Doxa

Doxa is a Swiss watch brand founded in 1889 and once again available today.

Georges Ducommun

Doxa was founded by Georges Ducommun (1866-1936) under his own name in 1889 in Le Locle, Switzerland. Ducommun was born about 1866 in Le Locle, took a practical apprenticeship in watchmaking, and became a caser of watches. He began assembling watches for sale in 1889 in a small house at the bottom of Crêt-Vaillant in Le Locle. The company was registered in April 1895 on Girardet 68 in Le Locle under Georges-Arthur Ducommun as a manufacture of watches. The offices and workshops were co-located at that address, which was likely also his home.

This 1905 ad (and similar ones dating to 1903) show the Ducommun factory below the railroad line in Le Locle and the "Anti-Magnetique Doxa" branding

In 1896, after his marriage, Ducommun moved to a larger building at Rue des Billodes 28, next to the rapidly-growing factory of Georges Favre-Jacot, which would become famous for the Zenith watch. The company boasted of specializing in 24 and 30 ligne movements. In 1900, he built the first part of the Doxa Factory there, which was expanded greatly in 1919. The original Doxa factory still stands, with an additional story added, and houses light manufacturing and businesses.

The Ducommun family welcomed two children, a son and daughter. The son died as a young man while on a visit to the United States to visit customers, so Ducommun's daughter Héléne would become his heir. She married Jacques Nardin, who would take over the factory following her father's 1936 death.

A 1901 full-page advertisement in Indicateur Davoine shows a thriving business for Ducommun. The firm is already focused on "Fabrique de montres anti-magnétiques" with interchangeable anchor movements from 24 to 40 lignes. The images show well-finished pocket watches with "anti-magnetique" on the dial (though no other brand name).

In May 1900 a Georges Ducommun of Le Locle set up a business at Rue Numa Droz 60 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, with the business becoming known as G. Ducommun-Robert. On September 11, 1905, Georges and his wife Louise Ducommun-Robert created a new company called P. & L. Ducommun-Robert to trade, manufacture, and sell fancy watches for ladies, especially the enameled castellan watches. The company was also located at Rue Numa Droz 60 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. A similarly-named maker of watch cases was established in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1898. Located at Rue du 1er Mars 15, this company was also called "Georges Ducommun" but was founded by Georges-Albert Ducommun, also of Le Locle. He was joined by Charles-Aimé Ducommun, with the firm renamed G. & C. Ducommun in 1901. This Georges Ducommun died in 1931.

Doxa

The Doxa brand name was registered on March 7, 1902 by Georges Ducommun of Le Locle. It was specified as "anti-magnétique", suggesting that the name was related to the anti-magnetic stainless steel being developed at that time by inventors such as Charles-Frédéric Guillaume and Paul Perret. These were commonly called "inoxydable" and marked "Inox", giving rise to brand names like Doxa. He registered "Automobil Doxa" in 1903. The name was used in advertising as early as 1903 on anti-magnetic watches.

In 1905, Doxa took part in the Liége Exhibition, though not as a competitor since Georges Ducommun was a member of the jury for watchmaking. In 1925, at the Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris, Ducommun was called upon to serve as president of the Swiss watchmaking group and vice-president of the international group.

The factory appears to have been expanded by 1908 with a new building between Doxa and neighbor Zenith. The company was also advertising 8-day watches and special automobile clocks, and the gold medal won at the 1906 Milan exhibition. The company boasted that it had patented watch movements from 10 to 60 lignes.

The company was officially re-named Doxa Watch Factory, Georges Ducommun in December 1909, following the 1908 introduction of an 8-day watch movement that proved its value on the wrists of German soldiers in World War I. The firm was officially called "Doxa Watch Factory" by 1910, when the brand name DOXA was again registered alongside "OXA".

In May 1920, Georges Ducommun relinquished control, giving power of attorney for The Doxa Watch Factory to Jacques André Nardin, son of famed watchmaker and industrialist Paul-David Nardin and grandson of famed Le Locle watchmaker Ulysse Nardin. Nardin married Ducommun's daughter Héléne and would take over the firm following Ducommun's death in 1936. The couple lead it to fame in the post-war period. Nardin brought in Bernard Laberty and Alcide Matile in 1924 and Edouard-Christian Jenny in 1926 to help manage the growing business.

In the 1920s, Ducommun became involved in other Swiss industrial concerns. He became vice-president of the Sonceboz Watch Factory in December 1920 and was vice-president of the new Martini automobile factory in Saint-Blaise in 1924. He also became involved in Zenith following its rough times in the post-war period under Jämes Favre, joining the board in 1925 as Favre was forced out. Ducommun and Jacques Nardin joined the board of Le Phare (also formerly controlled by Favre) in 1927. It is likely that his Le Locle connections made him a friend of Georges Perrenoud, who took over Zenith and Le Phare at this time and soon spun out the precision machine tools firm Dixi. Ducommun also joined the board of H. Moser & Cie. in 1927. Ducommun and Nardin left Le Phare in 1929 and Ducommun left Martini the following year and left Zenith in 1934.

The Doxa factory purchased an anti-shock patent from the Neuchatel cantonal bank in 1933. This had been registered by the Election factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1929 but almost immediately taken by the bank. Doxa transferred it to Zodiac, also of Le Locle, in 1935.

Manufacture des Montres Doxa under Jacques Nardin

When Ducommun died on August 25, 1936, he was replaced at the helm by Jacques Nardin. He moved quickly to create a new Société Anonyme, Manufacture des Montres Doxa, with 500,000 francs share capital. 300,000 francs (in shares and cash) were paid to Georges' widow and an additional 100,000 francs in shares to his daughter, Héléne, wife of Jacques Nardin. The firm was located at Rue des Billodes 26 in Le Locle, next to the large Zenith factory.

Doxa returned to the battlefield in World War II with a series of popular chronographs used by German aviators.

Jacques Nardin died unexpectedly in 1950, with ownership of the company falling to his widow (and daughter of founder Georges Ducommun) Hélène. She managed the firm as chairwoman of the board until her death in 1955.

Doxa in the 1950s and 1960s

Doxa continued a strong association with Germany after the war, outfitting the German World Cup football team with gold watches and introducing "Grafic", a line of Bauhaus square watches in 1956.

In 1967, Doxa introduced the "Sub", a waterproof diving watch popular with sport and military divers. The orange dial of the Doxa Sub would become a hallmark for the brand.

Doxa was facing hard times, however, and the brand joined ASUAG in 1968. It was placed in their new Synchron group alongside Ernest Borel and Cyma and the three brands were marketed together throughout the 1970's. At the height of the quartz crisis, the Synchron group brands were sold and Ernest Borel and Doxa were taken over by Aubry Frères in 1978. Doxa would be Aubry's primary brand in Europe, while Ernest Borel focused on the Americas and China and West End watch in the Middle East.

Doxa Today

In 1997, the Doxa brand was purchased by the Jenny family of Bienne, Switzerland. The Sub was re-launched in 2002 and the Grafic in 2007. Once again, Doxa focuses on sport and especially dive watches, with the orange dial Sub prominently featured. In 2014 the brand released an 8 Day "manufacture" movement watch to celebrate their history.

Timeline

• 1895, April - The head of the business Georges Ducommun in Le Locle is Georges-Arthur Ducommun, in Le Locle, domiciled there. Type of business: Manufacture of watches. Offices and workshops: 68. Girardet Street.
• 1900, May - The head of the business G. Ducommun-Robert in La Chaus-de-Fonds is Georges Ducommun, allié Robert, of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, domiciled in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Type of business: Manufacture of watches. Offices: 60, Rue Numa Droz.
• 1905, September 11 - Louise Ducommun-Robert of La Chaux-de-Fonds and from Le Locle, common wife in property and authorized of Georges Ducommun, pursuant to art. 35 of the c.f.o., and Paul Ducommun-Robert of La Chaux-de-Fonds and from Le Locle, both domiciled in La Chaux-de-Fonds, constituted in La Chaux-de-Fonds under the business name P. & L. Ducommun-Robert, a general partnership started on September 11, 1905. Kind of trade, manufacture and sale of fancy watches for ladies, especially the enameled castellan watch. Offices: 60, Rue Numa Droz.
• 1909, December - The eponymous business of Georges Ducommun in Le Locle changed its name to "Doxa Watch Factory, Georges Ducommun".
• 1920, May - The Doxa Watch Factory, Georges Ducommun in Le Locle gives power of attorney to Jacques André Nardin, son of Paul-David, du Locle, industrialist, domiciled there.
• 1924, September - The Doxa Watch Factory Georges Ducommun, manufacture of watches, in Locle gives power of attorney to Bernard Laberty, from Le Locle, and Alcide Matile, from La Sagne, both domiciled in Le Locle, who will commit the house by their signature affixed collectively.
• 1926, October - Doxa Watch Factory, Georges Ducommun, in Le Locle gives power of attorney to Edouard-Christian Jenny, originally from Bern, who will sign jointly with Bernard Laberty and Alcide Matile.
• 1937, February 8 - A new public limited company called Manufacture des Montres Doxa with headquarters in Le Locle took over the assets and liabilities of the firm "Georges Ducommun, Manufacture des montres Doxa", and continued the operation of the factory. This recovery takes place on the basis of an inventory and a balance sheet as at 31 December 1936 with assets of 698,169 fr. 43 including: real estate, goods, receivables, securities and cash, and liabilities of 398,169 fr. 43 including: a claim secured by mortgage of 196,750 fr. and unsecured claims. The net assets of 300,000 francs are payable by the delivery of 200 shares of 1000 francs to the widow of Georges Ducommun and 100 shares to Héléne Nardin née Ducommun. The duration of the company is unlimited. The share capital is set at 500,000 francs, divided into 500 bearer shares of 1000 francs each, fully released. The company's publications will be made in the Swiss Official Trade Gazette. The administration of the company is entrusted to one or more members who bind the company by their individual signature. Only one director was appointed in the person of Jacques-André Nardin, son of Paul-David, industrialist, from Locle, domiciled there. Offices: Rue des Billodes 26.