Tavannes Watch

Tavannes Watch Co. (usually simply called Tavannes) was a Swiss watch company founded in 1891 in Tavannes, defunct by 1966, and resurrected in 2008.

Henri-Frédéric Sandoz-Sandoz

Henri-Frédéric Sandoz (1851-1913) was born on March 5, 1851 in Le Locle. Following elementary school, Sandoz became apprenticed to a local watch caser, Samuel Aubert, who had been in the business from about 1859 and was listed in Le Locle until 1875. Young Henri was following in the footsteps of his father, who was a respected watch and clockmaker.

By 1869, at just 18 years of age, Sandoz respected as a maker of spiral gongs for repeater watches and fitting them to special cases. The young watchmaker soon served many of the best makers of repeating watches, likely including the local workshops of Henri Guye. It is likely that this work was done in association with Samuel Aubert, who was listed as specializing in this type of watch casing. In 1877 Aubert is no longer listed in this business, with Henri Sandoz perhaps taking over the firm at Rue du Progrès 33 in Le Locle.

Contemporary reporting suggests that Henri founded his own firm in 1880 and designing his own complicated watch movements a year later. He was certainly well-established as a watch maker and case fitter in Le Locle by the April 1883 survey of Swiss businesses, where he is listed at Rue des Envers 342.

Sandoz married a woman with the last name Sandoz, styling his name officially as Henri Sandoz-Sandoz, around 1875. The following year a daughter, Nelly Sandoz, was born, followed by Henri Sandoz junior in 1878. Next came Charles Sandoz in 1879, Julie Sandoz in 1882, and Rosy Sandoz in 1884.

Sandoz was also intrigued by American manufacturing technology invented his own specialized machines to assist in the production of precision watch components. Under his direction one of the first automatic cutting machines was produced in Le Locle, a town later known for these tools following the spin-off of Dixi from Le Phare, Guye's company. An 1889 advertisement suggests that Henri Sandoz-Sandoz produced fine watches on "perfect machines" including complicated pieces.

The young watchmaker and industrialist would have known fellow Loclois Georges Favre-Jacot, 8 years his senior, since he emulated the Zénith founder in his approach to watchmaking and management. The Cyma movement was also very similar to Favre-Jacot's Zénith in design and construction, and both embraced American-style watch manufacturing tools and interchangeable components. But Le Locle was a small town, and the growing factories at Billodes (Zénith, Doxa, Le Phare) and across town (Tissot, Angelus, H. Moser & Cie.) competed for power and staff.

Sandoz in Tavannes

In 1890 the Bourgeoisie of Tavannes advertised for a watchmaker to lease their new factory

In the 1880s, with the traditional agricultural production of wood and wheat in the Swiss Jura suffering from Russian and American competition, the leading families of Tavannes sought to diversify the local economy. Louis-Adolphe Geiser had run a successful watchmaking factory in the town for a decade but died suddenly on January 18, 1890. A few weeks later, the Bourgeoisie of Tavannes met in general assembly and allocated 55,000 francs to fund the construction of a watchmaking factory near the new railroad line in town. They advertised this factory in local papers, seeking applications from industrialists to rent and operate the facility. They followed this with an initiative in 1891 to build workers' housing near the factory.

An early image of the original Tavannes factory

Henri Sandoz answered the call and was selected to operate his business out of the new factory. By June 1891 "the firm of Henri Sandoz in Tavannes" was advertising for skilled reassembler of anchor watches to start immediately at the factory. The Sandoz family moved to Tavannes by March 1892. That same month the firm of Henri Sandoz-Sandoz was registered as a watchmaking firm with offices in Tavannes.

Sandoz was backed by two (unrelated) Schwob families of La Chaux-de-Fonds. He likely became acquainted with them as wholesalers of watches, and they may have been early buyers of the complicated pieces he produced in Le Locle. Théodore Schwob (1839-1896), founder of Schwob Frères, was the senior investor, with the Schwob-Weill family selecting the young Edmond Schwob (1864-1900) to represent their interests in the factory.

The Schwob companies quickly added the output of the Tavannes factory to their range of products. Schwob Frères proudly advertised "La Tavannes" watches as early as 1895, boasting that they were the most interchangeable, practical, and best-regulated watches available. The following year the firm began emphasizing the "Tavannes Watch Co" name in advertising alongside "La Tavannes" and "New-Haven Watch". The company emphasized that the range included "Répétitions, Chronographes, and Rattrapantes", likely Henri Sandoz designs, in addition to simple watches.

The operation was a quick success, employing most of the able-bodied men and women in Tavannes and growing rapidly thanks to the worldwide distribution shared by the two Schwob families. On September 25, 1895, the firm was incorporated as a public limited company called Tavannes Watch Co. The initial share capital was 360,000 francs, with the the elder Théodore Schwob as chairman, the young Edmond Schwob as secretary, and Henri Sandoz himself completing the board. But Théodore Schwob did not live to see the fruits of this investment: He died just one year later on September 30, 1896. Both families replaced their board members that November, with Moïse Schwob of Schwob-Weill & Fils taking the presidency and Théodore's son Isaac Schwob becoming secretary.

The factory was quickly expanded, but production demanded even more resources. In 1897 the company built a new factory to produce steel watch cases at the forges of Undervelier just north of Tavannes. Henri Sandoz sent his 21 year old daughter Nelly Sandoz to manage the operation there, having completed her technical training at the Technicum in Winterthour. Nelly would remain in charge of the Undervelier factory for 40 years and would become a manager and board member of the Tavannes Watch Co alongside her brother Henri.

The original Tavannes factory is still visible between two new wings in this 1901 postcard photo

The Tavannes Watch Co was both supportive and paternalistic, directing most aspects of life in the village. Despite rising labor unrest in the watchmaking industry, Tavannes was dedicated to supporting workers. In 1897 the company tested paying employees daily rather than just on Saturday, and this idea quickly spread to other major matchmaking firms. The company instituted a bonus system in 1900, paying 50% extra for any additional work completed once a worker reached the average output for a 10-hour workday. And the company shortened the working hours Saturday starting in 1906, allowing workers to return home after lunch without a loss of pay.

The success of the factory was so good for the town that the bourgeoise of Tavannes decided on April 6, 1901 to sell the factory building to the company for 30,000 francs (70,000 less than their investment to date) and to offer cheap land to the company for expansion. This was embraced by the firm, and soon the watchmaking complex completely swallowed up the original building. By 1901 the company had built new buildings connected to the factory on the western and eastern side, already obscuring the original building.

Tavannes and Cyma

The original Cyma watch used a thin, anti-magnetic movement with interchangeable components

On January 3, 1903, the Tavannes Watch Co registered a new brand: Cyma. Like Georges Favre-Jacot's Zénith, this brand was selected for a modern watch movement that promised to revolutionize the industry due to its thin profile. The brand symbol was a three-peaked mountain, similar in concept to the Zénith North Star. The "Cyma" watch was advertised by September 1904 in Paris and was noted by be anti-magnetic, with a palladium Bréguet spiral, anchor escapement, crown winding and setting, and precision regulation. This was added to the other named watch lines from Schwob Frères: "Hermosa" was guaranteed for 20 years, "Nonpareil" for 10 years, "Advance" for 5 years, and electro-plated "Diana" simply called long-lasting.

This 1905 ad shows watches branded "Tavannes Watch Co" and "Cyma", three movements produced at the factory, and the shared marketing by Schwob Frères and Schwob & Co

Henri Sandoz welcomed the next generation to the company in 1904 with his son, Henri Sandoz junior, becoming a manager. He collaborated with Eugène Romy, who was brought in the same day. In December of that year the company increased its share capital to 390,000 francs, with 30 new shares issued and sold to investors. The firm also added the phrase "the electrical and mechanical branches" to its goal, emphasizing the importance of watchmaking tools to the business.

Constructed in 1904, the La Chaux-de-Fonds office housed Schwob & Co and Schwob Frères, both representing Tavannes Watch Co

A modern office was constructed in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1904 for the Tavannes Watch Co. Located in the rapidly-developing western end of the city at Rue Numa Droz 156 and 158, the office opened for business on May 12 of the following year. It was divided internally into two buildings, with the Schwob & Co entrance at Numa Droz 158 and the Schwob Frères entrance around the corner on Rue de la Pouillerel. It was designed by architect Léon Boillot in the modern style, with white granite exterior and a soaring open central arcade with interior windows for management. The building, expanded in the 1920s, houses Girard-Perregaux today.

Many watchmaking firms were targeted by union organizers in the early 20th century, with a general strike organized against the firms in Grenchen and Langendorf. Activists called upon the working class to refuse to work for Tavannes, along with Léon Lévy & Frères, Fabrique d'Horlogerie de Büren, Fritz Meier et Stüdeli, and Maire Frères. But Sandoz strongly resisted these calls, believing that his paternalistic treatment would retain his workforce. He leaked news that the company would soon build workers' housing near the factory, along with a canteen/cafe for out of town workers. He also initiated shorter work hours on Saturdays and, in December 1907, set up one of the first mutual funds for workers, contributing 10,000 francs to initiate it. the firm also donated 3,000 francs to the Société de Secours Mutuels, another aid fund. In October of 1908, Tavannes was one of the first to initiate an 8-hour work day, from 7:30 to noon and then 13:30 to 17:00.

At the same time, Henri Sandoz initially refused to join the new Syndicat des Fabriques de Montres, which was seen as a counter-union organization. Tavannes was the largest factory to refuse to join, though Sandoz backed down a few days later. He ultimately did not join the Syndicat.

L.-A. Geiser built this "petite fabrique" in Tavannes in 1880; it was acquired by the Tavannes Watch Co around the turn of the century and was leased to the town in 1966

By 1907 the Tavannes Watch Co had purchased the defunct factory of Louis-Adolphe Geiser on the other side of Tavannes. This was dubbed "factory 3" (likely following the original complex and Undervelier factory). It would continue to be part of Tavannes watchmaking for decades and still bears the name "Tavannes Watch Co" on the facade.

Sandoz next hired Chapallaz to build a dozen ornate homes on the heights above the village. Nicknamed "the Caps", these were rented to factory executives at the whim of Sandoz himself. Around 1908, René Chapallaz married Rosy Sandoz, one of Henri's daughters, but her mental health issues soon forced the couple to move to La Chaux-de-Fonds.

This 1908 ad boasts of the output of the factory

The successful company moved aggressively to expand in 1910. The firm took on a 1.2 million franc loan in January from the Federal Bank, secured against the mortgage on the factory buildings and supported by public bonds promising a 4.5% interest rate. On January 31 the firm officially increased share capital to 780,000 francs, doubling the number of shares to 78.

Henri Sandoz died on March 18, 1913. His funeral was attended by the entire village, with distinguished guests arriving from across Switzerland and beyond. His heirs, Henri Sandoz-Mamie and Nelly Sandoz, took his place on the board along with Eugène Romy. Strangely, Schwob Frères registered the Cyma watch brand themselves (with a tiger image) on July 26, 1913.

Tavannes and Cyma During the Crisis

See Also: Henri Sandoz-Mamie

Henri Sandoz-Mamie took over the Tavannes Watch Co following his father's death. He had been a manager of the firm for nearly a decade and was well-prepared to run the business. The company was successful during the First World War, producing watches for soldiers and developing smaller movements for wristwatch use.

Among the popular products produced by the Tavannes factory during the war was the Submarine Commander. The company was approached by two British submarine commanders to construct a watch suitable for work on submarine decks awash in water. This watch was supposed to be water-tight, non-magnetic, and the balance wheel had to be of a material that showed minimal expansion and contraction with variations in temperature. The face had to be legible at all times. Thus, Tavannes produced one of the first waterproof wristwatches in 1917.

Immediately following World War I, Tavannes Watch Co benefited from a surge in orders from around the world. On March 12, 1918, the company raised over 1.5 million francs, increasing share capital to 2,500,000 francs. Nephtaly Woog of Morteau, France, joined the board along with Raphaël Schwob and Adrien Schwob. The former represented Schwob Frères while the latter, a grandson of Joseph Schwob-Weill, was married to Raphaël's older sister Jeanne.

The reliance of the two Schwob families on the Tavannes factory brought them closer together. On December 31, 1919, they made it official: Schwob & Cie was merged into Schwob Frères, uniting the family firms. From this point on, Schwob Frères would be the worldwide representative for the Tavannes Watch Co products.

Another important marriage came on June 7, 1920, as Betty Sandoz, daughter of Tavannes manager Henri Sandoz-Mamie, married technical director Fernand Roblin. A French citizen and former prisoner of war, Roblin embraced his position in the company and family. He was especially involved with the workers, overseeing the huge workforce directly and becoming involved in the company's efforts to build workers' housing, pension funds, and benefits.

But the company was hard-hit in the wake of the Swiss post-war watch bust, and 1921 was an especially difficult year. The firm, which had grown consistently for 30 years, faced the prospect of reducing its workforce and employee benefits. In March a new foundation was created by Moise Schwob, Raphaël Schwob, and Eugène Romy to benefit staff who are unable to work "through no fault of their own", as well as their widows or orphans. The company proposed to reduce all workers' wages by 25% to keep them on the payroll but they rejected this plan. So on September 3 the Tavannes Watch Co issues a dismissal of all hands.

Production soon resumed, though the close relationship between the company and the town would never be quite the same. As the crisis passed, the Schwob family continued to benefit from the profitable business of selling Tavanes and Cyma watches. They expanded the La Chaux-de-Fonds office in 1923, removing the Rue Numa Droz entrance and adding a third block as well as a villa. They welcomed Théodore Schwob to management in September 1924. In 1926, Anatole Schwob replaced Moïse Schwob following his death, with family members now making up the entire board apart from Henri Sandoz-Mamie.

Tavannes was an early producer of smaller movements specifically designed for wristwatches. The company introduced its first small movements during World War I and these became popular following the war. The firm established a branch in Le Locle by 1922 and in 1925 registered a new subsidiary there called Lisica SA. Lisica produced and sold ultra-thin and compact movements. The firm, headed by Dame Elvire Jeanneret, had just 50,000 francs of share capital and could not have been a major concern since it was located at the same address of Tavannes' existing Le Locle subsidiary. Companies like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Dunhill, Hermes, and Cartier all used tiny Tavannes movements, many marked with the name Lisica. Lisica continued until 1945, when it was dissolved, though the branch remained there through 1961.

Cyma and Tavannes movements in 1928

One innovation from Tavannes was a belt buckle watch for the English King Edward VIII. This led to the creation of other "captive" watches for belt or desk, and may have inspired the iconic Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso which used a Tavannes movement. Hermes and Cartier marketed the belt buckle watch as "La Captive".

In the early 1930s demand rose for clocks to be used in automobiles. Tavannes created a driver’s watch, designed to be worn on the side of the wrist to show the time while driving.

The worldwide depression of the 1930s again impacted the Tavannes factory. Blame for the company's failure to thrive was placed on Henri Sandoz-Mamie, who was greatly impacted by the stress of his work as a federal councilor and manager of his family's firm. Fernand Roblin was tasked with reviewing unemployment claims for workers and reducing the workforce. On the night of January 16, 1933, a pipe bomb exploded at his home in Tavannes. The attack caused great concern among both workers and management but the case was never solved.

Henri Sandoz-Mamie decided to resign from the firm, with Roblin and William Egger given management authority in August of 1933. He resigned as National Councilor the following January as he faced personal bankruptcy and scorn. Sandoz sold most of his possessions at auction on October 13, 1934, moving the family to Lausanne. Despite health issues, Henri Sandoz-Mamie tried to start a new career selling typewriters but he finally succumbed, passing away on February 25, 1936.

With the firm now in the hands of the Schwob family, Tavannes began to benefit from increased global demand for watches. By 1938, Tavannes boasted that it was the 4th largest watch manufacturer in the world, having sold over 30 million. At that time, they were employing over 3,000 skilled watchmakers to produce around 4,000 watches per day.

Production stop in 1966

By 1966, however, production had stopped. Swiss watch giant ASUAG adopted both the Cyma and Tavannes brands under their Chronos Holding company that year. In November of 1969 Tavannes Watch Co. was merged into Cyma Watch Co within Chronos Holding. This occurred at the same time that Cyma and Doxa were merged into Synchron SA, the new holding company for Ernest Borel within Chronos. In this way, Tavannes, Cyma, Doxa, and Ernest Borel became brands of a single company.

Tavannes Today

The Tavannes brand was revived in 2008, once again located in the town of Tavannes. The company seeks to restore its original values of quality, innovation, and originality as a family business. The company's lineup now includes historic models in the vintage style.

During World War I, Tavannes was approached by two British submarine commanders to construct a watch suitable for use on submarines. It was waterproofed for use on the deck, antimagnetic, and resistant to temperature changes. The resulting "Submarine" wrist watch of 1917 was recalled in a 2017 edition featuring the historic look of wire lugs, oversize Arabic numerals, a knurled case, and oversized screw-down crown. Inside is an automatic movement, and the anti-magnetic case back and dial are marked "1917-2017".

Tavannes is also recalling the original "Belt Watch" of 1928 with a new 2018 edition that can be worn on the wrist, as a belt, or as a desk watch. In 2019, the company promises a new dive watch that recalls their 1930s original, worn on the side of the wrist with a steeply curved case.

Timeline

Henri Sandoz in Le Locle

See Also: Henri Sandoz

• 1851, March 5 - Henri Sandoz is born in Le Locle
• 1864 - The 13-year-old Sandoz begins a watchmaking apprenticeship for Samuel Aubert, a specialist case fitter for repeater watches
• 1869 - The 18-year-old Henri Sandoz establishes himself as a specialist case fitter and maker of gongs for repeating watches
• 1875 - About 1875 Henri Sandoz marries a woman with the last name Sandoz, styling his name officially as Henri Sandoz-Sandoz
• 1876 - Nelly Sandoz is born; she would run the Undervelier watch case factory for Tavannes
• 1878 - Henri Sandoz junior is born; he would take over the Tavannes Watch Company following his father's death
• 1879 - Charles Sandoz is born; he would found his own watch tool business
• 1881 - Henri Sandoz begins designing his own complicated watch movements as well as specialized machines to produce them
• 1882, November 8 - Julie Sandoz is born
• 1883, April - The initial registry of Swiss businesses finds Henri Fréderic Sandoz as a watch fitter in Le Locle; the firm is located at Rue des Envers 342
• 1884 - Rosy Sandoz is born
• 1892 - Henri Sandoz moves his family to Tavannes by March
• 1894, February - The Le Locle firm of Henri Sandoz is deleted following the move

Tavannes Watch Co

A view of Tavannes around 1895 with the factory in the lower left

• 1890, February - The bourgeoisie of Tavannes, meeting in general assembly, decided unanimously to build a watch factory; a sum of 55,000 francs was allocated
• 1892, March - The firm of Henri Sandoz-Sandoz is registered by Henri Sandoz, allié Sandoz, originally from Le Locle, domiciled in Tavannes; it is a watchmaking form with offices in Tavannes
• 1895, September 25 - The public limited company Tavannes Watch Co is formed, with headquarters in Tavannes; its purpose is the manufacture and sale of watches; the company was concluded for a period of ten years beginning on September 25, 1895; share capital is 360,000 francs, divided into 36 registered shares of 10,000 francs each; the chairman of the board of directors is watch merchant Théodore Schwob of Schwob Frères; the secretary of the board of directors is watch merchant Edmond Schwob of Schwob-Weill & Fils, both in La Chaux-de-Fonds; the director is watchmaker Henri Sandoz in Tavannes
• 1896, September 30 - Théodore Schwob dies
• 1896, November - Théodore Schwob, president, and Edmond Schwob, secretary of the board of directors of the public limited company Tavannes Watch Co have ceased to be part of this board; they are replaced by Moïse Schwob of Schwob-Weill & Fils from Cerneux-Péquignot, domiciled in La Chaux-de-Fonds, as president, and Isaac Schwob of Schwob Frères, of Morteau (France), domiciled in La Chaux-de-Fonds, as secretary
• 1897 - A factory for steel watch cases is built at Undervelier; Henri Sandoz' daughter Nelly Sandoz moves there to manage it
• 1897 - Tavannes tests paying employees every day rather than on Saturday; the concept is soon tested by others, including FHF
• 1900 - Tavannes Watch Co initiates a bonus system, paying 50% extra for additional work once average output for a 10-hour workday has been achieved
• 1900, July 27 - Edmond Schwob dies
• 1901, April 6 - The bourgeoise of Tavannes decides to sell the Tavannes Watch factory to the company for 30,000 francs and to offer cheap land to the company for expansion
• 1903, January 3 - The Cyma brand name is registered by Tavannes Watch Co for their ultra-thin 17 ligne movement
• 1904, September - The board of directors gives power of attorney to Eugène Romy from Sorvilier and Henri Sandoz-Maime, son of the founder
• 1904, December 19 - At its general meeting, Tavannes Watch Co added "the electrical and mechanical branches" to its goal and made the duration of the company unlimited; share capital was increased to 390,000 francs divided into 39 registered shares of 10,000 francs
• 1905, May 12 - The Schwob Frères and Tavannes Watch Co sales offices in La Chaux-de-Fonds are opened at Rue Numa Droz 156 and 158
• 1906 - Tavannes Watch Co is targeted, along with Léon Lévy & Frères, Fabrique d'Horlogerie de Büren, Fritz Meier et Stüdeli, and Maire Frères, by union organizers; Henri Sandoz strongly resists these efforts; the union calls for a ban on workers there
• 1906, January - Henri Sandoz announces that Tavannes Watch Co will not join the Syndicat des Fabriques de Montres, the largest factory to refuse; a few days later he changes his mind, announcing that the company will join
• 1906, June - Tavannes declares that Saturday work will end at noon, reducing the work week without reducing pay or benefits; this is renewed the following year
• 1907, December - The Tavannes Watch Co sets up one of the first mutual funds for workers, contributing 10,000 francs to initiate it; the firm also donated 3,000 francs to the Société de Secours Mutuels
• 1908, October - Tavannes Watch Co initiates an 8-hour work day, from 7:30 to noon and then 13:30 to 17:00
• 1910, January - Tavannes Watch Co takes on a loan of 1.2 million francs from the Federal Bank secured against the mortgage on the factory and bonds offered to the public with 4.5% interest rate
• 1910, January 31 - The share capital was increased to 780,000 francs, divided into 78 shares of 10,000 francs
• 1913, March 18 - Henri Sandoz dies
• 1913, April 3 - The signature conferred on director Henry Sandoz-Sandoz is extinguished; he is replaced as director by Henri Sandoz-Mamie, Eugène Romy, and Nelly Sandoz
• 1913, July 26 - Schwob Frères registers the Cyma watch brand (registered a decade earlier by TWC)

Tavannes Watch under Henri Sandoz-Mamie

See Also: Henri Sandoz-Mamie

• 1916, July 4 - The Tacy Watch Co is registered in Moutier as a Société Anonyme; share capital is 20,000 francs divided into 20 bearer shares of 1000 francs each; the company is represented by the signature of director Henri Sandoz-Mamie from Le Locle, in Tavannes
• 1916, August 19 - The TACY WATCH CO trademark is registered
• 1918, March 12 - The Tavannes Watch Co SA increases share capital from 780,000 francs to 2,500,000 francs divided into 250 registered shares of 10,000 francs; the board of directors is composed of Nephtaly Woog of Morteau (France), Raphaël Schwob of Morteau (France), and Adrien Schwob from Carneux-Péquignot
• 1919, December 31 - Schwob & Cie is merged into Schwob Frères, uniting the two Schwob families
• 1920, June 7 - Betty Sandoz marries Fernand Roblin, technical director of Tavannes Watch Co
• 1921, March 14 - A foundation named Caisse de Retraite is established in Tavannos to help the staff of Tavannes Watch Co who are unable to work "through no fault of their own", as well as their widows or orphans; the Board of Directors is composed of Moise Schwob, Raphaël Schwob, and Eugène Romy
• 1921, September 3 - Following a rejection of a proposal to reduce their wages by 25%, Tavannes Watch Co issues a dismissal of all hands
• 1922, August - A new board of directors is created, composed of French citizen and merchant Raphaël Schwob of La Chaux-de-Fonds, president, French citizen and trader Arnold Schwob of La Chaux-de-Fonds, vice-president, French citizen and merchant René Schwob of La Chaux-de-Fonds, secretary, and Henry Sandoz, director
• 1923, May 17 - Moise Schwob dies
• 1923 - The La Chaux-de-Fonds office is expanded, removing the Rue Numa Droz entrance and adding a third block as well as a villa at number 160
• 1924, September - Power of attorney is given to Théodore Schwob from Cerneux-Péquignot
• 1925, December 16 - A public limited company called Lisica SA is established in Le Locle to manufacture and sell horlogerie; share capital is 50,000 francs divided into 100 registered shares of 500 francs each; the board of directors is composed of Dame Elvire Jeanneret from and in Le Locle, merchant; the offices are at Envers 46 in Le Locle
• 1926, February 9 - The Tavannes Watch Co, at its general meeting, revised its statutes; Moïse Schwob, deceased, is replaced by Anatole Schwob; the board of directors gives individual signature to Armand Schwob, René Schwob, and Maurice Schwob, all from Morteau (France), and Georges Schwob, from Cerneux-Péquignot
• 1933, January 16 - A pipe bomb explodes at the home of Fernand Roblin and Betty Sandoz
• 1933, August - Administrators with sole signature are named: Armand Schwob from Francs and Georges Schwob from Cerneur-Péquignot; the board of directors gave power of attorney to Fernand Roblin from France and [[William Egger] from La Scheulte; Henri Sandoz-Mamie resigned; Nephtali Woog and Anatole Schwob have died

Restart Under Schwob Frères

See Also: Schwob Frères

• 1934, April 17 - At the general meeting, share capital is reduced from 2,500,000 francs to 625,000 francs by reducing the nominal value of each share from 10,000 to 2500 francs; at the meetings of February 12, 1926 and May 1, 1934 the board of directors changed its representation as follows: Raphaël Schwob is appointed chairman of the board of directors, Adrien Schwob is appointed vice-president and Isaac Schwob secretary
• 1934, April - Henry Sandoz is removed as director of Tacy Watch Co; he is replaced by Théodore Schwob from Cerneux-Péquignot, domiciled in Tavannes
• 1936, February - Henri Sandoz-Mamie dies
• 1936, February - The signatures of Nelly Sandoz, as Director, and René Sehwob, as procuration, are deleted
• 1936, August 31 - The TACY WATCH CO trademark is renewed
• 1936, September - Raphael Schwob and Arnold Schwob are removed from the board of directors; the former is replaced as chairman of the board by René Schwob, former secretary, and the latter is replaced as vice-president by Adrien Schwob from Cerneux-Pequignot, member of the board of directors; René Schwob is replaced as secretary by Georges Schwob from Cerneux-Péquiguot
• 1940 - A fire badly damages the Tavannes factory complex; it is soon rebuilt

  

  The factory was badly damaged in a 1940 fire

• 1940, June 18 - The company elected, as a new member of the board of directors, Maurie Sehwob, a French citizen, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, who commits the company by his individual signature; the procuration conferred on Maurice Schwob is removed
• 1941, January 31 - The company revised its articles of association; the shares were transformed from registered shares into bearer shares; the capital of 625,000 francs is fully paid up
• 1941, November 12 - The company appointed as the new director Eugène Romy, from Sorvilier, in Tavannes, until now director, who will commit the company by his individual signature; Georges Schwob was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors
• 1941, December 23 - The Tacy Watch Co is dissolved by decision of the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders; the liquidation being completed, this company is written off
• 1942, November 18 - The extraordinary general meeting of shareholders revised the company's articles of association; This now aims to manufacture and sell watchmaking and will be able to extend its activity to everything related to this field, as well as electricity and mechanics; It may also, by decision of the board of directors, create or acquire in Switzerland or abroad branches or independent companies pursuing the same purpose and may generally process all commercial, industrial, financial or real estate transactions related to the company's activity; the general meeting decided to issue 500 bearer vouchers with no face value giving the right to participate in the profits, according to the decision of the general meeting; share capital of 625,000 francs, composed of 250 bearer shares of 2500 francs each, is fully paid up
• 1943, April 12 - The company, in the meeting of its board of directors, appointed Joseph Ducommun, of Le Locle, in Tavannes, attorney, who committed the company by signing collectively either with Fernand Roblin or with William Egger
• 1943, December 13 - The company, in an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, appointed Théodore Schwob, from Cerneux-Péquignot, in Tavannes, currently director, to the functions of director of the company, with individual signature
• 1945, April 10 - The board of directors of Lisica SA of Le Locle decides to dissolve the company; it is immediately liquidated and deleted
• 1946, April - The power of attorney conferred on Joseph Ducommun is extinguished
• 1946, June - Georges Maire, from La Sagne, Les Ponts-de-Martel and Brot-Dessus, in Tavannes, is appointed power of attorney; he commits the company by signing collectively with Fernand Roblin and William Egger
• 1946, October 15 - The company increased its share capital from 625,000 francs to 2,000,000 francs by issuing 550 shares of 2500 francs each, fully released by two claims totaling 1,201,764 francs against the company and by payment of the balance in cash; share capital, fully paid up, is 200,000 francs, divided into 800 shares of 2500 francs each
• 1948, April - The powers of the deceased administrator Raphaël Schwob are extinguished
• 1948, December - Georges Maire will henceforth commit the company with his individual signature affixed as a power of attorney; Georges Bridevaux, appointed proxy, will commit the company by his signature affixed collectively with one of the already registered power of attorney
• 1949, July 11 - The company appoints directors Pierre Sehwob, from Cerneux-Péquignot, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and Jean Schwob, from and in La Chaux-de-Fonds; administrators Isaac Schwob and Adrien Schwob have resigned and their powers are extinguished; the soeiété is engaged by the individual signature of the directors, by the individual signature of Georges Maire, proxy, and by the collective signature of two of the proxy officers: William Egger and Georges Bridevaux
• 1949, December - André Wasem, from Boveresse (Neuchâtel) and Guggisberg (Bern), and Francis Schwob, from La Chaux-de-Fonds, both in Tavannes, are appointed power of attorney
• 1957, February 20 - Fernand Roblin dies
• 1958, April 23 - Nelly Sandoz dies
• 1959, June - Maurice Schwob, Chairman of the Board of Directors, has died and his powers are removed; the board of directors is composed of Theodore Schwob (appointed president), Armand Schwob, secretary, Georges Schwob, Pierre Schwob, Jean Schwob
• 1960, April - Armand Schwob, administrator, has resigned; Claude-Théodore Selwob, from and to La Chaus-de-Fonds, is appointed new administrator
• 1960, December - Georges Schwob, administrator, has resigned
• 1961, April - René Lüthy, of Langnau, and Heinrich Häring, of Arisdorf, both in Tavannes, were appointed proxies; the five already registered proxies are William Egger, Georges Bridevaux, André Wasem, Francis Schwob and Maurice Lutz
• 1961, July - Signatures of the proxies William Egger and Fraucis Schwob are extinguished; attorneys Georges Bridevaux, André Wasem, Maurice Lutz, René Lüthy, and Heinrich Haring are now committing the company by collectively signing in pairs with each other
• 1963, January 4 - Following its extraordinary general meeting Charles Veillon, of Aigle and Bex, in Lausanne, was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Ami Scholler, of Saint-Ursanne, in Lausanne, Vice-President of the Council; Claude-Théodore Schwob, already registered as a director, was appointed secretary
• 1963, April - The signature of the proxy René Lüthy is deleted
• 1964, March - The signatures of the proxies Andre Wasem and Heinrich Häring are deleted
• 1966, May - The Tavannes Watch Co leases the "petite fabrique" on Rue de Pierre-Pertuis, originally built by Louis-Adolphe Geiser, to the municipality for use by the military
• 1966, November - Directors Théodore Schwob, Pierre Schwob, and Jean Schwob have resigned; their signatures, as well as that of the power of attorney Georges Maire, are erased
• 1967, March The board of directors is composed of Charles Veillon, president, Claude-Théodore Schwob, secretary, Ami Scholler (former vice-president), Jean Hegetschweiler from Basel and Urdorf in Bienne, Pierre Renggli, from and in Bienne, and Erwin Schnegg, from Zäziwil, in Tramelan
• 1967, April 1 - Tavannes Watch Co merges with Foyer Populaire de Tavannes, with Tavannes Watch Co taking over the assets and liabilities, on a universal basis, of Le Foyer; according to the balance sheet as of December 31, 1966, an asset of 1,859,685.85 francs (real estate, liquidity and receivables) and a liability of 1,641 130.90 francs (mortgage debts) or a net asset of 218,554.95 francs (share capital and reserves)

Synchron

See Also: Synchron

• 1967, August - Henry-Auguste Favre from Locle in Bellevue (Geneva) is appointed a member of the board of directors
• 1968, March - The "petite fabrique" is sold to La Jurassienne
• 1968, September - Jean-Louis Borel is appointed a member of the board of directors
• 1968, December 18 - Supported by Chronos Holding, Ernest Borel & Cie SA changes its company name to Synchron SA
• 1969, March 27 - Synchron SA merges with Cyma Watch Co SA of La Chaux-de-Fonds and with Manufacture des Montres Doxa SA of Le Locle
• 1969, November - Cyma Watch Co SA merges with Tavannes Watch Co; Cyma takes over the assets and liabilities of Tavannes Watch Co, both the assets and to the liabilities of 4,684,400.56 francs; at the same time, Synchron SA takes over the assets and liabilities of Cyma Watch Co SA; Cyma Watch Co SA is dissolved; the creditors having been disinterested, having obtained collateral or having accepted the merger, the company is deregistered
• 1970, April - The signatures of director Claude Schwob, and André Jeannet, and Georges Nidegger are erased; deputy directors Maurice Sauser and Hans Rudolf Knoepfel are appointed directors; Paul-André Fallet and Pierre Henzi are appointed as proxy
• 1972, February - The signatures of directors Marcel Germond and Francis Schwob and deputy directors Kurt Baechler and Fredy Vallon and proxy Maurice Lutz are deleted
• 1977, November 7 - A suspension of 4 months is granted to Synchron under bankruptcy court in La Chaux-de-Fonds
• 1978, March 7 - By judgment of the Neuchâtel Cantonal Court, an agreement is approved for abandonment of assets between the company and its creditors; the liquidation commission is composed of Louis Genilloud and Maurice Favre; the signatures of president Jean Hegetschweiler, vice-president Jean-François Krebs, deputy director general Maurice Sauser, as well as the powers of attorney of Jean Alpers, Paul-André Fallet, Jean Matthey, Roger Pétremand, and Michel Gaille are removed; the unsigned administrators Jean Perrin and Roger Anker are removed; the company name is changed to Synchron in Liquidation
• 1986, November - The liquidation of Synchron SA being completed, this company is deleted

Rebirth

• About 1978 - The Cyma and Tavannes Watch Co brands are purchased at auction by Claude Guilgot
• 1980s - The Cyma brand is re-established in Le Locle
• 2002 - Florin Niculescu joins Cyma
• 2006 - Florin Niculescu becomes president of Cyma USA
• 2008 - The Tavannes Watch Co brand is taken over by the Niculescu family
• 2019 - The new Tavannes Watch Co acquires La Chaux-de-Fonds based watch manufacturer UM2

Address

Tavannes Watch Co. S.A.
Chemin des Jardinets 2
CH-2710 Tavannes
Email : [email protected]
Tel +41 (0)32 483 72 80

External Links

• tavanneswatches.com