Zeno-Watch Basel
Zeno- Watch Basel is a Swiss watch manufacturer.
History
1868-1965
The foundation stone for the Zeno- watch production is sufficient to be detected in 1868 back when the watchmaker Jules Godat founded the company Godat & Co. in La Chaux -de-Fonds. Among his specialties were silver pocket watches for railroad workers.
1900, the watchmaker's atelier was established for the electric drive of the machine. In 1920 took over Ebosa SA ( André -Charles Eigeldinger ) watch production. Eigeldinger specialized in the manufacture of observation watches for military use, slide rules and pocket watches.
1922 Eigeldinger let the watch brand Zeno protect copyright. The name ( short form of Zenodopolus ) goes back to the two Greek philosopher Zeno, meaning " gift of Zeus " or " divine gift ".
After the First World War, production was expanded to the production of wristwatches. Among other things, observation watches for military purposes. In 1937 the first watches were produced with an integral stop function and acoustic telemeter.
In 1949 Zeno the first time in Swiss watch fair in Basel ( Basel World today ). In the following years the engineers at Zeno developed various mechanical digital watches with " jumping hours " sister watches ( for nurses ) and watches for " boys ".
Zeno-Watch has long focused on the production of private label production ( advertising clocks and watches for other brands) and moved production temporarily in the studios Atteslander & Enggist to Biel where the first mechanical aviator watches have been developed.
1965-1993
1965 took over Felix W. Huber line of Zeno-Watch watches and moved the assembly and service department in the Rhine city of Basel. Huber is a descendant of the Basel astronomer and developer Johann Jacob Huber and took over the management of the Clockmaker the family tradition of Huber in Basel, some of whom were goldsmiths and merchants.
Among the creations of Basel was the first vacuum - diver watch " Compressor". With the launch of the futuristic " Spaceman Collection" came in the 1970s, the first big commercial success (there were about a million watches produced).
Since it was not easy in Basel to find enough watchmakers, working with other Watchmakers was soon looking for. With the acquisitions of various Swiss Watches fabrications as Josmar, Corona, Empire, Le clip, Helveco and Imhof was extended to the studios and the customer base. The pocket watch production as well as the dial printing in 1975 moved to Ticino. Quartz watches are largely assembled in Neuchâtel in 1988. Since 1993, the head office and the studios for mechanical watches are in Lysbüchel site in Basel.
1993 to today
The current company is one with a production of less than 40,000 watches a year (2009) to the small watch manufacturers, but it could assert itself as one of the few remaining independent watch fabrications. Although AEO is present in over 50 countries, the watchmakers manufacture a large part of the production is still hand- like traditional watch manufacturers.
Brands
The company Zeno Watch Basel, Patrik -Philipp Huber SA, the brands FHB, Rendex, Rosemont, Zeno and Zeno- Watch Basel sells.
Since 2001 AEO trend watches under the label Rendex ago. Rendex was also founded in 1966 in La Chaux -de-Fonds. The company moved into Waldburger Uhrental in Basel country a few years later.
FHB and Rosemont watches are produced exclusively for the Asian market. FHB is an abbreviation for Felix Huber Basel. First watch with pin lever movements were produced around 1962, but only in 1985 registered as a trademark. Today, under FHB trendy watches in the retro look of the 70's are produced. The watch production Rosemont began in 1951 in Geneva, also transferred in 1985 to La Chaux -de-Fonds, and the 1995 production of AEO was taken. The Rosemont watch collection is now designed by Masumi Kimura in Japan and produced in Basel.
Products
Zeno Watch Basel is specialized in the production of mechanical aviator watches and oversized watches. The product range includes mainly women's and men's watches and pocket watches and specialty attachments watches for nurses. The watches are available in stores in a price range 300-60000 Euros.