Rode
Rode Watch Co. was an American clock and watch manufacturer known for alarm clocks. The company was located in La Chaux-de-Fonds from 1908.
The Rode Watch Company of New York was registered in the State of New York on August 14, 1903 with its office on Maiden Lane in New York City. On September 1 Rode established a branch in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland to manufacture, purchase, and sell watches, movements, and watch cases, as well as patents related to watches, movements, and watch cases. It was a simple business founded with $15,000 share capital. The Swiss branch was managed Charles Rode-Stucky of La Chaux-de-Fonds from an office at Rue Jaquet Droz 47.
Charles-Albert Rode-Stucky was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds and had already established his own watchmaking firm at Rue Léopold-Robert 61 by December, 1900. Rode-Stucky registered the "RWC" brand and logo on August 31, 1903, even before the Rode Watch Company was established. He cancelled his namesake firm in January 1904 following the establishment of an official branch of the New York firm, transferring his brand registrations to the parent company in March 1908.
Rode Watch Co. was formed in New York around the turn of the century. The company produced precision clocks and watches using the American system of mass production. Rode established an office in La Chaux-de-Fonds by 1908, locating at Rue Jaquet-Droz 47, before moving to the complex known as the Montbrillant Watch Manufactory alongside Breitling in 1913. Rode replaced the well-known firm of Couleru-Meuri, which had occupied Montbrillant 1 since 1894. Rode's space at the factory was taken over by Sonex/Darax, a joint venture of Eugene Meylan and Henri Jeanneret in 1918 and both Avia and Sonex would later become part of Degoumois & Co. of Neuchâtel.
By 1920, Rode had relocated to Rue Bois-Gentil 9, was at Rue Tilleuls 2-4 in 1922, and then Rue Régionaux 11 in 1924 along with J. Blum-Schwob & Cie. and Z. Perrenoud & Co. In 1927, famed watchmaker Girard-Perregaux & Cie S.A. moved in at the same address.
By 1918, Rode was selling watches using the Avia brand as "Fabrique Avia". This brand would continue after World War II in the hands of Degoumois of Neuchâtel.
Rode produced 9.5, 11, 13, 17, and 19 ligne movements there, including alarm watches. The company offered both negative setting (for American) and positive setting (for Europe) movements. Rode boasted "unbreakable glass" with a patented "double clinched" bezel for waterproofing.
Rode is no longer listed in Indicateur Davoine after 1928.