Hello all, I am in the process of re-writing the page on my Helvetia site about the history of Helvetia and the General Watch Co. There seems to be confusion around the internet about the formation of the General Watch Co and its relationship with the Brandts and Omega. From digging through various sources the below is what I believe to be a correct chain of events but would appreciate it if someone with knowledge of the early years of Omega could see if it looks correct. (I'm hoping perhaps @OMTOM and @Tire-comedon might chip in as the experts in early Omegas). In 1848 Louis Brandt opened his workshop and in 1877 the brand "Louis Brandt & Fils" was registered. Louis Brandt died in 1879 and his sons Louis-Paul and Caesar took over the company renaming it "Louis Brandt & Frere" in 1891. In 1892 Louis Brandt & Frere registered the name “Helvetia” along with several others. In 1895 the Brandt brothers formed a new company alongside Louis Brandt & Frere in partnership with Edouard Boillat of “Ed. Boillat & Cie”. The new company was called “Societe d’horlogerie La Générale”. The Brandts moved the manufacture of their cylinder watches to La Generale and it looks as if they may have been thinking of changing the name of Louis Brandt & Frere as early as 1895 because as soon as La Generale was formed they were advertising it as the successor to Louis Brandt & Frere and all the La Generale watches made up until about 1911 were marked in this way. In 1903 they did change the name of the company to include Omega, one of their best-selling brand names. Also in 1903 Louis-Paul and Caesar Brandt both died and Adrien Brandt was elected as a board member of La Generale in their place. It was also about this time La Generale started making higher quality lever escapement watches. In 1906 Adrien Brandt resigned from the board of La Generale and in 1911 Omega withdrew completely transferring ownership of the Helvetia brand name as well as others such as Jura and Paradox that Louis Brandt & Frere had initially registered but La Generale had been using for several years. Confusion arises because I have seen in many places, even in the Omega SA Wikipedia entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_SA and this site https://omegaforums.net/threads/do-you-know-why-omega-is-called-omega.119447/#post-1594001, that La Generale was the name of Louis Brandt’s original company in 1848 and that they originally registered the Omega name and then in 1903 renamed themselves as Omega Watch Co. I can see nowhere that Omega was ever a brand name of La Generale or that it was ever the name of Louis Brandt & Frere or Omega Watch Co, it was only ever a sister company. I’d appreciate any feedback or insight anyone may have on earl Omega history. Thanks. Carl.
Hi Carl, Thanks for the compliment – but I don’t regard myself as an expert on early Omegas. It is certainly an interest of mine and I’ll do my best. I don’t know an expert. Marco Richon gave us so much information about Omega that we really are spoilt (compared with many other brands). However, the history of the company from 1848 to 1894 is harder to follow (Marco did make reference, both in AJTT and Omega Saga, but not enough!). A possible interesting source is Pritchard. This (expensive!) two-volume reference by Kathleen Pritchard is entitled ‘Swiss Timepiece Makers from 1775 – 1975’ and has some coverage of early Louis Brandt/Omega/Helvetia/La Generale history – quoting Richon and others. She uses multiple sources, authors and advertisements (sadly it isn’t all correct but that’s the fault of the authors, not Pritchard!). I will research more and come back to you. Tom
Thanks very much Tom. I sometimes wish I had bought AJTT when it was available but it was a lot of money when most of what I was interested in was in chapter 1 and Pritchard is eye watering! Even a summary of what is there in AJTT and in Pritchard would be useful as well as any adverts pre 1918 which are the earliest La Generale ones I've found. Most of the above I have got from primary sources including the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce. The first time La Generale is mentioned is when they are founded in 1895: Omega are always called Louis Brandt & Fils or Louis Brandt & Frere no mention of La Generale before 1895. I'm not sure how the idea that Omega was one called La Generale has got out but it is very widespread and I can see no actual evidence for it.
In AJTT, Marco Richon gives a summary of ‘Sister Brands’, which includes some of the earlier history. To try to answer your queries Carl, I think this extract helps: “The less expensive brands initially used cylinder escapement movements, but were later equipped with lever escapement calibres. The brand Jara was registered on the 8 June 1886. In 1892 came Helvetia, Paradox and Goliath (April), then Patria, Occidental and Oriental (October), Himalaya and Patriota (November). In 1895, in order to give to the Bienne-located factory more work space for the tooling required to meet the surging demand for the Omega lever calibre which had enjoyed stunning success since its introduction in 1894, the Brandt brothers decided to hand over all cylinder calibre production to a new society, La Générale. This new company was founded in Bienne on the 15 August 1895 in partnership with the movement-blank factory and metallurgical workshops Ed. Boillat & Cie of Reconvilier. The Brandt brothers also transferred to this company most of the corresponding inexpensive brands. The Brandts withdrew from the La Genérale joint-venture in 1911.” Regarding your comments about the incorrect reference to earlier origins of La Générale, I suppose it depends on who is contributing to Wikipedia (a wonderful reference but not necessarily an authority! There are many examples of errors). AJTT is an official Omega product and I think we can assume that the history given there is correct – that means that La Générale was formed in 1895 – as a joint venture – and was used for production of cylinder calibre production and then the corresponding inexpensive brands. Helvetia was formed in 1892. Carl, I hope that helps! You also have a PM. Tom
Thanks Tom that is great. It all ties up with the dates I had got from the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce which was also probably a major source for Marco Richon. The remark about them wanting to clear space for concentrating on Omega watches is interesting as this also ties in with the transfer of the brand names and the "Successor to Louis Brandt" text. It looks as if they were trying to move all their non Omega customers to La Generale and promoting them while concentrating on Omega with Louis Brandt & Freres. So Omega was never a brand of La Generale and Loius Brandt/Omega Watch Co was never called La Generale at any time. It's amazing how widespread this version is. I've found it all over the web as well as Omega's Wikipedia page and just about every time La Generale is mentioned on this forum it is said that they are the forerunner of Omega. Thanks again.
I thought I'd let you know I have finished the update to the page on my site on the history of the Société d’Horlogerie La Générale and Helvetia and you can find it here: https://www.helvetiahistory.co.uk/history Thanks for your help Tom. One of the most surprising things I found is that the Montres Helvetia S.A. that is around at the moment is not a modern relaunch but isn't the Helvetia that grew from La Generale either. It is actually Montres Silvana S.A. that took over the Helvetia name in 1973 when they were both part of SGT and as such has been around since 1923. Nice to see one of the old companies still exists even with a name change!
Thanks Tom. It is one of those things that once you start looking into something you find more and more. I need to add pages on pocket watches now, found out a lot on early WW2 German army use and also Royal Navy pattern 301 and US Army OH wristwatches. It's never ending!