Swatch Group

From Chronopedia

The Swatch Group

The Swatch Group Ltd is a Swiss manufacturer of watches and jewellery. The company was founded in 1983 by Nicolas Hayek from the merger of Allgemeine Gesellschaft der Schweizerischen Uhrenindustrie (ASUAG) and Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère (SSIH), in order to cope with the quartz crisis and save the Swiss watchmaking industry.

The Swatch Group employs about 36,000 people in 50 countries. In addition to the Swatch product line, the group also owns other brands, including Blancpain, Breguet, Glashütte Original, Harry Winston, Longines, Omega, Tissot, and RADO.

History

The launch of the new "Swatch" brand of watch in 1983, by the then ETA SA CEO Ernst Thomke and his young team of engineers, was marked by bold new styling and design. The quartz watch was redesigned for manufacturing efficiency and fewer parts. This combination of marketing and manufacturing expertise restored Switzerland as a major player in the world wristwatch market.

Links