BRAND HISTORIES
Welcome to my version of a brief history of time, well, with apologies to Stephen Hawkings, this section is little to do with quantum physics! Instead I present here a brief look at some of the companies and people behind the names found on wristwatch dials. For the wristwatch lover and collector getting to know the history behind a particular timepiece is of great interest and also a guide to how valuable or rare a timepiece might be.

Now with this in mind it may be that you'd like a more detailed history of a brand that interests you. If so, please investigate the links to more resources at the end of this section. For most visitors to this site I hope these very snappy watch brand 'biographies' prove to be interesting and worth the effort. If there's a brand that interests you that isn't included here then drop your Watch Detective a quick email requesting it. He'll do his research and post its history here for you when it is completed. Please feel free to print off and keep any of this information for your future reference. If you have an interesting celebrity connection to add to any brand I'd be pleased to learn of it. Simply use the contact us link and get in touch. If the Watch Detective verifies the information we'll add it to the relevant brand history.

AUDEMARS PIGUET
As with many prestigious Swiss watch marques, this brand bears the names of its founders Jules Audemars (1851-1918) and Edouard Piguet (1853-1919). The business officially registered its trademark in 1882 and the company of Audemars Piguet & Cie SA was up and running in La Vallee de Joux around 1889. As can be seen from the dates above, Messrs Audemars and Piguet died within a short time of each other and the business passed to their descendants in 1919. For collectors of fine Swiss mechanical timepieces there's the added attraction in the fact that every Audemars Piguet timepiece has always been given a unique serial number upon completion by the watchmaker. This makes the passing-off of a replica/fake more difficult and also means that any AP wristwatch can be dated by its serial number from the company's production registers.

It's important for the collector to realise that the company were orignally movement manufacturers producing beautiful time-engines to be cased by and marketed by other companies. So there are AP watches out there that do not carry their name on the dial. From around 1900 to 1930 AP movements were supplied to the wearer encased in timepieces 'by' Van Cleef & Arpels of Paris and Tiffany of New York.

Models to watch out for: La Grande Complication (pocket watch) only 100 recorded between 1915 -1989, The Royal Oak and The Perpetual Calendar.

Interesting celebrity connection: Arnold Schwarzenegger is an enthusiastic collector of Audemars Piguet and also a great ambassador for the AP brand. Arnie used to called the "Austrian Oak" in his body building career which is nice as the AP Royal Oak appears to be his favourite timepiece! He has worn specially designed versions of AP Royal Oak watches in all three "Terminator" movies plus a special black PVD cased Offshore for "End of Days". The 'T' for Terminator Royal Oaks are still to be found on sale in AP agencies around the world.

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BAUME ET MERCIER
Yes, he we have another example of how two creative and skilled people joined forces to make their watchmaking dreams a reality and, in the process, created a lasting legacy for all quality watch lovers everywhere. The story starts around 1830 in the watch making Jura near Berne, Switzerland, where the Baume family were making small volumes of good quality pocket watches. However, the brand as we know it today didn't have its birth until Paul Mercier, a jeweller form Geneva with an excellent reputation, met the Baume family in 1918 and began collaborating to produce beautiful timepieces. Paul Mercier's particular contribution was in his design and execution of superb dials. These, allied with the precision movements of Baume very quickly won an enviable reputation and, in 1921 (only a few years from their joining forces) Baume et Mercier were awarded the highly prized 'Poincon de Geneve'. The Poincon de Geneve is stillin use today and it is the coveted official recognition of faultless quality and manufacturing standards in watchmaking. The company was independent and remained profitable until the early 1960s where its declining market share led the management to seek a strategic partner. In 1964 another watch brand we'll be looking at called 'Piaget' invested and acquired Baume et Mercier.

Models to watch out for: Ladies Linea and, for gents, the Capeland and Capeland 'S'. If you can find a Riviera sports model (you can recognise it from the 12 sided bezel) then that's a great sports watch guys! The Medicus created especially for doctors is a good collectible piece, as are some of the Haute Joaillerie pieces with gems set in precious metals.

Interesting sporting connection: In 1980 one of B&Ms "Riviera" sports models was fixed to the wheel of a BMW M1 racing car which then took part in the Le Mans 24 hour auto race! Not only did it survive the rapid accellerations and brakings (which must have generated some serious G forces!) it also survived all that spinning,break heat, and exposure to the rain that fell during part of the race. The watch ran as well after this torture as it had before, it took a kicking and kept right on ticking!

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BLANCPAIN
Well, for the true watch connoisseur, how could anything to do with watches NOT mention the name of Blancpain? This company has one of longest histories in the watchmaking world and there is far more detail about them available elsewhere for those of you with a deeper interest. For the purposes of this web site guide, however, I am sticking to my decision to try and be as brief as possible.

Once again, as with many top Swiss marques, in Blancpain we have a brand that has its origins in a family name. In this case the original Blancpain is recorded by virtue of his christening. This took place in the village of Villeret in the valley Erguel of the Swiss Jura. His name on the records is Imer Blancpain and the christening record is dated for 13 May 1639. His grandson born in 1693, Jehan-Jacques Blancpain is the founder of the watchmaking dynasty with his ebauches and parts factory being established in Villeret by the Suze River in 1735. His son Isaac unusually didn't join his father's watchmaking business and can be excused as he became Mayor of Villeret. One of Isaac's sons, David-Louis Blancpain (born 1765) joined his grandfather and thus kept the family name and business alive until one his own five sons, Frederic-Louis Blancpain turned the business into a complete watch (rather than movements only) manufacturer in 1815. Now, if you are still with me on this family tree, we have to acknowledge Federic-Loius' son, Frederic-Emile (born 1811), for taking over the firm and guiding it onwards and into a new factory around 1860. (Note: in 1869 Blancpain innovated and replaced cumbersome winding keys with what we now know as the winding crown).

Frederic-Emile was succeeded by his son Jules-Emile (1832-1928) who was, in turn, succeeded by his grandson Frederic-Emile (1863-1932). That's where the illustrious Blancpain line ended - with the death in 1932 of this Great (times seven) Grandson of that original Imer Blancpain.

Today we can still enjoy and appreciate new Blancpain watches thanks to the energy and enthuiasm of its owners The Swatch Group. The family line is gone, but the name lives on. (Ooh, I'm a poet too!)

Models to watch out for: Quite frankly if you can get one, ANY Blancpain is worth owning. However, I do favour the Fifty Fathoms Milospec from the late 1950s with a 'damp indicator' to warn if moisture was entering this diving watch's movement. A moonphase perpetual calendar by Blancpain (available in gold and also in stainless steel) is a master complication and a great investment piece.

Interesting celebrity connection: Do you remember television presenter and inventor of the aqua-lung Monsieur Jacques Cousteau? Well in 1953 (before I was born - honest!) A Blancpain diving watch called the "Fifty Fathoms" was enjoying fame for its water resistance guaranteed to 656ft (that's 200m/20 atm in new money folks). In 1956 (I still wasn't born -by a small margin) Jacques Cousteau made a brilliant underwater movie called "The Silent World" and all the diving crew wore Blancpain fifty fathoms watches which did what it said on the dial and stayed water resistant!

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BREGUET
The story of founder Abraham-Louis Breguet's life (1747-1823) is one of innovation and invention that has literally stood the tests of time. This Swiss-born watchmaker was a micro-mechanical genius who enjoyed the patronage of the Royal (including the Tsars of Russia), the rich and the powerful. It is recorded that in 1815, in preparations for what would become the pivotal Battle of Waterloo, both Napoleon and Wellington carried their Breguet timepieces.

At the age of 15 Abraham-Louis Breguet was sent to Versailles to serve five years as a watchmaker's apprentice. This was arranged by his stepfather, Joseph Tattet, who's own association with watchmaking had allowed him to recognise his stepson's talent. After completing his apprenticeship, Breguet married in 1775 and set up his watchmaking business in the heart of Paris from which flowed a steady stream of pocket watches (including many for the French Queen) and influential innovations and inventions.

The first automatic (self-winding) watch, the 'perpetuelle' as he called it, was created by Breguet around 1780. In utilisng a hand on the dial to indicate what proportion of the maximum 60 hours running time remained, Breguet can also be credited with the invention of the "Power Reserve" or "Reserve de Marche". The hands of all Breguet's watches were very distinctive by virtue of having a tiny cut-out moon before the tip. Although this style of hands been universally imitated they remain forever known as "Breguet Hands".

As the list of inventions from this master watchmaker could take many pages, I will just mention that the concept of the 'shock-proof' watch began with Breguet's invention of "le parachute pour le balancier", a flexible jewelled mounting for the balance wheel staff that offered protection if the watch was dropped. In 1801, Breguet was granted the patent for his invention of the rotating escapement carriage - known as the "Tourbillon" - which to this very day, when incorporated into a watch movement, remains the ultimate test of the watchmaker's skill and commands the highest of prices.

Today the company, Montres Breguet SA, is a member company of the Swatch Group. Its timepieces are manufactured in the Vallee de Joux, an area of western Switzerland renowned for the highest watchmaking skills.

Models to watch out for: The Classique Grand Complications are a range of Breguet timepepieces that include tourbillion and perpetual calendar models for gents. For the lady there are the Heritage watches, especially the beautiful diamond (1.28 cts) set 8671BA/11/964 DDOO.

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As the second world war drew to a close a certain Georges Dubey, professor at the watchmaking school of La Chaux-de Fonds patented the "index mobile" as the solution to producing an inexpensive and reliable split-second chronograph. He then joined forces with fellow watchmaker Rene Schaldenbrand and the Dubey & Schaldenbrand company was duly formed in 1946. In 1955 the company was put up for sale and the first potential buyer, watchmaker Mrs Cinette Robert, was approached. The legend has it that Cinette responded within a mere 24 hours and became the new owner. She moved the company from La Chaux-de-Fonds to her beloved Les Ponts-des-Martel thus beginning the new incarnation of D&S.

During the 1970's and early 1980's, whilst the advent of quartz movements was causing havoc for the mechanical watchmaking industry, Cinette Robert (pictured right) was one of the few visionaries that toured all manufacturers in order to purchase mechanical watch movements and components. She ended up with a treasure chest of over 6,000 vintage mechanical movements. By recasing each movement according to the era when it was created, Dubey & Schaldenbrand designs rapidly found a niche with collectors. These limited editions always sold out and eventually it became time for Cinette to launch a new collection based upon modern automatic movements. Modern does not mean that the same care and attention was not to be used. Quite the contrary. From the movement engravers to the dial and hand makers, they all shared the same vision and love for the things of the past.

PANERAI
The Panerai company is not Swiss, but Italian and, until fairly recently, was known as a watch manufacturer only to selected military and naval clients. In fact the first civilian versions on general sale were launched in 1993 by which time Panerai had been producing the military models for over 50 years! Today the oversize watches with their impressive luminous dials and unique winding crown sealing lever are being worn all over the globe and the earlier models, particularly the genuine military issue ones, have become sought after timepieces that hold their value.

The company had its beginnings with founder Giovanni Panerai (1825-1897) in Florence. The company was originally a watchmaker and retailer of quality imported Swiss watches. Their early catalogues were impressive and contained Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, Longines, Angelus, Buren, Movado and Patek Phillipe watches, immaculately described and offered for sale to the Italian public. Giovanni was succedded by his son Guido Panerai who, upon his death in 1934 was succeeded by Guiseppe Panerai (1903-1972).

Guiseppe Panerai is of particular interest to watch aficianados because he devoted himself and the company's resources to supplying specialist instruments to the Italian Navy and the legendary Radiomir and Luminor military wristwatches were his creation. These watches were part of a secret miltary project and came into production, after secret trails, in around 1938. They utilised a case and movement made exclusively for Panerai by none other than Rolex in Geneva! The early versions were further developed to incorporate the unique highly luminous dials (a Panerai patent) so naval divers could see them in poor light under the surface. These luminous characteristics were originally used for illuminating weapons sights (such as the Radiomir Ronconi sights) that allowed successful use of weapons in total darkness. As diving watches, the early 1940s Panerais were remarkable in achieving a water resistance of up to 200 metres which, at that time, was an absolute record.

Today the Panerai shop 'Orologeria Svizzera' still exists in Florence and is owned by Maria Teresa Abetti Panerai, Guiseppe's widow. The Panerai company and brand was purchased in 1997 by the Vendome Luxury Group.

Models to watch out for: The Luminor Submersible available in steel or titanium is a big and beautiful timepiece. Although Panerai watches are more usually recognised for their massive proportions, the smaller wrist is catered for too and the 40mm Luminor Marina is a nice example.

Interesting celebrity connection: In 1995 the Panerai company produced a very special limited series of the Panerai Submersible for use by Italian-American film star Sylvester Stallone in the film 'Daylight'. Action man Sly fell in love with these tough and unique watches and commissioned a special series of white dialed "Daylight" Panerais, and a personalised re-edition version of the Mare Nostrum. All these watches had the actor's signature engraved on the case backs and are collectively known as the "Sly Tech" series and are marked as such on the dials.

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TECHNOMARINE
Established as recently as 1997, as watch brands go The Technomarine brand is a fairly recent phenomenon in the watch world. While vacationing in Hong Kong in 1996, Franck Dubarry, (a sportsman with a love of the sea, and a keen appreciation for beautiful designs), became interested in technologically-advanced but trend-settingly fashion timepieces. He decided to create a 'lifestyle' watch brand that catered to the individual. Hence TechnoMarine was established in 1997 with a mission to create a lifestyle watch brand that appealed to the consumer on several levels including aesthetic and design. The first TechnoMarine watch was an elegantly designed stainless steel chronograph with a translucent plastic band called the Raft. Innovative in design and superior in craftsmanship, the TechnoMarine Raft sold over 50,000 units during its first year in production. The allure of TechnoMarine watches is that they combine high-end luxury with sportsmanship, practicality with adventure, and durability with beauty. TechnoMarine has evolved to become a full lifestyle brand and is sure to fit right into yours!

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