Gala
Gala was a watch brand through most of the 20th century. Originated around 1900 by Favre Frères of Cormoret in the Saint-Imier valley, it was taken over by Liengme in the 1930s and continued through the 1970s.
Favre Frères
The Favre family has a long history in watchmaking in the small village of Cormoret, located near Courtelary on the road to Villeret and Saint-Imier in the Saint-Imier valley. The firm of Favre Frères first appears in Indicateur Davoine in 1883 and is listed as a Fabrique d'Horlogerie alongside Edouard Droz, Oscar Robert, and numerous members of the Favre and Liengme families. According to Lexicon des Jura, the Favre family purchased the "Moulin dessous le Village" ("windmill below the village") in February 1878 and replaced it with a new factory building. Opening in 1880, the Favre factory included a paddle wheel that produced 12 horsepower. Although Favre Frères thus dated only to 1880, the company claimed foundation in 1859 in 19th century advertising.
Favre Frères quickly rose to become the most important watch factory in Cormoret, producing gold, silver, and nickel watches in volume. They boasted of interchangeable components and having their own designs, including a key winding system, and that the factory produced everything in-house from raw materials. The initial Favre Frères product line was centered on 13 to 20 ligne cylinder movements. By 1886, Favre Frères opened a second factory at Neuveville as well.
In 1888, Favre Frères had developed an effective keyless works for setting the time using the crown, which was registered using the Archimède brand name. This also included a dust cover similar to later waterproof watches. Favre won a bronze medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris of 1889 but promptly refused the award since competitors they saw as inferior won gold or silver medals. Favre Frères developed a new 19 ligne anchor movement by 1895, which was marketed under the registered brand Rubin. The company would add an anti-magnetic watch offering by 1900.
L. & W. Favre
A new firm known as L. & W. Favre was registered in Cormoret by 1900 to market the new patented alarm movement created by Louis-Eugène Favre in 1898. Measuring 20 ligne, the Lépine movement featured a "morning alarm clock" function and was offered in a variety of executions in gold, silver, steel or nickel. Favre marketed this as the "Gala", and this would be the family brand for decades to come.