Dixi

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.

• 1963 - Paul Buhré, acquired in 1963 and run as a separate watchmaking company under Dixi through 1987
  • 1963 - Erguel, acquired in 1963 and run separately through 1969, then integrated with Paul Buhré and closed after 1987
  • 1968 - Passerat, acquired in 1968 and absorbed into Paul Buhré
  • 1970 - Robert Cart, acquired in 1970 and absorbed into Paul Buhré that year
  • 1974-2002 - Henry Moser & Co., acquired in 1974 and operated through 1979; re-launched in 2002 as H. Moser & Cie.
  • 1976-1985 - Jean Perret, acquired in 1976, operated independently, sold in 1985 to John Buser
  • 1978 - Luxor, acquired in 1978 and absorbed into Paul Buhré
• 1978 - Movado-Zenith-Mondia, acquired in 1978
  • 1978-1999 - Zenith, acquired as part of Movado-Zenith-Mondia in 1978 and sold to LVMH on November 15, 1999
  • 1978-1983 - Movado, acquired as part of Movado-Zenith-Mondia in 1978 and sold to North American Watch Company in February, 1983
  • 1978 - Mondia, acquired as part of Movado-Zenith-Mondia in 1978 and absorbed into Dixi
• 1979-1998 - Zodiac, acquired by Dixi subsidiary Paul Buhré in 1979, merged with Zenith in 1982, re-launched in 1990, bankrupt in 1997, sold to Genender in 1998 and later to Fossil Group