production et marketing Horologer) in 2001 and re-launched the legendary Vulcain Cricket Calibre later that year.

This new beginning was associated with the relocation from La Chaux-de-Fonds to Le Locle. With this move to the city of precision an old wish of the Ditisheim family was fulfilled.

In 2002, the first new models of the Vulcain were presented. The new edition of the "Nautical" received a special significance. Apart from this particular watch, the new models were based on historical models from the long history of the Cricket.

Vulcain was again sold in 2009, this time to Suisse Excellence Holding. The company continued with its Le Locle operations and management, however, launching a new calibre in the next few years.

Address

MANUFACTURE DES MONTRES VULCAIN S.A.
Chemin des Tourelles 4
CH-2400 Le Locle
Switzerland

Weblinks

• Vulcain (company website)