EPOS WATCHES

EPOS is a traditional Swiss watch company based in Lengnau. The brand has been known for its Swiss made mechanical watches endowed with in-house developed complication modules.

History of EPOS watches

The history of EPOS watches can be traced back to 1925. In that year, James Aubert founded his watch company (James Aubert SA) in the Vallée de Joux, the watchmaking valley of Switzerland. An enthusiastic mechanical watch engineer, Aubert dedicated his life to developing new watch mechanisms.

James Aubert SA in the Vallée de Joux in the Swiss Jura
James Aubert SA in the Vallée de Joux in the Swiss Jura

He was passionate about the technical developments of chronographs and minute repeaters during those times. He had first acquired his skills working as an engineer for the former watch movement manufacturers like Valjoux and Landeron.

James handed down his watchmaking expertise to his nephew Jean Aubert and his son-in-law, Jean Fillon. In this workshop many developments for complicated watches were created in close cooperation with the company’s own watchmakers. Notable examples are the jumping hour, the power reserve indication, the big date, the regulator and the regulator with the phases of the moon.

In the early 1980s, the arrival of quartz-powered timepieces diminished the popularity of the traditionally made Swiss watches. In 1983, Peter Hofer, a long-established expert in Swiss watchmaking, founded Montres EPOS SA to keep alive the traditions of mechanical watchmaking in the Jura Mountains and the Vallée de Joux. In collaboration with Jean Fillon, Hofer succeeded in establishing the EPOS watch brand.

Montres Epos SA in Bienne, Switzerland
Buidling of Montres Epos SA in Bienne, Switzerland

In 2002, Peter Hofer handed over the management of EPOS Watch Company to Tamdi Chonge and his wife Ursula Forster.

In 2004, the EPOS 8-Jours watch won the Goldene Unruh 2004 award. In 2005, the One Minute Flying Tourbillon (reference 3375) was introduced.

EPOS 8-Jours
EPOS 8-Jours

Currently the corporate name of the company is Epos Uhren AG. Its HQ is located at Solothurnstrasse 44 in Lengnau. At present, Tamdi Chonge is the president of Epos Uhren AG.

EPOS watches are designed and developed with passion, manufactured with precision in the Jura Mountains and the Vallée de Joux workshops, and assembled with care in Grenchen, areas which have always been the most famous in the watchmaking heritage.

EPOS Hundertwasser pocket watch created in collaboration with Austrian painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser, circa 1993
EPOS Hundertwasser pocket watch created in collaboration with Austrian painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser, circa 1993

EPOS makes use of mechanical movements made by renowned Swiss manufacturers like ETA and Sellita. These base-movements are then transformed by the firm’s watchmakers, who add special functions and decorations. Most of the EPOS watch models are equipped with a crystal caseback to allow its owner to admire the work.

EPOS has been renowned for its in-house innovations. For instance, special functions such as the power reserve indication, the big date or the regulator with the phases of the moon were developed in Jean Fillon’s workshop, James Aubert SA.

Such complicated mechanisms require considerable watchmaking skills, which turn each watch into a work of art. These in-house creations are made constructed either on basic calibres from Unitas or on the no longer produced movements from Peseux. Finally, the movement finish is individually made and often includes a hand-made engraving.

Milestones

  • 1987: Reintroduction of skeleton manual winding model on Calibre P. 7040 and UT 6497
  • 1988: Development of a regulator module on Calibre P. 7046
  • 1989: Development of a power reserve indication on Calibre P. 7046
  • 1990: Reintroduction of skeleton automatic winding model on Calibre ETA 2892-2
  • 1991: Development of a regulator module with the phases of the moon on Calibre P. 7046
  • 1989-1992: Development of the Hundertwasser pocket watch in collaboration with Edition MANUS
  • 1997: Development of a full calendar with the phases of the moon module on Calibre UT 6497
  • 2000: Development of a big date on Calibre UT 6497
  • 2002: Development of a date-pointer and small second hand at 8 o’clock on Calibre ETA 2824
  • 2003: Reintroduction EPOS Ref. 3340 Edition Antiquité with historical 8-day movement with new case
  • 2004: Wins the “Goldenen Unruh” for EPOS Ref. 3340 Edition Antiquité
  • 2006: Unveiling of EPOS Ref. 3375 “One Minute Flying Tourbillon” at Baselworld
  • 2007: Launches the EPOS Ref. 3383 watch with a new in-house innovation, a big date with vertical display at 9 o’clock
  • 2008: EPOS wins “Luxury Brand for Gentleman 2008” award in Poland
  • 2009: EPOS opens its very first mono-brand boutiques in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, Malaysia
  • 2010: EPOS brand ambassador Mike Schmid wins the gold medal in skicross in the Vancouver Winter Olympic games
  • 2011: Launches two limited editions, Ref. 3390SK in 100 units and Ref. 3418 in 399 units
  • 2015: Becomes the official timekeeper and sponsor of Drift Masters Grand Prix in Poland. Presents the Ref. 3402 Limited Edition watch dedicated to Poland in 200 units

EPOS watch collections

EPOS makes mechanical wristwatches (with automatic or hand-wound movement) for men and women as well as pocket watches. The flagship collections from the brand are Elegance, Perfection, Oeuvre D’Art, Sportive, Emotion, Passion, Originale and Sophistiquée.

The brand offers high-quality mechanical watches with interesting functions but still at an affordable price. EPOS watch price range is $1,000 to $4,000.

Official website: https://epos.ch/