After an almost 30-year absence, Manufacture France Ebauches (FE), one of the major European producers of mechanical movements, is returning to the forefront of the watchmaking scene.
Owned by the Festina Group since 2017, the Manufacture France Ebauches is reconnecting with its prestigious past by producing two exclusive “Made in France” self-winding movements.
Manufacture France Ebauches, located in the Doubs region in the heart of Franche-Comté, currently produces watch components for the sister brands of the Festina Group.
Thanks to the recently relaunched production of French movements, the France Ebauches factory is in the process of relocating, re-industrialising and developing the production of quality French mechanical movements.
Festina, Pierre Lannier, Apose, Akrone and Carzo&Lieutier along with other French brands, are once again sourcing mechanical movements from France Ebauches. The aim is to achieve 70% French value, with major components such as baseplates, bridges and oscillating weights manufactured at the Maîche site.
The remaining 30% – mainly balance springs, pallet-levers and escape-wheels – are produced in the Swiss Jura by the group’s sister companies.
France Ebauches is presently offering two tried and tested automatic mechanical calibres with resolutely French finishes.
These movements, inspired by vintage France Ebauches 4600-5600 calibres, have been optimised to deliver both precision and reliability. The movements beat at a frequency of 4Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour). They are also equipped with the Incabloc® double-cone shock absorbers in order to ensure incomparable robustness for the regulating mechanism.
The movement offers solidity and resistance thanks to a cross-through balance bridge. The bridge has been hollowed out to provide a perfect view of the regulating organ. The original rhodium-plated honeycomb motif symbolising France replaces the traditional Swiss “Côtes de Genève” pattern.
The design also reveals the calibre on both faces, with the balance visible on the dial side and the sunburst blued steel rotor as well as the baseplate adorned with the honeycomb motif visible through a transparent caseback.
With the production of these two “Made in France” mechanical movements, the Manufacture France Ebauches is thus contributing to the development of the French watch industry and its long-term survival.
France Ebauches (FE) is movement maker born in 1967 from the merger of the four largest French movement manufacturers. It produced several million movements annually in the 1970s and 1980s and reached a peak of 14 million quartz movements in 1990 before being forced into bankruptcy in 1994. It has been owned by the Festina Group since 2017.
France Ebauches New Automatic Movements
(1) France Ebauches self-winding movement, three hands with date
11 ½ ‴
Diameter 25.60 mm
Thickness 4.60 mm
Hours, minutes, sweep-seconds hand
Semi-instantaneous aperture-type date display
Fast date adjustment
Time-setting with stop-seconds function
Automatic winding
28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
23jewels
44-hour power reserve
Two types of finish: nickel-plated trowelised and rhodium-plated honeycomb
(2) Self-winding movement with three hands and visible balance
11 ½ ‴
Diameter 25.60 mm
Thickness 4.60 mm
Hours, minutes, sweep-seconds hand
Visible balance
Time-setting with stop-seconds function
Automatic winding
28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
22 jewels
44-hour power reserve
Rhodium-plated honeycomb finish
