 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Watches, clocks, watch cases and parts |
| Founded | 1884 (1884) |
| Founder | Christian Ruefli-Flury |
| Headquarters | Les Genevez (JU) , |
Key people | Christian Hotz (CEO) |
| Products | luxury wristwatches, accessories |
| Revenue | U.S. $10.64 million (2014)[1] |
| Parent | Edox Watch Company |
Montres Edox et Vista SA (EDOX) is a Swiss manufacture ofluxury wristwatches[2] that operates under theEra Watch Company. Christian Ruefli-Flury, a watchmaker originating fromGrenchen,Switzerland, founded the company in 1884 inBiel/Bienne. Edox has remained in continuous production since their foundation.[3]
Ruefli-Flury used the ancient Greek wordEdox as atrademark, and designed the "1900" hourglass to serve as a visual symbol for the company's brand. Robert Kaufman-Hug took over the company when Ruefli-Flury died in 1921. He led the company's transition from pocket watches to become the first wristwatch-exclusive watchmaker.
By 1955, the company employed 500 people and moved to a new factory. TheDelfin line of watches launched in 1961, with industry-first double casebacks for high standards of shock protection, water resistance, and ruggedness. TheHydrosub line was launched in 1963, featuring the first crown system with tension ring, allowing waterproofness of 500 meters. In 1965, Victor Flury-Liechti took over the company from his uncle, and invested in new manufacturing technologies. This led to the 1970Geoscope timepiece, the first watch covering all time zones. In 1973, the third-generationDelfin was released. It used elements from to theGerald Genta-designedAudemars Piguet Royal Oak.
With the rise of Japaneses watches and theQuartz crisis in the 1970s, the company became an affiliate of theGeneral Watch Company, a sub-holding company ofASUAG. As part of the move,Technos andCertina were transferred to the Biel/Bienne Edox location. At the end of the downturn in the Swiss watch industry in 1983, Edox regained independence when the company was sold to Victor StrambiniMontres Vista SA and moved toLes Genevez,Jura Mountains. It has since remained a family-owned company. The EdoxLes Bémonts Ultra Slim was released in 1998. With a movement thickness of 1.4 mm, it still holds the record for the slimmest calendar watch.
TheDelfin line was restarted in 2013 with a new model based on the 1973 edition. In 2014, the company celebrated their 130th anniversary by releasing updated, limited-edition versions of theirGeoscope,Les Bémonts, andHydrosub timepieces.
The company sponsors the Extreme Sailing Series,Dakar Rally (now held in South America)[4][5] and is sponsor and official timekeeper of theWorld Rally Championship.[6] The manufacture also producesdiving watches forUIM Class 1.
Notable wearers of Edox watches include Olympic swimmerMireia Belmonte, race car driversBenito Guerra,Scott Mclaughlin, andPetter Solberg, as well as U.S. actorsAndrew Garfield andBruce Willis.[7][failed verification]
The company produces 70,000 to 90,000 watches annually, each retailing at an average price of $1,600 to $2,200 USD.[8]