EDOX WATCHES
Edox watch company was founded in 1884 by Christian Ruefly-Flury in Biel-Bienne. In 1900 he selected the Hour Glass as the official symbol (logo) of Edox watches. In 1921 after the death of Christian Ruefly-Flury, the company was took over by Robert Haufmann Hug.
In 1950 Edox moved into new and larger production facilities. In 1961, Edox launched world famous Delfin watch. In 1983 Victor Strambini took over the control of the company by buying shares from ASUAG and the company was moved to Jura Region of Switzerland. Since 1983, Edox has been a family owned independent watch company.
The brand’s flagship watch collections are CO-1, Neptunian, Delfin, Grand Ocean, Hydro-Sub, Skydiver, Sportsman and Chronorally. Edox watches retail price range is CHF 1,000 to CHF 4,000.
History of Edox Watches
Since its foundation in 1884 in Biel, Switzerland, the brand Edox is the symbol of elegance, dynamism and excellent technical competence.
In 1884 the watchmaker Christian Rüefli-Flury, originated from the Swiss watch town Grenchen, established his own watch manufacture. Biel was his preferred place of business. A new chapter of Swiss watchmaking art led off in this flourishing watch town.
Rüefli was a very experienced and talented watchmaker. Nobody else refined raw materials with such an exquisite taste like him. A few times later Rüefli took out a patent for the brand Edox and the sand-glass. Edox: a remarkable name, easily to pronounce in each language and short enough to decorate the dial of pocket watches with style and elegance. Edox, originated from the ancient Greek, means “the hour”.
After the death of the founder in 1921, the factory devolved upon the banker Robert Kaufmann-Hug. This new, modern thinking man on the top of the company realized very quickly, that the time honoured pocket watch will soon be replaced by the wristwatch.
Conscious of this new development on the market, the brand became more successful and was transformed in a limited company in 1927. After the second world war the demand for Edox watches incredibly increased. Thanks to a very high production and well placed investments the most technical developed watch manufacture has been built in spring 1955.
In 1961 Edox engineers developed a water-resistant, patented crown system, based on a double waterproof joint. Thanks to this revolutionary waterproof system the crown needn’t to be screwed and guarantees a simple and comfortable handling. This technical innovation, as well as a double casing bottom are the main parts of a water-resistant and athletic watch collection, called Delfin.
The Delfin had a water-resistance of 500 metres. From now on water sportsmen and a wealthy clientele of boat owners were interested in these watches. This was the beginning of a now 50 years old relationship between Edox and the world of luxury boats.
In 1965 Robert Kaufmann-Hug’s nephew, Victor Flury-Liechti, became director. Victor Flury-Liechti made considerable investments in a consequent further education of the management, as well as the technical competence of the engineers and watchmakers. In 1969 the first results of these in-vestments became obvious. The Edox engineers developed a very resistant, waterproofed watch based on multi hardened stainless steel, called Bluebird. This watch featured a double casing bottom and shock absorbers.
In the early seventies Edox presented the worldwide first real GMT watch, the Geoscope. The dial represents the realistic copy of the globe view from the south pole’s perspective. The continents like America, Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia as well as New Zealand can be clearly identified. The dial turns, exactly like the earth, within 24 hours around his own axis. The GMT time (zero meridian) as well as the position of the sun are indicated.
Edox was unfortunately also affected by a crisis unsettling the Swiss watch manufacture industry in the seventies. In 1973 all shares of Edox were sold to ASUAG (predecessor of the Swatch-Group).
In 1983 Victor Strambini bought all Edox shares from ASUAG (today Swatch Group). Edox became finally again independent. He then relocated the Edox headquarters to Les Genevez in the very heart of the Swiss Jura.
In 1998, Edox launched the world-wide slimmest watch with calendar, called Les Bémonts Ultra Slim. In 2006, the brand became the official timekeeper of the Class 1 World Power-boat Championship.
In 2008, Edox became the official timekeeper for the famous Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC). The following year, the brand became the official timekeeper of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Two years later, in 2010, Edox signed a partnership with Austrian free-diver Christian Redl. In 2012, Edox became the official timekeeper of the Dakar Rally.
