SWIZA celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2024.
120 years of a rich history, deeply rooted in the heart of the Arc Jurassien and its industrial and craft fabric, celebrated the world over for its demand for precision and quality. Throughout these years, this history has been written with a taste for enterprise, with a taste for precision in relation to the activities specific to a region which, f
or decades, has been recognized as an essential cradle of extreme precision. HISTORY
SWIZA was born in 1904, when founder Louis Schwab launched his company specializing in the production of supplies and components for mechanical watch movements. The experience gained in this activity between 1904 and 1918 naturally led him to expand his production range and launch his own mechanical movements for the booming watchmaking industry. This activity, which lasted from 1918 to 1935, saw the collection expand, demonstrating a creative originality that would later contribute to the manufacture's commercial expansion under the SWIZA brand. The death of founder Louis Schwab in 1935 propelled his heirs to the helm of the company. This was a pivotal moment, which resulted in the definitive registration of the SWIZA brand and the abandonment of the LEVTOI brand, which had little potential for business development abroad due to its difficult pronunciation. Shortly afterwards, in 1937, the heirship was transformed into a limited company: Louis Schwab S.A. This evolution in the company's structure was accompanied in 1943 by the creation of SWIZA S.A., in Moutier in the Bernese Jura, whose aims summarized the previous years of activity: it was dedicated to the d
THE CALIBRE 8, A SIGNIFICANT STEP
Pierre, son of Louis Schwab, took over the general management of the company in 1956, along with his 2 brothers Willy and Samuel, who were responsible for production. 1959 marked a decisive step in SWIZA's product development, with the launch of the Calibre 8, featuring an 8-day power reserve and alarm function. This new caliber, a small revolution at the time, can be modulated with different functions: date, with or without alarm, in 15-jewel or 7-jewel pin-type versions, 1-day with musical function developed in collaboration with Reuge in Ste-Croix. The reputation of the 8-day Calibre will make SWIZA a benchmark not only in the segment of table-top timepieces - alarm clocks and pendulum clocks - but also more widely in the production of watch components such as dials alongside mechanical movements. The innovation of the caliber 8 was decisive for the brand's international development. The year was 1964, and the brand's expansion was confirmed to such an extent that it decided to build a modern factory to optimize all its watchmaking production: clothing and clock movements. The range then expanded to meet the demands of customers on all 5 continents. At the time, SWIZA employed 400 people and was de facto Switzerland's largest manufacturer of clocks and alarm clocks, with an annual output of 400,000 pieces. Swiza receives the European Award Gold Mercury in 1972. The award is presented to the management of Louis Schwab SA, Pierre Schwab sr and Samuel Schwab by Italy's Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti at an official ceremony in Rome. The third generation joined the company in 1969, represented by Pierre Schwab Jr, who took over the general management in 1976. This period coincided with a profound technological change: the arrival of quartz in the early 70s, which affected the whole of Swiss industry. SWIZA was quick to adapt, gradually equipping its products with electronic movements, an evolution that was confirmed in 1976 with the production of its own Swiss-made quartz movement, while diversifying into high-end production for international luxury brands. ACQUISITIONS AND EXPANSION
Throughout the years, SWIZA has relied on quartz to keep up with foreign competition, but it has not forgotten what founded its beginnings: the mechanical movement. In 1991, SWIZA acquired MATHEW NORMAN, a Swiss manufacturer renowned for producing top-of-the-range mechanical travel clocks inspired by 18th and 19th century clocks. This acquisition makes SWIZA a flagship in the Swiss high-volume clock and alarm segment. The experience acquired by SWIZA in this watch segment led the company to take a further step in 1997 with the launch of a wristwatch collection, a logical and natural follow-up. That same year, SWIZA S.A. was awarded the “stratégis” prize by a jury of influential personalities from the business world of French-speaking Switzerland. Over the years, the collection has expanded to include models with an alarm function. Expansion also continues in terms of collaborations and partnerships, with Tiffany & Co taking part in 2000, a brand for which SWIZA produces clocks sold by the famous American house. In 2006, the company is sold to Bedonia Holding S.A. continues as President and CEO for 3 years. SWIZA continues to grow, and in 2008 acquires L'EPEE, a brand specialized in the production of officer's clocks. This acquisition confirms the company's leading position in the table clock market. Pierre Schwab Jr reaches the end of his 3-year contract in 2009. In the same year, the company is sold to the Merse S.A. group in Biel, which will invest in the development of high-end mechanical table clocks under the EPEE brand. SWIZA FROM THE ASHTRAY TO THE SWISS KNIFE
In 2013, the SWIZA brand began a process of diversification into another icon of the Swiss manufacturing industry, the pocket knife, which is developed, produced and marketed by Delémont-based Helvetica Brands SA. This development came about with the arrival of a team of expert knifemakers following Victorinox's takeover of the Wenger brand in the early 2000s. The aesthetics of this object with its modern curves was created in collaboration with the Zurich design firm Estragon, and won the Reddot Award in 2016. The brand's evolution into its current cutlery business is a natural continuation. It is a natural inheritance, maintaining SWIZA's position as a jewel in the crown of Jura industry, alongside the multitude of companies whose common denominator is extreme precision. Two types of product focused on excellence, but a single common field of expertise: SWIZA's move into knife production achieves this synthesis. The gestures and manufacturing techniques come from the same mould, the same know-how. DOUBLE FILIATION OF KNOW-HOW TO CELEBRATE 120 YEARS. In 2024, the brand presents the new LEGACIES collection to celebrate its 120th anniversary. This top-of-the-range knife, entirely manufactured in this cradle of micromechanical arts, asserts its dual affiliation with the watchmaking tradition and the cutlery industry historically present in this part of the country. Suppliers are often the same for both. The LEGACIES knife body is developed and treated in the same way as a watch body: it is a direct descendant of the values conveyed by watchmaking techniques: brushed, polished, satin-finished and bead-blasted surfaces, screws, rivets, grade 5 titanium inserts, or other surface treatments such as DLC. It is a new showcase for the skills of the various suppliers in the regional ecosystem. In June 2024, luxury goods group LVMH acquires SWIZA SA, owner of the L'EPEE, MATTHIEU NORMAN and SWIZA brands. Helvetica Brands SA continues to license the SWIZA brand for its Swiss Army knives, and remains the property of the MERSE group.
