Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies

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Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies (FSR) was a holding company for production of hairsprings for watches. Formed in 1895, it was a cartel and controlled all production of these springs for a few years. It was incorporated into ASUAG in 1932, and later merged with rival Nivarox SA and sister companies, Fabriques d'Assortiments Réunies (FAR) and Fabriques de Balanciers Réunies (FBR) to become Nivarox-FAR in 1984.

Cartel

The Société des Fabriques de Spiraux Rèunies (FSR) was founded in 1895 as a cartel to control the manufacture of balance springs. This was the first example of industry consolidation and became the template and lesson for later efforts. The company incorporated the five major producers at that time, buying out the others, and becoming the sole maker of these critical components for a few years. Although competing factories and technology changes soon brought new competition, FSR remained a major concern for decades.

Initial members of FSR included the following companies, with specific directors noted:

The creation of FSR also resulted in the end of spring production for some existing companies:

The initial offices for the FSR were located at Rue de la Serra 2 in Neuchâtel, though it was moved to Rue de l'Orangerie 8 by 1898.

FSR used the Guye et Cie factory on Saint-Jean in Geneva and the Baehni factory in Bienne for manufacturing. In 1910 the company moved into a newly built building on Saint-Jean in Geneva.

Competition

One of the first balance spring factories to be set up to compete with FSR was the firm of Borle et Jéquier in Fleurier. C. Jequier-Borle had operated a silver watch case factory since at least 1894 but this new factory was established by Paul Jéquier and William Borle (originally of Renan) on June 15, 1896 specifically to produce balance springs. Samuel Graf of Ramsen (Schaffhausen) joined the company as manager in 1900. The firm was boasting of "non-magnetique" springs by 1901. Borle & Jequier Spiraux SA was incorporated on December 20, 1911 with William Borle and Paul Jequier-Auroi as directors. Jequier left the firm on March 26, 1918 and it was dissolved in 1932.

A larger challenge came from the Société Suisse des Spiraux, which was formed by a number of large watchmaking companies specifically to take on FSR's monopoly. Officially incorporated on July 28, 1898, the company established a spring production facility at the Montbrillant building in La Chaux-de-Fonds and an office at Rue du Parc 8. SSS continued to produce watch springs until it was dissolved in 1955.

Paul Perret was an early follower of the work of Charles-Edouard Guillaume, corresponding with him about his new nickel steel, dubbed Invar, and producing a sample balance spring of the material. By 1899, Perret's factory was established in Fleurier and was producing patented Invar springs by 1901. It was located in Quartier-Neuf quite close to the Borle & Jéquier spring factory. But Perret died suddenly and the company was sold to FSR.

Two old competitors in Geneva springs began producing again in 1898: J. Montandon (in a new factory at Boulevard James Fazy 5) and Mme Junod (in the old C.-A. Paillard factory at Kléberg 27). La Chaux-de-Fonds based precision tool maker Pierre Roch also produced balance springs for a few years after 1900. And Emile Schweingruber of Saint-Imier posed a serious challenge with his "Sonia" brand springs in 1900. Finally there was the Manufacture Française de Spiraux under Ed. Robert, established by 1900. Another Geneva factory was L. & F. Cattelain at Rue du Rhône 19.

Next was the Fabrique Nationale de Spiraux in La Chaux-de-Fonds at Rue de la Charrière 37, Bucher-Moser & Cie (later called G.-A. Ulrich) at Rue de la Chapelle 3, both established by 1908. Schweingruber became known as Fabrique de Spiraux by 1913.

La Chaux-de-Fonds watch dealer Charles-Albert Vuille was made administrator-director of FSR by 1901 and was appointed to join the board in 1902. Lawyer Henri Lehmann of La Coudre was made chairman of the board in 1902 as well; he also served on the board of Zenith Great Britain in 1914 until his sudden death on April 8, 1915. Philippe-Auguste Guye was replaced by his brother Charles-Eugène Guye in 1907, enabling the former to focus on his studies in applied chemistry. Henri-Auguste Herren of Geneva replaced Lehmann after his death in 1915. Vuille became Managing Director in 1917, the same year he also joined the board of FBR, which he had also served in management for a decade. George Sandoz was removed as director in 1918 and Charles-Eugène Guye was removed in 1920 with George Sandoz restored. The company raised 50,000 francs of new funding in 1921. Frédéric Dufaux replaced Charles Dufaux in 1923 and he would remain on the board until his death in 1962. Charles-Eugène Guye rejoined the board in 1925 following the deaths of Philippe-Auguste Guye (in 1922) and Henri-Auguste Herren.

FSR hired architect William Henssler to design a new home for the company in Geneva in 1910. The building is located on Rue de Saint-Jean, a short distance from the former Guye et Cie factory that had been the Geneva home of the cartel since its creation in 1895. The building features a curved entrance and mansard roof at the corner of Saint-Jean and Miléant and remains standing to this day.

Share capital was increased to 900,000 francs in 1928 with new shares issued and the old restructured. Eugène Baehni (deceased) and Charles-Eugène Guye were removed from the board, replaced by William-Ernest Baehni and John Herren. 600 more shares were issued the following year and the board was shuffled again, with Ernest Dubois and Gustave Ulrich joining president Georges Sandoz and secretary John Herren. Commercial direction of the company was given to Charles-Albert Vuille in 1930, assisted by Albert Perret and Louis Huguenin (younger).

FSR was entirely modified in 1932 as it became part of ASUAG. George Sandoz had died on March 27, 1930, while John Herren, Louis Huguenin, William Baehni, and Gustave Ulrich all resigned. The new board of directors retained Frédéric Dufaux and Ernest Dubois, while Paul Baehni, Hermann Obrecht, banker Ali Bingguely (of the bank "Reutter & Cie"), Albert Mosimann, and Henri Calame, former politician, chairman. Ernest Strahm replaced Calame as chairman in 1933. Paul Baehni was specifically appointed manager of the Bienne operation that year, and this branch was given greater autonomy. In 1936 Sidney de Coulon replaced Albert Mossiman on the board. On his death, Strahm was removed from the board in 1938. Ali Bingguely was removed in 1942, two years before his death, replaced by Charles Turler. De Coulon resigned in 1948 as Gaston Nardin joined the board, with Paul Baehni promoted to the management committee. Marguerite-Emilie Guinand joined management in 1954.

Timeline

Old Article

The force behind the formation of the SR was Charles-Edouard Guillaume, director of the International Office for Weights and Measures who won the Nobel Prize in 1920 for his discovery of self-compensating alloys including Elinvar. This material was brought to market by SR in the 1920s.

This concentration did not last long. By 1901, a rival firm was set up at the Montbrillant Watch Manufactory to distribute hairsprings from smaller firms, Société Suisse des Spiraux. Another major rival, Fabrique Nationale de Spiraux was also set up in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and numerous smaller firms joined the competition. Many of these would later be folded into SR as the industry continued to consolidate, especially after World War II. Guillaume's work was also the impetus for the creation of the Société des Spiraux Francais in 1919.

A major new rival to appear in the 1930s was Nivarox SA. Begun by Reinhard Straumann, inventor of the namesake material, Nivarox SA was set up in Saint-Imier to commercialize the alloy in 1934. It would grow to be a major competitor for SR through the war years.

In 1954, Nationale was merged with SR, and W. Ruch & Cie. were also acquired in 1956. This gave SR access to the Inox, Isoval, and Acier Bleus alloys. Société Suisse ceased operation after 1955.

By 1966, SR was affiliated with Fabrique National de Ressorts of La Chaux-de-Fonds, enabling the production of precision springs, wire drawing, lamination, and pre-assembly of complete hairspring assemblies. SR was producing hairsprings using their Isoval alloy, which boasted great thermal resistance and was nearly anti-magnetic.

During the ascendance of quartz, the industry no longer needed as many hairsprings. In 1984, long-time rivals Nivarox SA and SR were merged, creating the modern company Nivarox-FAR. This was the only producer of balance springs in Switzerland by 1990, but even this was not enough demand. To save the company, Nicolas Hayek directed Swatch to sell a mechanical watch. This would provide just enough sales to keep Nivarox-FAR in business.

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