1881
- After Jules-Louis Audemars and his friend Edward-Auguste Piguet had built watches in their homes, as it was usual with many watch studios, they found the company Audemars Piguet & Cie., Manufacture d'Horlogerie together.
- Hans Wilsdorf, the later founder of Rolex, is born on 22 March 1881 in Kulmbach (Franconia, Germany).