SSIH

SSIH (Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogére SA) was a group of Swiss watch companies. It became Swatch Group in 1998.

SSIH timeline:

• 1930 - Omega, Tissot, and Lemania joined together to form SSIH group. Lanco, Cortebert, Marc Favre, and Hamilton were added over the years.
• 1961 - Rayville joins, bringing the Blancpain brand
• 1971 - Economic Swiss Time Holding (ESTH) was integrated with with the budget watch brands AGON, Buler, Continental, and Ferex. With the advent of electronic watches in the "quartz crisis of the 1970s, mechanical watch revenues of the SSIH group fell massively.
• 1980 - Management consultant Nicolas G. Hayek was commissioned by creditor banks to restructure the group. This provided the impetus for the merger of SSIH with the competing companies in the ASUAG group. This company became known as SMH. Crucial to its survival, and subsequently a great success, was the launch of the Swatch at Trenduhr.
• 1981 - Blancpain is sold to Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet of Frédéric Piguet
• 1998 - SMH was renamed Swatch Group.

Members

A 1970 list of members included the following:

• Omega (Louis Brandt & Frère SA), Bienne
  • Marc Favre & Cie SA, Bienne
  • Rayville SA, Villeret
• Chs. Tissot & Fils SA, Le Locle
  • Aetos Watch Co, Genève
  • Lanco
• Lugrin Lémania SA, L'Orient
• Langendorf Watch Co, Langendorf

A 1978 list of members included the following:

• Aetos
• Agon
• Buler
• Continental
• Ferex
• Hamilton
• Lanco
• Lemania
• Omega
• Rayville
• Tissot