ALLAINE
Allaine
FOSC records that the trademark “Allaine” was registered by the watchmaker Achille Barré, of Porrentruy in Switzerland, on 22nd March 1941. By the 1950's , Allaine was known to be making high-class watches. Swiss Precision Watch Co. cases and Felsa movements were used.
In April 1944, Achille Barré, the son of Arthur Barré of France, went into partnership with Alfred Barré, son of Emile Barré of Ocourt. The company, known as “Achille Barré & Co”, operated from Belfort Street in Porrentruy and advertised “Marque Allaine”, in Davoine from 1946 until 1950. Alfred continued to be listed in Davoine in his own right, as a supplier of “sertissages” (settings), operating in Bressaucourt.
In July of that year, the company was renamed ‘Achille Barré, Montres Allaine’, with Achille Barré as the sole director. From 1952 until 1954, its Davoine advert features “Montres Allaine et Dania”.
On 31st January 1957, ‘Achille Barré, Montres Allaine’ was wound up. The assets and liabilities were sold to Saras Watch S.A., “a public limited company whose purpose is the manufacture, purchase, sale and trade of watches, as well as the conclusion of all kinds of related business”. The sole director was Achille Barré, until May 1958, when two new directors were appointed: Georges Sutro of Zurich and Auguste Petignat of Miécourt. The company continued to advertise the Allaine and Dania brands. In March 1959 Achille Barré and Georges Sutro left the board, leaving Auguste Petignat the sole director. Six months later, the general meeting of shareholders changed the name of the business to Allaine Watch S.A. and in December 1960 the company moved its registered office to the nearby town of Miécourt, where Petignat was Mayor and had his own watch finishing workshop. The manufacturing premises, however, remained in Porrentruy.
In October 1960, Allaine Watch S.A. renewed the trademark ‘Allaine’, previously owned by Achille Barré. In this renewal, the wordmark was shown in the block capital font that appears on most of the watches that we are familiar with today. Initially watches bearing this signature were similar to the script signature models, with FHF hand-winding or early Felsa automatics, such as cal 692 or 1560.
From 1962 until 1970, Allaine Watch S.A. was advertising the brands ‘Allaine’, ‘Dania’ and ‘Rubina’ in Davoine. In June 1979, L’Impartial reported that Micro-Time of Tramelan had acquired four new companies, one of which was 'Allaine Watch of Porrentruy'. Micro-Time was a holding company formed by merging Charles Gigandet SA, Dulux SA, and a number of other watch manufacturing companies, all of which continued trading under their own brands.
Other Achille Barré and Allaine Trademarks
The trademark ‘Dania’ was initially registered in Switzerland by Gottfried Amstad, also of Porrentruy. Amstad was formerly a director of Manufacture d'horlogerie “Lion", a company making movements, watch cases and packaging. “Lion” was dissolved in September 1939 and Amstad set up his own business, buying and selling watches. He registered ‘Dania’ in September 1940 and transferred it to Achille Barré & Co in July 1945. It was passed on to Allaine Watch in November 1960 and expired in April 1981.
There is one other trademark owned by Achille Barré. ‘Atomic’ was registered in September 1945 and transferred to Allaine Watch in 1960. Again I haven’t found any Atomic brand watches that I believe were his. The ones I have found were made by a contemporary, but separate company: Léon Zuckerman, Montre Benedict (Benedict Watch Co) of La Chaux-de-Fonds. Strangely, these two different versions of the ‘Atomic’ wordmark were registered within a few days of one another and retired on the same day in April 1986.
‘Rubina’ was registered by Allaine Watch in October 1959 and retired in March 2000. It had previously been owned by Compagnie de Montres Marvin from 1950-1955. A German company also owned the trademark and some of their watches survive, but there are others that bear the hallmarks of Allaine.
Credits
Thanks to Spinynorman for this information:
