Sydney de Coulon

Sydney de Coulon (1889-1976) was called the "Grand Patron" of Swiss watchmaking. He ran Ebauches SA from 1933 through 1964, giving him indirect control over most Swiss watch manufacturers through ASUAG and the cartel.

Early Life

Sydney de Coulon was born on March 24, 1889 and raised on the family estate known as Treytel along the shore of Lac de Neuchâtel near Bevaix. His father Alfred de Coulon and mother Léonie had 13 children (three of whom did not survive) and Sydney was the youngest. His father was a banker in England, and young Sydney did a 24 month internship there where he learned about the stock market. He was later known to smoke a pipe, a habit he claims to have picked up in England at this time.

Returning to Switzerland, de Coulon helped establish a new bank in Lausanne. Although not a watch industry insider but was asked to help manage the Fabrique d'Horlogerie de Fontainemelon in 1918. Taking an interest in watchmaking, de Coulon took on a technical apprenticeship to learn more about the construction of watch movements. It was from Fontainemelon that he would join the consolidation of the watch industry in the 1920s and 1930s: On December 27, 1926, FHF was a founding member of Ebauches SA, which de Coulon would soon lead.

When Ebauches SA banded together with watchmakers, FSR, and the Swiss banks to form ASUAG in 1931, Sydney de Coulon was selected as the first manager.