Oris
Oris is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1902 in Holstein.
Foundation
Lohner & Nägelin
The factory used by Oris was founded in 1902 by a new firm named Lohner & Nägelin. In March of that year, Arnold Lohner-Leuenberger from Grindelwald and Wilhelm Nägelin from Reigoldswil entered into a partnership in Hölstein for the manufacture of watch components ("Fabrique d'Ebauches et de finissages Remontoir et a clefs"). The availability of automated tools and steam power lead to the rapid creation of many such factories at this time. Lohner brought watchmaking skills while Nägelin was a local investor.
Charles and Arnold Lohner had become involved in watchmaking by 1894, with Arnold becoming a partner with Albert Buser-Weber and Fritz Buser-Bieder in the successor firm to Buser Frères in Niederdorf following the exit of Johannes Busser-Tièche. They became embroiled in the workers' strike in Langendorf later that year, siding with Lucien Tièche, and were pulled into the controversy in the press in 1896. Lohner left the company in 1902, which was re-formed as Buser Frères.
That same year the pair established a factory in Hölstein on the banks of the Frenke river. In 1903 the company registered the brand name Oris as a reference to this "aurisa" or "watercourse" and the name continues to this day. Nägelin left the factory soon after, and the company became known as Lohner & Cie. Wilhelm Nägelin continued to work to attract investors to various "safe investments" in the canton but appears to have found little success.
But it was more difficult than expected to staff the factory, located well outside the Jura triangle. No local workers had watchmaking skills, and only a few French-speaking workers were willing to relocate. Just two years after its founding, the Hölstein factory faced closure. It is often said that Arnold Lohner died in 1904 as well, though there is little evidence of this.
Cattin and Christian
In 1904 Paul Cattin and Georges Christian (1875-1927) took over the business. Christian was the technical director of the Société d'Horlogerie de Granges despite being just 29 years old. In 1917 Christian took full control of the factory, which he managed until his sudden death in 1927.
Under Georges Christian, Oris rapidly expanded operations. The firm opened five additional factories in Switzerland between 1906 and 1925, in Holderbank, Como, Courgenay, Ziefen, Herbertswil, and Bienne, and was the largest employer in Hölstein by 1910, with 300 workers.
When Christian suddenly died in 1927 a group of watchmakers friendly to his family took over the firm. Jacques-David LeCoultre became president, with Oscar Herzog (Christian's brother in law) becoming managing director.
Oris specialized in inexpensive alarm clocks through World War II but continued development of inexpensive watches as well. As early as 1930 the daily production reached about 7000 watches. They were sold to Europe, New Zealand, South America and China. The company launched an automatic watch in 1952.
Until 1960 Oris manufactured only watches with pin-lever escapement (Roskopf movement). In 1956, Rolf Portmann was hired by Oscar Herzog to challenge the control of the Swiss watchmaking cartel, which forced the company to produce only pin lever movements. In 1945 the company successfully participated in chronometer tests of the Swiss testing laboratory and till 1958 received approximately 1,500 chronometer certificates for its wristwatches.
Oris specialized in pin lever movements and was able to achieve exceptionally high quality and accuracy. In 1953, 113 Oris watches were sent to Le Locle obtain a Chronometer certification, the first time pin lever watches were able to achieve this. The company sued to relax the strict controls on companies producing new competitive anchor movements and was able to succeed in getting these restrictions lifted in 1966.
In the sixties Oris was one of the ten largest watch manufacturers in Switzerland. From 20 employees originally, Oris grew to 668 employees in 1953 and 770 in 1965.
Oris produced its first lever escapement watch movement, the automatic Cal. 645, in 1966. In 1968 the firm received its first chronometer certificate for a watch using the in-house Cal. 652.
In 1969, just as the automatic chronograph appeared, Oris introduced its own counter-less chronograph, the ChronOris. Produced with Dubois Dépraz, the 27.50 mm Cal. 725 was a modular movement, with a 2 mm thick column wheel chronograph and date complication on a simple base. Although it appears to have a second pusher, this is a crown used to control an interior rotating bezel. In all 27,000 examples of the ChronOris were manufactured.
Oris produced 1.2 million watches in 1969, the peak of production. But the company was sold to ASUAG in 1970.
Emphasis on traditional mechanical watches
In 1982 the Oris SA was re-established under the leadership of Rolf Portmann and Ulrich Herzog. It was one of the very first manufacturers who completely emphasized on traditional mechanics. The dials of the watches were sometimes intricately guilloched and together with the curved hands were significantly inspired by classical examples. With the slogan "High Mech" the importance of traditional mechanics was emphasised, in contrast to quartz technology, which in those days was still present even in the luxury segment. A complex, freely distributed catalog book documented history and technique of traditional watchmaking mechanics and positioned the brand clearly in this area. With this strategy it had success even in Japan. Among the classics of the brand is the model Big Crown, a pilot's watch with oversized crown, allowing the pilot to operate even with leather gloves.
Oris produced a watch with a date pointer in 1984. Based on a classic watch from the 1930s, this would become a signature Oris model. In 1988 the firm produced a mechanical alarm watch using an old A. Schild ebauche. After 1992 Oris focused entirely on mechanical watches.
Reorientation on masculine sports watches
At the end of the 1990 years the company with the new model series XXL and a TT1 reorientated towards large, heavy and conspicuous sports watches with masculine design. The model range was widely changed, and only the current version of the Big Crown still contains echoes of the earlier style. In order to increase their awareness one invested in new product lines, and a strong corresponding advertising. New distinguishing mark was now the red rotor of the mostly ETA-based automatic watch movements, which was visible through the transparent caseback. One of the most prestigious projects is the newer model TT1 Meistertaucher (Master Diver) - it is waterproof up to depths of 1,000 meters.
Since 2003 Oris occurs as a sponsor of the Formula 1 team Williams. In honor of Ralf Schumacher and the Williams F1 team a limited edition was launched. The watches of this edition included a carbon dial bearing the signature of Ralf Schumacher. A used part from the gearbox or the engine of an F1 car was added to each watch.
The sale of shares of the different continents reflect the success of the brand in the East: Europe 40%, Asia 47%, 9% Americas, Oceania 3% (in 2009). Since the Financial Crisis from 2007 Oris, relative to other providers, increases also much on the German market.
Overview of the Collection
The Oris collection includes the ranges Motor Sports, Aviation, Diving and Culture. In the latter, there are classic models as well as the series Miles, designed for famous jazz musicians, which is complemented by a special model for Bob Dylan.
Motor Sports
- TT3 Chronograph
- Chronoris, chronograph in the style of the 1970s
- Partnership with WilliamsF1:
Aviation
- Big Crown, model classic
- Flight Timer
- Hunter
Diving
Culture
Special Editions
- Oris TT3 Formula Gold LE, motor sports chronograph
- Col Moschin Limited Edition, dive watch / special operations watch
Address
Oris SA
Ribigasse 1
CH 4434 Hölstein
Tel. +41-61-9561111
Fax +41-61-9512065
Timeline
- 1902, March 7 - Arnold Lohner-Leuenberger from Grindelwald and Wilhelm Nägelin from Reigoldswil enter into a partnership under the company Lohner & Nägelin in Hölstein for the manufacture of watch components ("Fabrique d'Ebauches et de finissages Remontoir et a clefs")
- 1903, March 7 - Lohner & Nägelin register the brand name "Oris"
- 1903, April 1 - The firm of Lohner & Nägelin is dissolved, replaced by "Lohner & Cie"; Arnold Lohner and Wilhelm Nägelin remain unlimited partners with Ernst Hartmann Utzinger from Wald investing 20,000 francs and becoming a limited partner and power of attorney
- 1903, July 1 - Wilhelm Nägelin resigns from the company
- 1904, June 1 - Paul Cattin from Les Bois and Georges Christian from Le Locle, both living in Hölstein, enter into a collective partnership under the name Manufacture d'Horlogerie de Hölstein Cattin und Christian
- 1904, December 24 - Lohner & Cie is deleted from the commercial register
- 1907, May 1 - Hermann Rosskopf from Hertingen, Georges Christian from Locle, and Paul Cattin from Les Bois register the firm H. Rosskopf & Co. in Hölstein; Christian and Cattin are authorized representatives while Rosskopf is not
- 1908, February 1 - A branch of Manufacture d'Horlogerie de Hölstein Cattin & Christian is registered in Holderbank under Cattin and Cristian
- 1916, September - The owner of the company Uhrenfabrik Moderna Basel Paul Cattin in Basel is Paul Félicien Cattin-Rudolf from Les Bois, residing in Basel
- 1917, March 1 - A branch of Cattin & Christian is established in Courgenay
- 1918, January - The firm Manufacture d'Horlogerie de Hölstein Cattin & Christian in Hölstein has been dissolved; assets and liabilities are taken over by the new firm, Georges Christian, Uhrenfabrik Oris in Hölstein; Georges Christian from Le Locle, residing in Hölstein, is the owner; Louis Wolf from Lotzwil and Karl Martin from Frenkendorf are given power of attorney
- 1918, March - The Holderbank branch of Cattin & Christian is also taken over by Georges Christian
- 1918, April - The Courgenay branch of Cattin & Christian is also taken over by Georges Christian with Louis Wolf and Charles Martin
- 1922, December - Oscar Herzog of Wittnau is added as power of attorney in the firm
- 1928, July - Compagnie des Montres Oris SA is formed to take over "Georges Christians Erben, Uhrenfabrik Oris"; share capital is 1 million francs, with 800,000 in shares and the rest in credit notes; the board consists of Georg Stadler from Mettlen, widow Emilie Christian-Bürgy from Le Locle, Oscar Herzog-Christian from Wittnau, Fritz Heid from Arisdorf, architect Constant-Bernard Rossier from Villarzel, Jacques-David LeCoultre from Le Chenit, and lawyer Dr. Alfred Veit-Gysin from Basel
Weblinks
- Oris, official website