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Revision as of 15:03, 23 July 2021

Dixi is a Swiss-French machine tools conglomerate founded in Le Locle in 1904, which incorporated many local watch companies in the 1970s including Zenith.

Dixi was founded by Charles Barbezat-Baillot in 1904 as part of his firm, which would soon be renamed Le Phare SA. Dixi supplied machinery to the nascent Vallee de Joux watchmakers. One critical component was the first jig borer precise to within 0.01 mm. The company continually expanded throughout the century and today remains a crucial manufacturer of carbide and diamond tools, screw cutters, avionics, refrigeration, and medical equipment. When Le Phare went bankrupt due to the Great Depression, Dixi was spun out as its own firm in 1931.

Dixi owned several notable watch brands in the 1960s through 1990s during the leadership of Paul Castella. On October 29, 1988, Dixi officially dissolved all of its watch brands except Zenith. This included H. Moser & Cie., Jean Perret, Luxor, Paul Buhré, Robert Cart, Terrasse, and Zodiac. These brands were abandoned in 1989.

Dixi continued with Zenith alone until November 15, 1999, when the company was acquired by LVMH.