FESTINA WATCHES
Festina is a watch brand founded in 1902 by the Stüdi family in the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Since 1985 it belongs to Festina Group, the Spanish watchmaking conglomerate founded by Miguel Rodríguez.
Festina brand makes automatic, quartz, solar-powered and connected watches for men and women. Festina watches retail price range is $100 to $2,000.
Festina Group’s central head office is in Barcelona. Today the group includes five affordable brands (Festina, Lotus, Lotus Style, Jaguar, Candino and Calypso), two luxury brands (Perrelet and L.Leroy), hybrid smart watch brand Kronaby, and Soprod SA, a movement manufacturer based in Switzerland.
History of Festina Watches and Festina Group
1902: Festina watch brand founded in Switzerland in 1902.
1980: Miguel Rodríguez creates a watchmaking group and starts operating in Spain with the Lotus brand.
1984: The Festina watch brand is acquired.
1985: Lotus launches its first lunar phase watch, affordable for every pocket and becoming a huge success in terms of sales.
1989: Jaguar watch brand is acquired.
1993: Expansion of the group with the opening of a subsidiary in France.
1994: Opening of a subsidiary in Italy. Festina becomes the Official Timer of the Tour de France.
1995: Festina successfully launches a watch made from titanium, a new non allergic material, light and resistant.
1996: The brand starts to sell in the United States and the Switzerland subsidiary is opened. Launch of the Mecaquartz with automatic movement in combination with quartz. Creation of Calypso-Young Watch – a young, carefree range at an affordable price.
1998: Festina becomes official timekeeper for different international cycling events.
1999: Festina launches its own gold collection under the name “Festina Oro”.
2000: Creation of a production unit in Cordoba for the manufacture of cases and bracelets for gold watches.
2002: FESTINA 100 YEARS. Presentation of the “Century Edition”: To mark the celebration of Festina’s 100th anniversary the brand launches a special collection that combines the traditional watch making with complications (automatics with power reserve) and the actual quartz technology. Festina continues believing in the combination of tradition and modernity. Acquires Swiss watchmaking company Candino.
2003: Launch of Lotus 2gether in Spain. It is an exceptional collection that combines a woman’s watch and a jewel; this was the previous step before launching the new brand called Lotus Style. Candino becomes the official partner of the Trimaran Banque Covefi (Stève Ravussin) and official timekeeper of some outstanding European Tennis Tournaments. Sponsor of Formula GT-FIA: “Force One Festina”.
2004: Lotus starts as official co-sponsor of the Fortuna Honda 250cc motorcycling team. Launch of Lotus in France, Germany and Czech Republic. Launch of Lotus Style in Spain, steel jewels brand.
2005: Launch of Lotus in Italy, and Lotus Style in France, Italy and Germany. Candino becomes the official chronograph of World Nordic Skiing Championship in Oberstdorf.
2006: Opening of a subsidiary in Belgium. Lotus co-sponsor of the Fortuna Aprilia team, world 250cc motorcycling champion with pilot Jorge Lorenzo.
2007: Lotus as official co-sponsor of the Fortuna-Aprilia, is world 250cc motorcycling bi-champion with pilot Jorge Lorenzo for the second time. Launch of the Lotus Code collection.
2008: 70th anniversary of Jaguar brand. Consolidation of the Group in Latin America with the opening of a subsidiary in Mexico. Launch of the collections for women Festina Milano and Lotus Lady Cool. International launch of the Lotus Code collection that favours the brand positioning on this field. Lotus is present, for the first time, on the 3 categories of the MotoGP Championship.
2014: The brand celebrates its twenty-first anniversary as the Official Timekeeper of the Tour de France. Further, the brand appoints veteran cycling champion Richard Virenque as Festina Brand Ambassador.
2016: Festina Group introduces Gerard Butler as the new brand ambassador for the famous Festina watch brand.
