Memosail
Memosail
In 1926 Ebauches SA was created by three major watch companies (A. Schild AG, Fabrique d’Horlogerie de Fontainemelon and A. Michel AG), as a holding company for Swiss watch movement manufacturers. The purpose of this merger was to bring order in this chaotic industry, and to keep the prices of watch movements from falling any further. By 1951 Ebauches SA had bought as many as 75 movement manufacturers! Eventually in 1985 most of the companies that became part of Ebauches SA were bought into the Swatch Group under the ETA division.
In 1970 daughter company Ebauches Electroniques SA was founded, and that company filed in 1972 for the trademark name Memosail. Apparently the idea had risen to make a new regatta watch to compete with the Aquastar company and the Felsa regatta movement (caliber 4000N). For that reason the Swiss manufacturer of mechanical movements Valjoux SA (also a daughter company of the Ebauches group) developed their caliber Valjoux 7737, derived from the base caliber 7733, with a slightly different approach to count the remaining time to the start of a regatta. When at zero the indicator disk shows START in a cut-out section in the dial.
On February 25th, 1972 Valjoux SA filed their patent for a ‘Pièce d’horlogerie à mécanisme de chronographe’.
The first version (around 1972) of the Memosail regatta watch was housed in a chrome plated brass round case, later versions (as of 1975) came in an almost square case. At first also made of chrome plated brass, later on made of stainless steel. All three versions have a stainless steel caseback, as this material is very strong and resistant to corrosive human sweat.
Credits - http://www.regatta-yachttimers.com/brands/memosail/
