AandEWatches.Info

On December 15, 2001, the “Berner Zeitung” (BZ) reported that Fossil bought the three watch  companies Montres Antima, Méliga Habillement Horloger, and Synergies Horlogères SA (all Biel, Switzerland). On December 20, the BZ added that Fossil has bought the rights in the brand “Zodiac.” Zodiac, a Swiss watch company with a long history – it was founded in Le Locle in the canton of Neuchâtel in 1882 – has been out of business since 1997, the brand name, however, still exists. Fossil paid 11 million Swiss Francs for the three companies and the brand name “Zodiac.” These acquisitions will allow Fossil to produce “Swiss Made” watches.

These were the facts, here are the comments: I welcome the fact that an old and traditional Swiss watch brand will not simply vanish like so many others. Fossil, however, is not exactly a player in the “Haut de Gamme” league – mostly quartz movements (although they do have some automatics) in the lower price range.

Zodiac, on the contrary, had a reputation for good quality mechanical watches: In 1948/49, Zodiac and LeCoultre independently introduced the power reserve indicator for automatic wristwatches, and the Zodiac “Astrographic SST” (1973) even achieved chronometer standards. I am very much afraid that we will soon see this old traditional name on cheap quartz watches. Let’s wait and see – I hope that the future will prove me wrong.

tags fossil, watch, swiss+watch, neuchatel, swiss+made, zodiac, Berner ,Zeitung tags

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