Baehni

Baehni et Cie was a Bienne-based maker of balance springs founded in 1863. It was one of the five companies that combined in 1895 to form a cartel to corner the production of these springs, Société des Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies (FSR), with Baehni's Bienne operation taking on most volume production.

History

Jean Baehni-Ronget and his wife Anna (née Ronget) founded a watch regulation business in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1863. The company began producing balance springs within a few years, and the company grew to be the world's largest producer in a few decades. The company relocated to Bienne by 1877.

A partnership between Jean Baehni-Ronget and La Chaux-de-Fonds based watchmaker Georges Tissot-Balmer was formed in 1888, with Jean Baehni junior also joining the firm at this time. The company pushed for the formation of a balance spring cartel, and was a founding member of Société des Fabriques de Spiraux Rèunies (FSR) in 1895. Jean Baehni-Ronget's two other sons, Eugen and Charles Baehni, also joined the firm in 1897 as the company diversified into construction of machines and transmissions.

Jean Baehni-Ronget died and the firm was taken over by his widow Anna and three sons in 1900. Charles Baehni left the firm in 1913 and Jean Baehni junior died in 1915, leaving the company in the hands of Eugen Baehni and his son Paul Eugen Baehni (1894-1970). Anna died and was removed from management in 1923.

Baehni & Co. remained a major producer of watch springs through 1954 as part of FSR.

Timeline

• 1864 - Mme. Baehni-Ronget is listed under "Reglage" in La Chaux-de-Fonds at Grogn. 10 a
• 1865 - J. Baehni-Ronget, fabricant de spiraux, is listed at Hôpital 16 in La Chaux-de-Fonds
• 1869 - J. Baehni-Ronget is listed under "Spiraux" at Chapelle 3 in La Chaux-de-Fonds
• 1873 - Bæhni Frères is listed under "Spiraux" at Chapelle 3 in La Chaux-de-Fonds
• 1877 - Bæhni Frères is listed under "Fab. de Spiraux et trèlilerie" in Bienne
• 1880 - Bæhni Frères is listed under "Spiraux" au Brühl
• 1883 - The firm is officially known as Baehni Frères, headed by Jean Baehni-Ronget of Bolligen; it is located at Braun Quartier No. 20, Bienne
• 1886 - Bæhni Frères is listed under "Spiraux (spéc. trempés)" and "atelier de construction pour machines et outils en t. g." at Mattenhof in Bienne
• 1888 - March 31 - Baehni Frères ceases to exist; Jean Baehni-Ronget partners with Georges Tissot-Balmer from Chaux-de-Fonds, watch manufacturer in St. Imier, in a limited partnership called Baehni & Cie; Jean Baehni-Ronget is a partner with unlimited liability, while Georges Tissot-Balmer is a limited partner with 50,000 francs liability; Jean Baehni (junior) is made manager; the company is located at Mattenhof, Braun Quartier No. 19, Bienne
• 1890 - An ad for Bæhni & Cie. claims "Maison fondée en 1863" and "production annuelle 6,000,000"
• 1890 - February 18 - Georges Tissot-Balmer increases his investment to 60,000 francs
• 1893 - Bæhni et Cie is listed at rue du Quartier 9-10 in Bienne
• 1894 - Bæhni et Cie is listed at rue du Chantier 9-11 in Bienne
• 1899 - Bæhni et Cie is listed under "Spiraux" and "Méchaniciens" at rue du Chantier 9-11 in Bienne
• 1897 - June 2 - Eugen and Charles Baehni are added to management; the firm adds construction of machines to its business focus
• 1900 - February 20 - Following the death of Jean Baehni-Ronget, a new partnership between widow Anna Bähni (née Rouget) and her three sons, Jean, Eugen and Charles Bähni, is formed to take over Bähni & Cie. The company focused on manufacture of engine parts and construction of machines and is located at Werkhofstrasse 11 in Bienne
• 1913 - January 4 - Charles Bähni resigns from Bähni & Cie.
• 1915 - Jean Bähni (junior) dies
• 1921 - January 1 - Eugen Bähni, manufacturer, and Paul Eugen Baehni, mechanic, both from Bolligen, establish a partnership called Bähni & Co.
• 1923 - January 13 - The partnership of Anna Bähni-Ronget and Jean Bähni, called Bähni & Cie., is dissolved after the widow's death; assets and liabilities are transferred to Bahni & Co. located at Werkhofstrasse No. 9, Bienne
• 1923 - Eugen Baehni, technical director, dies
• 1954 - Baehni & Cie. is last listed as a maker of Spiraux

Baehni Family

• Jean Baehni (-1900?) married Anna Ronget (-1923?)
  • Jean Baehni (-1915)
    • Paul Eugène (or Eugen) Baehni (1894-1970) married Marguerite Külling
      • Louis "Philippe" Baehni (1931?-1966) married Odette Schwarz
      • Jean "Thomas" Baehni married Anne Marie Schindler
        • Luc Baehni
        • Noëlle Baehni
        • Matthieu Baehni
    • Auguste Baehni (1896?-1923)
    • William Baehni (1896-1962)
    • Cécile Laure Anna "Anny" Baehni (1899-1984) married Arthur Gustav Ulrich (1891-1971)
      • Pierre Ulrich-Daguet
      • Adrienne Ulrich
      • ? Ulrich married Daniel Pons
  • Eugen Baehni (1864-1927)
  • Charles Baehni (1872?-1958) married ? Henriod
    • ? Baehni married Louis Duret
      • Jean-Jacques Duret
      • Madeline Duret
    • Charles Baehni
      • Elisabeth Baehni
      • Jacques Baehni
      • Pierre Baehni

See Also

• Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies (FSR)