Chronographe Suisse Cie, revived, Professional Watches ...
yves....@wanadoo.fr
A watch leading company of 1920's that was put dormant in early 1980's
because of the Quartz orientations of that era, Chronographe Suisse Cie
has been revived in 2003 and produces outstanding quality professional
dive watches.
You must see those pieces; personally I was strongly attracted to the
outstanding quality and finishes as well as their designs and wrist
wear.
www.chronographesuisse.ch, this site is not yet completed but you have
some higher resolution views of their watches.
If you need to contact them, you can email them at:
in...@chronographesuisse.ch or visit their website
www.chronographesuisse.ch
the swisswatchguy
Appreciating your kind information.
In what ways are you liaised with the company?
I have checked on that company and do not find it listed neither as a
company nor as a brand anywhere. Can you be more specific as to its
past and your claims?
Appreciating.
Jack Denver
company at all, but a sort of generic label available to multiple
manufacturers. Am I wrong?
<yves....@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:1113296632.0...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
yves....@wanadoo.fr
had an opportunity to see their watches and committed to one piece. I
am highly impressed by their offerings, passion, quality and
functionality is the expressions I can easily identified this brand and
watches to.
This company is based and registered in Switzerland.
Concerning this company background, I said it earlier "A watch leading
company of 1920's that was put dormant in early 1980's because of the
Quartz orientations of that era, Chronographe Suisse Cie has been
revived in 2003 and produces outstanding quality professional watches."
I can add that this company solely manufactured pieces branded as
"Chronoghraphe Suisse Co" till 1960'S and later as well as continuing
to lesser produce their own pieces, they were commissioned to produce
pieces for a few other brands some well known.
"Chronographe Suisse Co" is a past participant to many inventions for
which a few patents were registered after their name.
the swisswatchguy
yves.od...@wanadoo.fr wrote:
> I am not affiliated in any ways with this company. I just and simply
> had an opportunity to see their watches and committed to one piece.
I
> am highly impressed by their offerings, passion, quality and
> functionality is the expressions I can easily identified this brand
and
> watches to.
>
> This company is based and registered in Switzerland.
>
> Concerning this company background, I said it earlier "A watch
leading
> company of 1920's that was put dormant in early 1980's because of the
> Quartz orientations of that era, Chronographe Suisse Cie has been
> revived in 2003 and produces outstanding quality professional
watches."
> I can add that this company solely manufactured pieces branded as
> "Chronoghraphe Suisse Co" till 1960'S and later as well as continuing
> to lesser produce their own pieces, they were commissioned to produce
> pieces for a few other brands some well known.
> "Chronographe Suisse Co" is a past participant to many inventions for
> which a few patents were registered after their name.
>
any way and that you just wanted to transmit your enthusiasm to us.
What I do not appreciate is that you keep repeating the same claims all
over again, which we unfortunately cannot corroborate. As Jack says,
the "company" title is very generic and most certainly could have never
been registered as such. Actually, I checked from two different
otherwise very reliable sources, Mrs. Kathleen Pritchard's "Swiss
Timepiece Makers 1775-1975" as well as the central Swiss Registry of
Commerce and that of the Canton of Berne, without getting any results,
neither in the past, nor today.
In my opinion, that company does not exist otherwise as in the fantasy
of some would-be watchmaker, trying his luck without the necessary
fundings to establish and register a company.
Have you paid your watch in advance?
the swisswatchguy
Jack Denver wrote:
> It was my understanding that historically "Chronographe Suisse" was
not a
> company at all, but a sort of generic label available to multiple
> manufacturers. Am I wrong?
>
"Suisse" cannot be registered, neither as a company, nor as a
trademark.
Actually, I have found a company, which had been founded in 1999 and
has been cancelled in 2004, which had been called: SCS Société de
Chronographie SA. You can check for yourself at:
http://rc.ne.ch/extrcomp.asp?nodos=03035%2F1999&insrad=1
Interesting though is the fact that the telephone and fax numbers
indicated in the website of the so called ancient company are the
registered numbers of the official auditor "Acta SA" of the above dead
company:
Einstein has tought us that time is relative: apparently some people
try to use the theory of relativity in order to establish a past for
some non existing brand of an almost dead-born company.
c_gir...@hotmail.com
> In my opinion, that company does not exist otherwise as in the
fantasy
> of some would-be watchmaker, trying his luck without the necessary
> fundings to establish and register a company.
Check: http://rc.ne.ch/extrcomp.asp?nodos=20347%2F1988&insrad=1
and you shall notice that the company corresponding to the phone number
is an auditing / bookeeping company, whose absolute minimum share
capital has only been paid in: 50% of the legal minimum of CHF
100'000.00.
I also feel that all the people involved seem to be unknown in the
Swiss Watch Industry.
Jack Denver
I don't know where Richard Sexton is - I expected him to chime in on the
history of the "Chronographe Suisse" mark. Here is a thread in which he
explains the some of the history of the name:
http://www.finertimes.com/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi?pg=next&topic=24&page=2067
The irony is that these watches (the originals) have a pretty awful
reputation, so I don't know why you would want to revive this name. On the
originals, the dials are very nice, but the rest of the watch is dubious -
the 18k gold cases are literally paper thin - the lugs are hollow, the whole
case weighs a few grams. After a while the case distorts and will no longer
hold the bezel or back. The movements are so-so. I have one in bad condition
with a Venus "up/down" (subdials at 12 and 6) movement that I inherited from
my father and it sits in the drawer - I doubt I will ever restore it because
the dial is the only nice thing about it.
Again, AFAIK, this name was up for grabs for any Swiss watchmaker to attach
to his chronographs. The better known makes (Omega, Breitling) continued to
use their own mark but some of the smaller makers elected to sell under this
label as being more recognizable in the market than their own obscure names.
IMO, these watches (the historic ones, not the current brand, which seems to
have its own dubious history) represent a bit of the "shady" side of Swiss
watchmaking, like the earlier fake Walthams. The people who made these
watches remind me of earlier Swiss versions of "Maimaichinaman", the ebay
fake Seiko peddler - the watches were not exactly fake, but they were not
exactly real either - they looked like more than they were. They looked
great in the shop in Geneva, only when you took them home to Kansas did they
start to dent and bend and by then it was too late to take them back.
"the swisswatchguy" <swissw...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1113573494....@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
c_gir...@hotmail.com
I would say that also the Baron could step in with all the negative
remarks he had in the 2004 "mammouth" thread quite, in my humble
opinion, unfairly devoted to Waltham's Swiss revival: in this instance
they would be utterly justified!
yves....@wanadoo.fr
company without even knowing to whom it belongs and how it is
registered. You almost got me on it and I was even slightly worried.
Anyway rather than acting as a secret agent, I re-contacted the company
and here it goes....
Chronographe Suisse Cie belongs to MLG Monteverde Luxury group, in
Suisse and it is registered!
Yes, I paid for the watch and I have no worries what so ever.
As for the history of Chronographe Suisse, I personally saw some of
their past (vintage pieces) from 30's 40's and 50's and in
opinion they are far from being anything else that a good reference to
the watch industry. Further more I think that in the past they have
made a sufficient amount of watches for other leading
watch-manufacturers for being soiled by people who are only guessing!
Other than that, and as I said earlier I am not affiliated in any ways
with this company, I only shared something with you all because in my
opinion this upcoming brand is worthy.
yves....@wanadoo.fr
CIE"
Personally I do find interesting in their related periods!
and... they seems to last longer than the brands you referred.
Please check those links too:
http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=66562&item=4985717659&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=66560&item=4985437761&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=66560&item=4984890356&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=66562&item=4983963818&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=66562&item=4985492354&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31387&item=4984235895&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9226&item=4985757287&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31387&item=4985058549&rd=1
Jack Denver
But, you seem to lack understanding that all vintage watches labeled
"Chronographe Suisse" are "their" watches. Even if the current group is the
corporate successor to someone who "back in the day" put out CS watches,
chances are they made only a small percentage of them, as there were MANY
DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS that used the CS label. In any event, buying a name
that has sat on a shelf for 30 years does not really connect you to the
historic company.
That being said, the watches they are producing today may be nice and the
owners may be reputable, I personally have no information either way.
The ebay watches you showed for the most part looked buffed & restored and
were being sold by dealers. They represent the "cream of the crop" of CS
watches. I assure you that unfortunately most vintage CS watches don't look
that good anymore. This is like the difference between the vintage cars you
see at antique shows vs. the way those cars looked before they were
restored - often just rusty hulks, not the gleaming beauties you see at the
show.
<yves....@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:1113582128.6...@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
The Baron
responsible for everyone else, it give all watches and clocks(along with
their repairman) a bad name. Or perhaps a country that is not to be
trusted.
But thanks to newsgroups like this, and several concerned and knowledgeable
contributors, information can be obtained. Often after purchase, but
hopefully before purchase.
<c_gir...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1113576976.5...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
yves....@wanadoo.fr
Company. He confirmed that all watches dialled and branded
"Cronographe Suisse" were and are indeed orginated from Chronographe
Suisse Companie. The company till late 1950's made watch solely
branded "Chronographe Suisse" to later making watches for various other
small and larger watch brands, usually like, Chronographe Suisse
Gubelin etc...
The current owners are not affiliated with the history of the brand
even though they purchased all entitlements from the family that
founded Chronographe Suisse in the last century. The current owners
were clients and friends of old company, back in the mid seventies till
the company stopped its activities in 1982
The current watches have nothing to do with the past of the old
manufacture, only part of each name given to the current production is
a souvenir to some projects that were left never produced.
As for this company vintages, personally not for me but they are
telling us a bit of the past too. MY LINE here was to share with you
they current production, and for those in my opinion this company has a
winning line.
Good luck to everyone. Yves.
Jack Denver
<yves....@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:1113599608.8...@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Today I spoke to one of the current owner of Chronographe Suisse
> Company. He confirmed that all watches dialled and branded
> "Cronographe Suisse" were and are indeed orginated from Chronographe
> Suisse Companie.
This is 100% opposite to the information that I have and that
"Swisswatchguy" found from his search of the reference works and Swiss
corporate records. Either the owner is wrong or we are wrong and I think it
is the owner.
Please someone pipe up here - Richard Sexton, etc. and confirm what I have
been saying about CS .
The company till late 1950's made watch solely
> branded "Chronographe Suisse" to later making watches for various other
> small and larger watch brands, usually like, Chronographe Suisse
> Gubelin etc...
>
> The current owners are not affiliated with the history of the brand
> even though they purchased all entitlements from the family that
> founded Chronographe Suisse in the last century. The current owners
> were clients and friends of old company, back in the mid seventies till
> the company stopped its activities in 1982
>
> The current watches have nothing to do with the past of the old
> manufacture,
This is of course as I said before - so even if a "Chronograph Suisse"
company once existed that once was the producer of all CS watches (an
absolutely false statement ) this new company has only the most tenuous
paper relationship with the historic brand. Now this is not unusual - there
have been a number of dormant Swiss and American brands bought from the last
owners and revived. It is very hard to launch a totally new brand "from
zero" and so buying an existing historic name gives you a little head start
in the market, or at least you hope it does. But that's all it is -pure
marketing - it says nothing about the actual quality of the modern watches.
Sometimes the revivals are worthy of the original names (Swiss Waltham,
Ball), sometimes they are pure junk (e.g. US Waltham, Elgin,Gruen, any brand
owned by MZ Berger). But, the new owners in this case appear to have bought
a story that is not true.
If you can, please mention the family name of the former owners. Our friend
"Swisswatchguy" is connected with the Swiss watch world and knows most of
the players in that universe.
the swisswatchguy
Yves: we do not doubt your sincerity nor your wish to participate
possitively to the NG and appreciate your contribution. Unfortunately,
we cannot verify the information given by the owners of the company to
you. You shall understand that this is rather weird?