Fabriques d'Assortiments Réunies: Difference between revisions

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The first action of FAR was to take over each of the companies as official branches. [[Le Sentier]] and [[Bienne]] were established on November 16, [[1933]] and each also listed 6 million francs of capital, though it is likely that this is the same amount as the primary FAR branch in Neuchâtel and was also held by ASUAG.
The first action of FAR was to take over each of the companies as official branches. [[Le Sentier]] and [[Bienne]] were established on November 16, [[1933]] and each also listed 6 million francs of capital, though it is likely that this is the same amount as the primary FAR branch in Neuchâtel and was also held by ASUAG.
* "Branch A" in [[Le Locle]] took over the operations of [[G. Perrenoud]] at Rue du Marais 19-21, the same block as Branch C
* "Branch A" in [[Le Locle]] took over the operations of [[G. Perrenoud]] at Rue du Marais 19-21, the same block as Branch C
* "Branch B" in [[Le Locle]] took over the operations of [[La Concorde]] at Rue de la Concorde 29, the current headquarters of [[Tissot]]
* "Branch B" in [[Le Locle]] took over the operations of [[La Concorde]] at Rue de la Concorde 29, the current headquarters of [[Metalem]]
* "Branch C" in [[Le Locle]] consolidated the companies [[Stella]] and [[Pierrehumbert Frères]] at Avenue Collège 10, which is still in use by [[Nivarox-FAR]] and is located on the same block as Branch B
* "Branch C" in [[Le Locle]] consolidated the companies [[Stella]] and [[Pierrehumbert Frères]] at Avenue Collège 10, which is still in use by [[Nivarox-FAR]] and is located on the same block as Branch B
* "Branch D" in [[Le Sentier]] was created to take over the [[Gallay]] manufacture of assortments there. The board of directors for Branch D in Le Sentier consisted of [[Ernest Strahm]] (president), [[Alfred Perrenoud]], [[René Didisheim]], [[Louis-Paul Monnet]], [[Louis Huguenin]] (vice-president), [[Georges Perrenoud]] (signing), [[Robert Egger]], [[Adhémar Giroud]], and [[Sydney de Coulon]] (signing). Authorized representatives in Le Sentier were [[Georges Gallay]] and [[Marguerite Gallay]], who ran the factory there.
* "Branch D" in [[Le Sentier]] was created to take over the [[Gallay]] manufacture of assortments there. The board of directors for Branch D in Le Sentier consisted of [[Ernest Strahm]] (president), [[Alfred Perrenoud]], [[René Didisheim]], [[Louis-Paul Monnet]], [[Louis Huguenin]] (vice-president), [[Georges Perrenoud]] (signing), [[Robert Egger]], [[Adhémar Giroud]], and [[Sydney de Coulon]] (signing). Authorized representatives in Le Sentier were [[Georges Gallay]] and [[Marguerite Gallay]], who ran the factory there.
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* Headquarters - Le Locle - Girardet 57 ([[Nivarox-FAR]])
* Headquarters - Le Locle - Girardet 57 ([[Nivarox-FAR]])
* Branch A - Le Locle - Formerly [[G. Perrenoud]], Rue du Marais 19-21
* Branch A - Le Locle - Formerly [[G. Perrenoud]], Rue du Marais 19-21
* Branch B - Le Locle - Formerly [[La Concorde]], Rue de la Concorde 29 ([[Tissot]])
* Branch B - Le Locle - Formerly [[La Concorde]], Rue de la Concorde 29 ([[Metalem]])
* Branch C - Le Locle - Formerly [[Stella]] and [[Pierrehumbert Frères]], Avenue Collège 10 ([[Nivarox-FAR]])
* Branch C - Le Locle - Formerly [[Stella]] and [[Pierrehumbert Frères]], Avenue Collège 10 ([[Nivarox-FAR]])
* Branch D - [[Le Sentier]] - Formerly [[Gallay]]
* Branch D - [[Le Sentier]] - Formerly [[Gallay]]
* Branch E - [[Bienne]] - Formerly [[Meier & Giroud]] and [[A. von Weissenfluh]], Dammweg 3
* Branch E - [[Bienne]] - Formerly [[Meier & Giroud]] and [[A. von Weissenfluh]], Dammweg 3
* Branch G - Le Locle - Georges Davoine, Rue de la Concorde 31 ([[Tissot]])
* Branch G - Le Locle - Georges Davoine, Rue de la Concorde 31 ([[Metalem]])
* Branch J - Le Locle - "Jauges Cary", Concorde 31
* Branch J - Le Locle - "Jauges Cary", Concorde 31
* Branch L - [[Reconvilier]] - Formerly [[Egger & Girod]]
* Branch L - [[Reconvilier]] - Formerly [[Egger & Girod]]

Revision as of 13:43, 11 May 2023

See Also: Nivarox-FAR, the successor company established in 1984

Fabriques d'Assortiments Réunies (commonly abbreviated FAR) was a holding company for makers of assortments established in 1932 within ASUAG. It was merged with Fabriques de Balanciers Réunies, Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies, and Nivarox to become Nivarox-FAR in 1984.

Formation

The Fabriques d'Assortiments Réunies (FAR) Société Anonyme was established officially on September 5, 1932. It was located in Neuchâtel on Rue Girardet 60, which remains the headquarters of the successor company Nivarox-FAR within the Swatch Group. It was a holding company established with initial share capital of 6 million francs and was entirely funded and owned by ASUAG.

FAR was headquartered in Le Locle, which was home to the majority of balance and escapement makers and assortiment houses at the time. The initial components represented most of the industry: G. Perrenoud, La Concorde, Stella, and Pierrehumbert Frères of Le Locle, Meier & Giroud and A. von Weissenfluh of Bienne, Gallay of Le Sentier, and Egger & Girod of Reconvilier. Representatives from each company, major watchmaking companies La Champagne and Election, as well as a banker and ASUAG, made up the initial Board of Directors:

Initial FAR Branches

The first action of FAR was to take over each of the companies as official branches. Le Sentier and Bienne were established on November 16, 1933 and each also listed 6 million francs of capital, though it is likely that this is the same amount as the primary FAR branch in Neuchâtel and was also held by ASUAG.

Later Expansion of FAR

FAR was expanded in later years to incorporate more makers of assortiments, as well as gauges and associated tools which were often produced by the same factories.

Jauges Cary was a brand of precise pin, ring, and block gauges used especially by makers of assortiments, pinions, and ebauches. The origins of the company and brand are unclear, with both G. Perrenoud/Dixi (in Le Locle) and Gallay (in Le Sentier) using the name in advertisements in the 1920s prior to the creation of FAR. But "Branch J" of FAR was established in Le Locle at Rue de la Concorde 31, adjacent to Branch B, Branch G, and Branch M.

FAR Branches

Fabriques d'Assortiments Réunies was a holding company for a large number of smaller firms. Unlike FSR, which named these branches after the town in which they were located, FAR gave a unique letter for each branch. This lead to a proliferation of lettered branches and filings, even in their home town of Le Locle.

External Links