Cyma

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Cyma is a brand of Swiss watches originated by Schwob Frères and Tavannes but now independent.

History

Schwob Frères

Schwob Frères was founded in 1862 in La Chaux-de-Fonds to assemble and market watches under a number of brand names. The company is first listed in Indicateur Davoine in the 1873 edition, located at Rue Léopold-Robert 22. The firm of Schwob-Weill was located at number 30 while J. Schwob-Lévy (specialized in aluminum and bronze watches) was at number 24. Armand Schwob et Frère appears at number 14 in 1880. The street numbers are changed in 1886, with Schwob Frères now at number 60, Schwob-Weill at number 11, Armand Schwob at number 14, and Jacques Schwob at number 32. In 1890 Schwob Frères has moved to number 12 with Schwob Fils taking the place of Jacques at number 32. Armand Schwob is noted this year as being headquartered in Paris at Boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle 19.

In 1883 the Swiss authorities first registered all businesses in the country. Schwob Frères is noted to have been started prior as a business focused on "manufacture, purchase, and sale of watches." At that time the company was run by La Chaux-de-Fonds residents Théodore Schwob of Morteau and Abraham (called Alfred) Schwob of Paris, as well as Moïse Schwob of Paris, who was living in Montreal Canada. The company was located at Rue Léopold Robert 22 in the city.

In May of 1887, Alfred Schwob withdrew from the the company, though it was able to continue under the same name. In July of the following year the firm gave power of attorney to Salomon Schwob (from and in La Chaux-de-Fonds) and in March of 1891 Isaac Schwob (from and in La Chaux-de-Fonds) joined the firm.

Tavannes and Cyma

Shortly after the Tavannes Watch Co. was established by Henri Sandoz in 1891, Schwob Frères began marketing their watches. Many advertisements through the 20th century use this year as the founding date date of Cyma as well as Tavannes, despite the fact that Schwob Frères pre-dates this by three decades and the Cyma brand came over a decade later.

An 1895 advertisement in Indicateur Davoine shows Schwob Frères as headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds with offices in New York at 40 Maiden Lane and Montreal at 260 St-James Street. The company sold watches from the Tavannes Watch Co that were "solid, interchangeable, and well regulated" with "excellent quality and moderate prices." Brand names included "Tavannes Watch Co", "La Tavannes", and "New-Haven Watch" in gold, silver, steel, metal, or electroplated or filled gold. Watches were produced in the Boston and American style with key or crown winding, anchor or cylinder escapement, including repeaters, chronographs, and rattrapantes.

On January, 1897, a new limited partnership called Schwob Frères & Co was established in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It took over the assets and liabilities of the existing Schwob Frères business and included investment and membership from a wide range of family members from La Chaux-de-Fonds, America, and France. Isaac Schwob and Raphael Schwob were full partners in the business, with the others (Adolphe, Armand, Maurice, and René Schwob and the widow Henriette Loewensohn) limited partners. The company remained at Rue Léopold-Robert 12 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

A 1903 ad shows the firm still promoting the Tavannes Watch Co connection but now specializing in gold filled watches. Specific offerings included the Hermosa (guaranteed for 20 years), Nonpareil (guaranteed for 10 years), Advance (guaranteed for 5 years), and electro-plated Diana.

The original 1903 Cyma trademark by Tavannes Watch Co.
The 1913 Cyma tiger mark by Schwob Frères

The Cyma brand name was registered on January 3, 1903 by the Tavannes Watch Co. The registration featured the CYMA name above a three-peaked mountain with the letters "T.W.C." On January 12, 1904, the standalone word mark CYMA was registered, again by the Tavannes Watch Co. It wasn't until July 26, 1913 that Schwob Frères registered their own CYMA brand, this time in a logo with a tiger above the word. This was moved to Schwob Frères & Co on September 19, 1918, showing that the company continued to use it.

The Cyma brand was quickly recognized for the quality and affordability of its products: As early as June 1904 an ad in La Fédération Horlogère from a competing wholesaler seeks another factory that can make such quality watches as Cyma. Similar ads appear over the next decade, with Cyma often cited as a benchmark for quality and affordability. A 1909 ad shows the "Précision, Solidité, Elégance" of Cyma watches and notes dealers in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Alger, Toulouse, Angouleme, Angers, and Poitiers in France. Another ad notes the fact that a Cyma watch won the grand prize at the 1910 Brussels exhibition, with precision tools from Tavannes taking a gold medal.

The Cyma brand expanded rapidly in the 1920's and 1930's, with the company claiming at one point to be the largest watch manufacturer in Switzerland.

Cyma in the 1940s

This 1941 ad shows the 50th anniversary of Tavannes as well as the waterproof cases the company leaned into that decade

Waterproof watches from Cyma appeared as early as 1915, with dive watches remaining a symbol for the brand through the 20th century. During the 1940s advertising leaned heavily on Cyma's waterproof cases, with many ads showing a partially-submerged watch or featuring fanciful fish. These were not dive watches but rather weather-proof watches for daily use. And waterproof cases were popular with soldiers during the war.

Branding was somewhat fluid throughout the 1940's and 1950's. Tavannes watches often have Cyma movements and vice-versa, and some watches are branded "Cyma-Tavannes", "Ta-Cy", or "Tacy". Similarly, Tavannes' "Admiral" model name often appears with the Cyma brand.

Cyma in the 1950s

Cyma launched an automatic watch in 1943 and began using ETA movements in 1957.

Synchron

See Also: Synchron

The Cyma and Tavannes brands declined rapidly in the 1960's, with production ceasing by 1966. That year, ASUAG's Chronos Holding acquired both names, restarting production under their Synchron group in 1968. Cyma continued as a sister brand for Doxa and Ernest Borel under Synchron through the 1970's before production stopped again late in the decade.

Rebirth

In 1978, the Cyma brand was sold and production moved to the former Doxa facility in Le Locle. Ownership has changed hands since then, but the brand continues with a Le Locle address to this day.

In 1999, Claude Guilgot, director of Cyma for 21 years, claimed that the brand was positioned as "cheapest of the expensive". By this time the company, still based in Le Locle and independent of any group, produced 120,000 watches per year with a staff of 30. 60% of these watches were sold in the United States, with a strong emphasis on the ETA Autoquartz.

Cyma was acquired by Stelux of Hong Kong at some point, though it is not clear when this acquisition happened. This put it together with Solvil et Titus and Universal Genève.

Timeline

Schwob Frères

  • 1883 - Schwob Frères is noted in the first Swiss register of businesses as having been started before this date; Théodore Schwob of Morteau, Abraham (called Alfred) Schwob of Paris, both living in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and Moïse Schwob of Paris, living in Montreal Canada; type of business: "Manufacture, purchase and sale of watches"; offices: Rue Léopold Robert 22
  • 1887, May - Alfred Schwob withdrew from the general partnership Schwob frères; the other partners, Théodore Schwob and Moise Schwob, continue the company under the same company name
  • 1888, July - Schwob Frères gives power of attorney to Salomon Schwob from and in La Chaux-de-Fonds
  • 1891, March - Schwob Frères gives power of attorney to Isaac Schwob from and in La Chaux-de-Fonds
  • 1897, January 1 - A new limited partnership called Schwob Frères & Co is established in La Chaux-de-Fonds; the assets and liabilities of Schwob Frères are taken up by this new company; members are Isaac Schwob from Morteau France, living in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Raphael Schwob from Morteau France, living in New York, Adolphe Schwob, an American citizen domiciled in New York, widow Henriette Loewensohn from Hegenheim Alsace, domiciled in Lille France, Armand Schwob from Morteau France, domiciled in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Maurice Schwob from Morteau France, domiciled in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and René Schwob from Morteau France, domiciled in La Chaux-Fonds; Armand, Maurice, and René are represented by their surrogate Adrien Schwob; Isaac Schwob and Raphael Schwob are indefinitely responsible partners; Adolphe Schwob is limited partner for 225,000 francs; widow Henriette Loewensohn is limited partner for 100,000 francs; Armand Schwob is limited partner for 75,000 francs; Maurice Schwob is limited partner for 75,000 francs; René Schwob is limited partner for 75,000 francs; Type of business: Manufacture, purchase and sale of watches; Offices: Rue Léopold-Robert 12

Synchron

  • 1968, December 18 - Ernest Borel & Cie SA of Neuchâtel changes its company name to Synchron SA
  • 1969, March 27 - Synchron SA is established in Neuchâtel; the company's goal is "manufacture and sale of watches and stopwatches of all kinds"
  • 1969, November - Cyma Watch Co SA in La Chaux-de-Fonds merges with Tavannes Watch Co in Tavannes; Cyma takes over the assets and liabilities of Tavannes Watch Co, both the assets and to the liabilities of 4,684,400.56 francs; at the same time, Cyma Watch Co SA merges with Synchron SA, Fabriques d'Horlogerie Réunies; Synchron SA takes over the assets and liabilities of Cyma Watch Co SA; Cyma Watch Co SA is dissolved; the creditors having been disinterested, having obtained collateral or having accepted the merger, the company is deregistered
  • 1970, April - The signatures of director Claude Schwob, and André Jeannet, and Georges Nidegger are erased; deputy directors Maurice Sauser and Hans Rudolf Knoepfel are appointed directors; Paul-André Fallet and Pierre Henzi are appointed as proxy
  • 1972, February - The signatures of directors Marcel Germond and Francis Schwob and deputy directors Kurt Baechler and Fredy Vallon and proxy Maurice Lutz are deleted
  • 1977, November 7 - A suspension of 4 months is granted to Synchron under bankruptcy court in La Chaux-de-Fonds
  • 1978, March 7 - By judgment of the Neuchâtel Cantonal Court, an agreement is approved for abandonment of assets between the company and its creditors; the liquidation commission is composed of Louis Genilloud and Maurice Favre; the signatures of president Jean Hegetschweiler, vice-president Jean-François Krebs, deputy director general Maurice Sauser, as well as the powers of attorney of Jean Alpers, Paul-André Fallet, Jean Matthey, Roger Pétremand, and Michel Gaille are removed; the unsigned administrators Jean Perrin and Roger Anker are removed; the company name is changed to Synchron in Liquidation
  • 1986, November - The liquidation of Synchron SA being completed, this company is deleted
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