ALLAINE

Allaine

FOSC records that the trademark “Allaine” was registered by the watchmaker Achille Barré, of Porrentruy in Switzerland, on 22nd March 1941. The registration shows the trademark in script, rather than the stylised block capitals that came later.

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.