Movado watch repair and battery replacement

1881

Achille Ditescheim sets up his first workshop at the age of 19 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Ditescheim, who had just completed his training at a watchmaking school in the village, employed 6 craftsmen in his workshop. The 3-story house at No. 13, Rue 1er Mars, which contained the workshop still stands today.

1890

The business, mainly specialising in movements and pocket watches, proliferates, now employing 30 workmen.

1897

The payroll has reached 80.

1905

This is the year that Movado, as it is now known, began. At the famed Liege Exposition in Belgium, Ditescheim’s young company – having already won a silver medal in Paris in 1900 – is awarded the gold medal for creativity, quality, and design. In the same year, the company adopts the name “Movado”, meaning “always in motion” in Esperanto. They also build and move into a larger, modern factory on the outskirts of La Chaux-de-Fonds. The image of an uplifted hand holding an open pocket watch becomes the company’s logo.

1912

Movado release the 1912 Polyplan. Already known for their wristwatches, it is the revolutionary design of the Polyplan that captures the attention of the Swiss watchmaking industry, earning Movado a patent. The Polyplan is the first of the “form” movements; specifically designed for elongated, curved timepieces, a style that was the haute couture pre-WW1.

1925

The Movado factory in La Chaux-De-Fonds has been focussing primarily on pocket watches. This year, a new style is born. April marks the start of the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts, a World’s fair held in Paris that will run through until October; this is the exposition that will give birth to the name “Art Deco”, an up and coming style characterised by streamlined classicism with geometric and symmetric compositions that embodies the new machine age. Movado picks up on the trend and begins to incorporate this new style into designs.

1926

The Ermeto is released. A daring step away from the classic pocket watch, this is one of the first made-to-travel timepieces developed. The design features a rectangular case that slides open to reveal the dial. The sliding action of the case is also designed to wind the watch, earning Movado yet another revolutionary patent.

1930’s

The rise of the digital. The early Movado Digital Watch, which has an innovative display of both hours and minutes, is introduced. Digital displays rise in popularity, mechanical precursors to the futures liquid crystal equivalents.

1946

A new era of Movado design, ushered in by the release of the Calendomatic, a self-winding wristwatch with full calendar function. Featuring a month and day dial apertures, a central date indicating, a center mounted sweeping seconds hands, and automatic winding, the Calendomatic represents a first of its kind. It soon becomes the flagship of the Movado brand.

1947

The first sighting of the now-famous Movado Museum watch. It traces its roots to the modern design movement and group of artists who founded the Bauhaus school in 1919. “Simplicity, tastefulness, function” was the dictum. The Museum watch encompasses all these philosophies. With only a single gold dot at the noon position on a black background, designed by American artist Nathan George, the dot represents the sun at high noon and the movement of the hands the rotation of the earth.

1950

This is the year the Calendoplan is introduced. At a time when extravagance was at a premium when digital watches are rising in popularity, no one expected a thinner, streamlined wristwatch to enter the market. This is exactly what Movado approach the market with; the Calendoplan. Simplicity is key here – Movado has just sparked the thin watch revolution.

1970

The Datron is the leading Movado watch this year. With a classic tonneau-shaped case and a wild-winding movement, the Datron is available with a range of different dial.

1983

Gedalio Grinberg and acquires a struggling Movado for his watch conglomerate.

1987

Launch of the Movado artists’ series. It begins as a suggestion to artist Andy Warhol that he use the watch as an art medium. The watch he designs – the “Andy Warhol’ Times 5’” – is produced posthumously. It becomes the first issue in a series of commissioned, limited edition timepieces designed by luminaries of the 20th century.

1996

Movado unveils the Vizio, a visionary new expression of Movado’s unwavering commitment to innovation in design. Balanced and technically brilliant, the concept behind the design is to achieve a balance of content and form.

2000

The futuristic rework of the Movado Museum worked in either stainless steel or two-tone models for men and women, it possesses a casual attitude towards luxury and elegance, this watch is the shape of time to come in modern design.

2001

Release of the Elliptica. A tribute to the early Movado Polyplan, this beautiful metallic watch has a gracefully curved case and striking linear dial, and is curved to follow the wrist.

2003

Resurgence of the Movado Museum with the Movado Museum Automatic.

2006

Movado introduces the M125 as a celebration of 125 years of watchmaking success and innovation. Although having a clean and modern design aesthetic, this distinctive timepiece also offers the appeal of a timeless classic.

2010

The launch of the Movado BOLD, an iconic Movado design is re-imagined for the fashion-savvy, on-trend consumer.