Société d'Horlogerie de Moutier

The Société d'Horlogerie de Moutier, also called Radium Watch Factory, was an industrial watchmaking company in Moutier from 1849 through bankruptcy in 1914.

Watchmaking in Moutier began with the opening of the "Grande Fabrique" built on the banks of the Birse river at the western end of the village. This spot had previously housed various industries but the new factory erected in 1851 and 1852 housed about a hundred workers in one central building focused on roughing and finishing of watch movements. Because the cost of living was cheap, the work was simple and low-skilled, but this allowed the town to grow to about 1000 at this time.

The Moutier factory grew, producing cylinder escapements and pinions, and the building was enlarged. The factory began to produce complete watches, first key-wound and then crown-wound, between 1865 and 1870. At this point the Moutier company employed 500 workers and delivered 40,000 watches a year. By this time the population of the village of Moutier was 1,946. More specialized workshops were added in Moutier during this period, including a workshop for the manufacture of dials and another for gilding.

The Moutier-Grandval factory is listed in Indicateur Davoine through 1913.

Société d'Horlogerie de Moutier (Moutier Watch Co.) also known as Radium Watch Co. failed on January 27, 1914 and was deleted on November 4. The company advertised that it was founded in 1849 suggesting that it was the successor to the original Grande Fabrique.