Edox watchmaking age determination
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Short story by Edox
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1884 | Founded by Christian Rüefli-Flury in Biel (Bienne), Switzerland. |
| 1900–1920 | High-quality pocket watches, fine hand-wound movements (FHF – Fontainemelon / A. Schild). |
| 1921 | Introduction of the brand name EDOX (Greek = "measure of time"). |
| 1950–1970 | Rapidly expanding production time: “Delfin”, “Hydrosub”, “Geoscope”, wristwatches for export markets. |
| 1970–1990 | Quartz and automatic series, independent design (Hexagon / Les Bémonts etc.). |
| 1990–present | Luxury and specialty watches (Neptunian, Chronorally, etc.), member of the Maurice-Lacroix Group. |
Serial numbers / Works numbers – orientation
In the 20th century, Edox awarded continuous series to cases and movements.
The first group (up to about 1940) refers to pocket watches / early wristwatches,
From the 1950s onwards, 6- to 8-digit serial numbers have been used.
| Serial No. (range) | Estimated timeframe | Typical works / models |
|---|---|---|
| < 50,000 | 1900 – 1925 | Pocket watches (FHF, A. Schild, Rebberg type) |
| 50,000 – 150,000 | 1925 – 1945 | Early wristwatches, 15 jewels / hand-wound |
| 150,000 – 350,000 | 1945 – 1955 | Post-war manual wind-up machines (FHF 28, AS 970) |
| 350,000 – 600,000 | 1955 – 1965 | “Delfin” / “Hydrosub” (AS 1130, ETA 2472) |
| 600,000 – 900,000 | 1965 – 1975 | Automatic models with ETA 2783 / AS 1903 |
| 1,000,000 + | 1975 – 1990 | Quartz models, automatic 2892, Valjoux 7750 Chronographs |
| 8-9 digit numbers | 1990 – today | modern automatic / ceramic series |
Caliber and time assignment
| Caliber / Movement type | Manufacturer | Dating | Notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| FHF Cal. 29 / AS 970 | Frères de Fontainemelon / Adolf Schild | 1930–1950 | smaller wristwatches without shock protection |
| AS 1130 (“Wehrmacht Works”) | Adolf Schild | 1940–1955 | frequently found in EDOX post-war watches |
| ETA 1080 / ETA 2472 | ETA | 1955–1965 | classic automatic movement, 25 jewels |
| ETA 2783 / ETA 2836 | ETA | 1965–1975 | “Delfin – Super Waterproov” / “Hydrosub” |
| Valjoux 72 / 7750 | Valjoux | 1970–1990 | Mechanical chronographs |
| ETA 2892‑A2 / 7750 / 2824‑2 | ETA | 1990–present | modern automatic / chronometer / chronorally |
Recognizable styles for dating
| feature | Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Enamel dial + Roman numerals | 1900–1935 |
| Arabic numerals, no luminous material | 1930–1945 |
| “EDOX 15 Rubis – Swiss Made” on dial | 1935–1955 |
| “Incabloc” shock protection system in operation | from 1952 |
| Screw base + water resistance rating | from 1955 (“Dolphin”) |
| “Super Waterproof 200 m” or “Hydrosub” | 1960–1975 |
| Quartz lettering / Digital display | 1975–1985 |
| Logo – Hourglass in a rectangle | after 1990 |
| engraving | Factory | Description | Year of construction |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 128 742 | AS 970 | Manual winding, 15 rubies, gold-plated | circa 1948 |
| No. 352 513 | AS 1130 | Manual winding, shock protection “Incabloc” | ca. 1953–1955 |
| No. 475 680 | ETA 2472 | "Dolphin" Automatic 25 Jewels | ca. 1962–1965 |
| No. 682 412 | ETA 2783 | Hydrosub Automatic 200 m | ca. 1970–1972 |
| No. 1 345 900 | Valjoux 7750 | Chronograph “Sportsman” | ca. 1986–1990 |
| No. 8 945 xxx | ETA 2892-A2 | Neptunian / Chronorally | from 1995 |
In 1884, Christian Ruefli-Flury founded a watchmaking workshop, C. Ruefli-Flury & Cie., in Biel, which was later renamed the Era Watch Co. watch factory. Initially, he specialized in the technical refinement and finishing of watch movements. He chose and protected the brand name "Edox," which means "hour" in ancient Greek. The trademark is the hourglass, which first appeared in 1900 and is now an integral part of the Edox company logo. After the death of the founder, Christian Ruefli-Flury, banker Robert Kaufmann-Hug took over the business in 1921. Under his leadership, the production of pocket watches was shifted to wristwatches . He launched an attractive collection of elegant wristwatches.
During World War II, the factory, like many other Swiss companies, supplied service watches to Germany with serial numbers 11505 DH and 90039 DH, equipped with caliber AS 1130 . However, the watches were not delivered under the EDOX brand, but the dial signature was marked ERA.
At the end of World War II, demand for Edox watches began to increase sharply, and in 1953 a new factory was built in Biel , employing up to 530 people. At that time, Edox was among the 10 largest watch manufacturers in Switzerland. No other Swiss watch company produced as many mechanical watches during this period. Watch movements using ébauches such as Edox. Edox also manufactured watches for brands operating in the luxury and mid-range segments, such as Zentra .
1961 was the birth year of the legendary "Dolphin" model, the world's first The Delfin watch featured a double crown seal, shock protection , a shock-absorbing movement holder, and a double-secured case back, making it water-resistant to 200 meters. In 1963 , the "Hydro-sub" followed, water-resistant to 500 meters, a technical masterpiece at the time. In 1965, Victor Flury-Liechti took over the company from his uncle, Robert Kaufmann-Hug, and invested considerable sums in the further training of his engineers and watchmakers.
The goal was to give Edox a technological edge. This led to the "Geoscope" in 1970 , the first true world time clock. A catalog and a new model followed in 1971 ; the dial depicted a globe that rotated once on its axis every 24 hours. This made the time in all time zones precise and easy to read. Today, both the Geoscope and the catalog are highly sought-after collector's items.
In 1971 , the company became a member of GWC General Watch Company , a sub-holding of ASUAG . In 1975 , like many other manufacturers, the company slid into a severe crisis. It had relied too heavily on the production of mechanical watches for too long and missed the rise of quartz watches. A restructuring followed in 1977 with the acquisition of Technos and, somewhat later, Certina . Victor Strambini of Montres Vista SA bought the company from ASUAG in 1983 and relocated it to Les Genevez in the Swiss Jura. Since then, the watches have continued to be assembled by hand. The small village of Les Genevez lies in the Jura arc, the heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry, at an altitude of approximately 1005 meters above sea level.
Source: WatchWiki, AI
