The story of Movado

One of the most famous Swiss watchmakers, whose name in Esperanto means "always in motion." Today, let's discover a little more about the history of Movado. A true jewel of Swiss watchmaking, its story begins in 1871, with the Ditesheim family settling in Switzerland, specifically near La Chaux-de-Fonds.

This establishment was motivated by two reasons: on the one hand, to flee the Franco-Prussian War, and on the other hand, to realize the dream of two brothers, that of creating a watchmaking company.

After five years of study for Achille Ditesheim in watchmaking apprenticeship, the first tentative steps took place with the creation of a watchmaking laboratory which grew quite exponentially to reach almost 80 employees in 1897 (as an example, Jaeger-LeCoultre employed about a hundred people at the same time).

Like many manufacturers at the start of their business, the three brothers began as casers and assemblers. They sourced movements from third-party retailers to integrate into their pocket watches.

True visionaries in their approach, they made massive investments, notably through the acquisition of electrically powered machinery. This may seem trivial today, but acquiring such equipment allowed Movado to greatly increase its productivity and become self-sufficient in the procurement of its components.

Of course, in addition to their industrial innovations, LA&I. Ditesheim (named after Léopold, Achille, and Isidore Ditesheim) demonstrated their expertise as watchmakers. This was evident at the time in the filing of numerous patents. One of the most important came from Isidore Ditesheim, who invented the "Polyplan" movement in 1912. This movement, instead of being perfectly flat, is curved, with its components resting on three different levels. Models equipped with this movement, quite difficult to find since only 1,500 were produced between 1912 and 1917, quickly became highly sought-after collectors for enthusiasts of the brand. This innovation was later replaced by the "Curviplan" movements, produced between 1917 and 1940.

As you know, Movado's story began with the creation of pocket watches. These are true emblems of the Swiss watchmaking group and experienced a major boom starting in 1926 with the company's introduction of the Ermeto. Although not very common today, the problem with a pocket watch lies in its fragility. Indeed, it needs protection from the elements and impacts because of its case, which is sealed with a glass cover. The ingenious watchmakers at Movado considered this issue and developed a pocket watch that can be hermetically sealed thanks to a retractable metal case. To maintain an attractive aesthetic, these cases are often adorned with luxurious leathers such as lizard or crocodile.

After dominating the pocket watch market, Movado continued its momentum by experimenting with iconic pieces of contemporary watchmaking: the wristwatch in its various forms, each incorporating in-house movements. The first to emerge were two chronographs in 1938 and 1939, with the release of the M90 ​​and M95.

Not stopping there, the Swiss group also offered in 1938 the Calendrograf which is found today under the common name "Movado triple calendar" which, in addition to displaying, allows you to get at a quick glance the date, day and month of the current year.

After industrializing this model which already had four complications, the group based in La Chaux-de-Fonds decided to implement the poetic complication of "moon phase" through its Celestograf produced between 1947 and 1954. It should be noted that all the models presented incorporate in their case a manufactured Movado movement based on their calibre 470 and its derivatives which are manual mechanical movements.

The company, always in motion, experiments and demonstrates its know-how by creating its first automatic movements with the Calendomatic.

Movado's strength lies not only in its expertise, but also in its ability to surround itself with talented artisans, allowing it to offer complete timepieces with impeccable finishes in every aspect. To name just one example, Movado partners with François Borgel, recognized as one of the greatest case makers of the 20th century, supplying renowned brands such as Patek Philippe, Mido, and Ulysse Nardin. Instantly recognizable, François Borgel cases bear his signature mark: the letters FB accompanied by a key.

Another partnership with a renowned brand was that between Movado and Zenith, allowing both groups to leverage each other's technical expertise in their watches. This is particularly evident in Movado's use of a Zenith caliber in some of its chronographs. In return, Movado allows Zenith to use the design of their well-known Movado Museum watch, created by Nathan Horwitt's, as well as some of their in-house calibers.

Finally, and beyond collaborations with renowned watch manufacturers, Movado has secured a prominent position with the world's leading retailers, resulting in the existence of numerous Movado watches with dual signatures. Models can be found at Cartier, Hermès, and even across the Atlantic with Tiffany & Co. Representing a certain guarantee of quality, the acceptance of Movado watches by these retailers is a testament to the rigor and excellence of the La Chaux-de-Fonds-based group.

Today, the Movado brand remains relatively unknown in the vintage watch market. Don't hesitate to explore the various models we can present, as they are truly high-quality products, both in terms of the craftsmanship of their movements and their cases.

Author

Raagah