Sicura

Sicura

Sicura SA was founded in Granges in 1934. By the 1970s, they sold mass-market and upscale watches under the Sicura brand. They often used Breitling chronograph movements.

History

Sicura originated from a company called "Joh. Gobber, Horlogerie" established in 1939. And then supposedly in 1951 the company was listed as "Sicura, Joh. Gobber" and finally the 2 May 1955 the company can be found in the Swiss Handelsregister as "Montres Sicura SA". The company was owned by a Théodore Sfaellos and when he died in the beginning of the 1960s Sicura was taken over by his son-in-law Ernest Frédéric Schneider.

Ernest Schneider was born in 1921 and thus was around 40 years old when he took over Sicura. He had been in the Swiss Army since the age of 20 and ended as an officer in the 10th Brigade. Ernest Schneider became the driving force behind Sicuras growth and a maker of affordable watches that followed the latest trends. The watch cases were often brass plated metal with standard pin-lever movements to keep production cost and prices low.

Sicura SA in 1975 had four watch assembly factories, one case factory and one jewel factory, employed 450 people and produced more than 1 million watches per year. In 1975 almost all the watches in the brochure had mechanical movements and a few had electromechanical.

The Sicura Breitling Story

A a consequence of the quartz crisis the watch company Breitling suspended operations in 1978, laid off all workers and sold their assets to the highest bidders. Sinn bought completed / partially completed watches and Ollech & Wajs bought the machinery and unassembled parts. And in April 1979 Ernest Schneider from Sicura signed an agreement with Willy Breitling to buy the right to the names "Breitling" and "Navitimer".

Ernest Schneider introduced new models and breathed new life into Breitling with succes and during a few years the brand Sicura was phased out and Sicura became Breitling. At 29 Nov 1993 Montres Sicura AG officially changed its name to Breitling AG. Ernest Schneider continued as President for Breitling until his death in 2015 at the remarkable age of 94. Ernest' son Theodore Schneider today is the owner and undisputed leader of Breitling.

Notable Models and Names

Cordura is a brandname used on dials by Sicura

• Sicura Chrono
• Sicura Submarine 400
• Sicura Chronograph MG "Pilot"

Links

• Breitling

• Switzerland
• Main Page
• History of Watches
• Diving Watches

Credits http://largevintagewatches.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-history-of-sicura-watch-brand.html