Review Thommen
Revue Thommen is a Swiss watch brand with an eventful history and tradition since 1853. It originated in Waldenburg BL . The parent company was Revue Thommen AG , which was domiciled in Waldenburg.
history
The shortest route from the North Sea to the Mediterranean was via Basel , via Ergolztal and Waldenburgertal, over the Oberer Hauenstein pass (734 m above sea level) into the Swiss plateau and on to Italy. Already in Roman times , this important north-south axis was heavily used by popes, emperors, kings, soldiers and merchants with all kinds of goods. The lively long-distance and local traffic through the Waldenburgertal provided additional income opportunities for the population, who mainly lived from agriculture. The upcoming construction of the Basel - Liestal - Olten railway line will bypass the Waldenburgertal and the pass. In the valley there were fears of loss of earnings, unemployment and the emigration of large sections of the population.
1853 Société d'Horlogerie à Waldenburg
To counteract these abuses, the municipality of Waldenburg founded the Société d'Horlogerie à Waldenburg watch factory in 1853 . There were Rohwerke mounted. However, the success did not turn out as hoped. In the first few years of operation, the factory generated a deficit of over 35,400 francs. In order to relieve the municipal treasury, the company was sold in 1859 to the entrepreneur Gédéon Thommen from Waldenburg and the watchmaker Louis Tschopp from Biel. Thommen had been a member of the board of directors since 1857. After the private sector restructuring by Gédéon Thommen, the company began to recover. Tschopp left the company in 1869.
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1870 Gédéon Thommen - watch manufacture
From 1870 Gédéon Thommen was the sole owner of the Société d'Horlogerie à Waldenburg . He changed the company name to Gédéon Thommen - watch manufacture.
In the same year Thommen patented the "system of interchangeability of the individual work components" and applied for the " Remontoir patent ".
In 1870 a new production building was built. In order to become more independent from suppliers, Thommen wanted to manufacture the individual parts for the raw works in their own workshops. In addition to cylinder wristwatches, anchor pocket watches were also manufactured from 1875 onwards. The brand name of the watches was GT 1870, approx. 4,000 watches could be made.
Inspired by the construction of the small Waldenburgerbahn , the Springeruhr GT was developed in 1885.
To be able to start mass production, additional production rooms were built in 1885. In 1890 annual production had risen to around 13,000 copies.
After Gédéon Thommen's death, his son Alphonse took over the company. Alphonse founded a company for the manufacture of clock components and screws in Waldenburg in 1892. This resulted in the Tschudin & Heid company in 1900 .
1905 Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG
In 1905 Alphonse founded Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG and in 1908 changed the brand name from GT to Revue. At the same time, the French translation of the company name Fabrique d'horlogerie Thommen SA was also used.
In 1915 a further production facility was built in Gelterkinden and in 1919 in Langenbruck .
In 1915, Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG received an order from the federal government for the development of cockpit instruments . These were to be installed in the first aircraft imported from France for the newly founded air force . The finished pilot cronograph was handed over to the air force as early as 1916. This laid the foundation for aviation activities. The technical development of these products was shaped by Eduard Mettler for many years .
In 1918, the technician Reinhard Straumann moved from the Swiss Air Force to Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG. This was the beginning of the specialization in avionic fittings. The contacts to the air force, which are important for the development, were secured through the flight officer Straumann. In 1938, Straumann took over the company founded by Alphonse in 1892, which meanwhile produced watch components under the name Tschudin + Heid AG .
On the board of directors of Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG , Alphonse Thommen held the mandate of president until 1932 and was its delegate until his death in 1944. From 1932 to 1938, Hermann Straumann , Gédéon Thommen's son-in-law, took over management of the company and the office of Chairman of the Board of Directors.
In 1936, a major order from the Swiss military turned out to be a turning point in the company's history. The Thommen flight instruments division was created in order to ensure that this order is carried out optimally .
For reasons of age, Alphonse Thommen and Hermann Straumann wanted to hand over their responsibilities to Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG . In accordance with her wishes, Hermann's son Roland Straumann was elected to the Board of Directors in March 1938. Roland now wanted to acquire a majority stake in the company. With the support of his brother-in-law Rudolf Gelpke, he began to buy up many small blocks of shares in Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG . Thanks to the package from the main shareholder Alphonse Thommen, he finally obtained the majority of the shares.
Roland Straumann-Beck was Delegate of the Board of Directors from 1942 and Chairman of the Board of Directors from 1944 to 1994.
Various new types of clockwork were developed up to 1950. Among other things, the movement caliber GT 82. The company was now completely independent. All components for movements and clocks could be manufactured in-house. The tools and machines required for this were also developed and built in-house.
In 1961 the companies Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG, Fabrique des Montres Vulcain SA from Le Locle, Buser & Cie Uhrenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft from Niederdorf, Phénix Watch Co SA from Delémont and the Compagnie des Montres Marvin SA from La Chaux-de-Fonds merged to Manufactures d ' Horlogerie Suisses Réunies SA (MSR Holding). The aim of creating the MSR Holding was to try to counteract the wave of cheap quartz watches from the Far East by combining manufacturing skills. The production of the wristwatches Revue was transferred within the MSR-Holding to the licensee Vulcain SA and the production of wristwatches in Waldenburg was stopped.
To position itself on international markets, Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG introduced the double name Revue Thommen as the main brand in 1987 .
In 1993, Roland Straumann-Beck resigned as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Until 2004, the company, now run as Revue Thommen AG , was majority owned by its two sons and a daughter.
Until 1999 the wristwatches Revue , from 1987 as Revue Thommen, were produced by the license holder Vulcain et Studio SA . Despite all efforts, the quartz crisis in 2000 led to the bankruptcy of almost the entire Swiss watch industry. This also affected the Fabrique des Montres Vulcain et Studio SA. The Manufactures d'Horlogerie Suisses Réunies SA (MSR Holding) was thus also affected.
The President's Watch
In 1947, the Fabrique des Montres Vulcain SA succeeded in bringing the first really functional wristwatch with an alarm clock onto the market. The piercing sound of the alarm clock reminded of the chirping of a cricket, which gave the clock its name. Cricket soon became world famous under the name "the President's watch". The 33rd President of the USA Harry S. Truman received a cricket wristwatch as a gift from Robert Ditisheim. After Truman, other US presidents and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev wore cricket.
At the time of the MSR Holding, the cricket was manufactured in large numbers under the brand name Revue Thommen . After the establishment of Manufacture des Montres Vulcain SA in 2001 and the repurchase of the trademark rights, the name Cricket may no longer be used by third parties.
1936 Thommen flight instruments
Altimeters, airspeed indicators and vertical speed indicators were to be developed for the multi-purpose C-35 biplane, manufactured in Switzerland by the Eidgenössische Konstruktionswerkstätte for the Swiss Air Force .
In order to be able to clearly separate the research, development and manufacture required for this major order from watch production, the Thommen flight instruments division was created in 1936 . The second main activity of Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG emerged from this area . In addition, there was lively research and development in pressure measurement and testing devices for industrial applications.
1936 Industrial metrology
Until 1943, research was carried out on the development of pressure measuring and testing devices for industrial applications.
Production of the Poket altimeter began in 1945 . This was specially developed for alpinists and was considered a milestone in the sports and leisure sector.
Since the management of Revue Thommen AG decided in 2010 to concentrate the activities on the core business of aircraft and avionics , the business line of industrial metrology was closed on December 31, 2010. The company Huber Instrumente AG in Reigoldswil has taken over the entire area of production, calibration, repair service, including the employees.
1945 Apparatus construction / machine tools
In order to be independent from any supplier, the apparatus construction / machine tools department was founded around 1945 .
With the self-built machines, all the necessary watch components could now be produced in-house.
In 2004 the section rolling machines was sold to the Deutsche Gesellschaft Leistritz AG, Nuremberg.
1987 Revue Thommen AG
As a clear positioning on international markets, Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG introduced the double name Revue Thommen as the main brand in 1987 . This should illustrate the clear connection between the watch brand Revue and the Thommen flight instruments.
With the bankruptcy of Fabrique des Montres Vulcain et Studio SA and the dissolution of MSR Holding , watch production was stopped in 1999.
In the 1990s Revue Thommen AG increased its production of aviation instruments. All leading aircraft manufacturers worldwide, in the field of military and civil use, could be supplied with Swiss Quality on-board instruments and aircraft equipment.
In order to meet the quality and performance standards required by the aviation industry, the necessary certifications have been drawn up. In 1992 Swiss Calibration Service (SCS) and certification according to ISO 9001. In 1998 certification according to JAR - 145 (maintenance work). In 2005 certification according to EASA Part 145, EASA Part 21G, EASA Part 21 O and ADOA (maintenance, production, design and development). In 2009 certification according to AS / EN 9100.
In April 2005 after tough takeover negotiations with the family shareholders, a management team consisting of six members took over the scepter. The main project was based on a market orientation in the USA and the establishment of a local presence.
In 2005 an exclusive contract for logistics, service and repairs in the US market was concluded with Instrumenttech Corp. in Dallas Addison, Texas (USA). A sales office was opened in Dallas Addison in 2006.
In 2007 RevueThommen AG entered the markets of Eastern Europe and Russia.
In 2010, an exclusive license agreement was signed with long-term business partner Transas from St. Petersburg on the collaboration, design and manufacture of the HSL 1600 and HSL 800 helicopter searchlights.
Revue Thommen AG in 2012 from the Transas Marine Ltd, the Irish subsidiary of Transas Group (, Tran sport Sa fety S ystem) a Russian technology company (marine and aviation equipment) purchased.
2015 Thommen Aircraft Equipment AG
In order to clearly identify the company as a supplier to the aviation industry, the company name Revue Thommen AG was changed to Thommen Aircraft Equipment AG in May 2015 .
The decline in the demand for mechanical aircraft instruments in the aviation industry has long since made itself felt. Developments towards electronic devices were not made.
In October 2015, Transas Marine Ltd sold its block of shares to the Russian conglomerate Sistema . This also took over the Russian part of the Transas Group at the same time.
The product line included classic mechanical cockpit instrumentation, aircraft clocks and chronographs, air data displays, air data computers, as well as helicopter searchlights and cabin emergency lights. The entire product line served both as original equipment for new aircraft and as a retrofit market for existing fleets.
As of June 2016, Sathom SARL GmbH, the Swiss subsidiary of the French SATORI-MRO Sarl, takes over the production branch of Thommen Aircraft Equipment AG. The takeover includes the inventory, the machines and systems, the employee contracts, as well as the license to continue the production and sale of mechanical aircraft instruments under the brand name THOMMEN. With the acquisition of the mechanical Thommen equipment, Satori moves up from a pure maintenance company to a production company. Since mechanical on-board instruments are hardly available on the market, Satori expects good market opportunities in the retrofit market, which opens up through the replacement of old devices.
Thommen Aircraft Equipment AG moved from Waldenburg to Muttenz in 2016 . The production goal is to concentrate on the development of electronic airplane clocks, air data systems, mission equipment and cabin emergency lights.
The factory buildings in Waldenburg are currently (November 2016) unused. The owner is still Thommen Aircraft Equipment AG.
2001 Revue Thommen watches at Grovana
In January 2001, Christopher Bitterli was able to acquire tools and watch components from the former Revue Thommen watch production for Grovana Uhrenfabrik AG from the bankruptcy assets of MSR Holding . He was able to conclude a 25-year license agreement with Revue Thommen AG for the brand and production rights required to manufacture and sell the Revue Thommen wristwatches .
Grovana Uhrenfabrik AG began producing Revue Thommen watches as early as 2002 . It was decided to further develop two main segments. The pilot's watches Airspeed and the traditionally classic watches with their own manufacture movements (GT 44, GT 54, GT 55, GT 56, GT 58). The GT 12 and GT 14 have also been manufactured for ladies' watches since 2004.
The first in-house manufactured GT 60 caliber was presented as a prototype at Baselworld 2006. The automatic watch had a power reserve, small seconds dial, moon phase and date display.
2012 GT Thommen Watch AG
In May 2012 the company GT Thommen Watch AG was founded by Andreas Stephan Thommen, a direct descendant of Gédéon Thommen, from the fourth generation, with four other partners. "GT Thommen Watch AG" acquired the watch brand Revue Thommen from Revue Thommen Holding AG. The aim of the new joint venture partnership is to reactivate the Revue Thommen watch brand and continue to produce high quality wristwatches in the Basel region.
In 2015, GT Thommen Watch AG granted the Swiss Initiative Limited (SIL) a license for the production and sale of the Revue Thommen watch brand . The relaunch with new Revue Thommen models took place at Baselworld in March 2015. In 2016, the license expired and, since July 2016, the production and sale of the new collection of Revue Thommen watches has again been carried out exclusively by "GT Thommen Watch AG", domiciled in Waldenburg.
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References and comments
- ↑ In 1858 the line of the Swiss Central Railway (SCB) was opened
- ^ Bernard Degen : Waldenburg (community). In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland . December 27, 2014 , accessed June 12, 2018 .
- ^ Society for watchmaking in Waldenburg
- ↑ GT stands for G édéon T hommen
- ^ Gédéon Thommen died on December 18, 1890 in Waldenburg
- ↑ Paul-Alphonse Thommen (March 10, 1864 to November 13, 1944)
- ↑ Reinhard Straumann (November 3, 1892 to October 2, 1967), from Bennwil
- ↑ Hermann Straumann (14/07/1862 to 11/01/1948), from Waldenburg
- ↑ Dr. med. Roland Straumann-Beck (October 3, 1899 to November 24, 1999), from Waldenburg
- ^ Cricket was a brand name of Production & Marketing Horloger SA (PMH SA), Vulcain SA in Le Locle
- ↑ Harry S. Truman's term of office was from 1945 to 1953
- ↑ Avionics is a combination of words from aviation (Latin avis = bird) and electronics
- ^ Report in the trade newspaper Revue Thommen: Baselbieter precision instruments
- ↑ Satori specializes in the maintenance and repair of measuring devices for military and civil aviation
- ↑ Basellandschaftliche Zeitung of June 11, 2016, repairs as a new beacon of hope for Waldenburg. Retrieved December 4, 2016
- ↑ Message from Thommen.aero ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Handelszeitung Revue Thommen: From bankruptcy to high flyer
