Fortis age determination and history by models

1912 The Swiss village of Grenchen was the home of FORTIS when the company was founded by Walter Vogt in 1912, and it remains so today. Mr. Vogt was a great innovator and pioneer: his original philosophy still forms the basis of the company's policy today: "...the production of high-quality Swiss watches with innovative designs at affordable prices..."

1924 The pivotal year in FORTIS's history was 1924, when Walter Vogt met John Harwood, the British inventor of the automatic wristwatch. Harwood had already spent two years searching for an industrial partner for mass production of his invention in Switzerland. In the founder of FORTIS, he found a brilliant advocate of the concept of the automatic wristwatch. Walter Vogt supported the project and provided substantial financial resources for production.

1926 The world's first mass-produced automatic wristwatch, the "Harwood Automatic", was presented at the Basel Trade Fair and met with great interest.

1930 In the 1930s, FORTIS produced two more classic automatic watches that became famous products: First, the "Rolls," a wristwatch that would become legendary with a winding system developed by Léon Hatot of Paris. The watch's name was derived from the movement of the movement within the case that wound it.

In 1931, FORTIS produced the Autorist, which also used an automatic mechanism invented by John Harwood. The watch was powered by the movement of the bracelet, which was attached to the watch via its fastening.

1937 To mark its 25th anniversary, FORTIS produced its first chronographs, which are still valued for their precision today. "Wandfluh," the name of the Jura massif near Grenchen, became known worldwide as the name of the FORTIS Chrono.

1943 FORTIS means “strong”, and with the presentation of the first waterproof watches from Switzerland and the most successful model “Fortissimo”, FORTIS once again meets market demand.

1947 Several decades after its market launch, the alarm wristwatch enjoyed renewed popularity thanks to the efforts of FORTIS.

1954 FORTIS begins production of the alarm clock and is thus closely associated with the worldwide distribution of the most reliable clock of all time.

1956 FORTIS wins the most important chronometer awards from the Swiss Institute for Official Watch Testing for its waterproof "Manager" series alarm clocks. Every single "FORTIS Manager" alarm clock tested receives the "particularly good results" award.

1957 On November 26, 600 watchmakers celebrated "FORTIS Day" at the Yamaha Hall in Tokyo. The company invited Japanese watchmakers to promote FORTIS's new "BEP" electrical control system, thus strengthening its good relations with members of the Japanese Watchmakers' Association.

1962 The name FORTIS – a synonym worldwide for reliable automatic watches from Switzerland – lives on with the anniversary watch “Stratoliner” for the company’s 50th anniversary and the “Spacematic”, an absolutely water-resistant Anker watch with a high-precision automatic movement and date display, tested to 25 atmospheres, which was selected by the members of the American astronaut team in the same year.

1965 With the emergence of quartz watches from Japan, FORTIS, like all other Swiss brands, faced market competition that many could not withstand. FORTIS's response to this challenge, based on the company's experience with waterproof diving watches, was the development of the "Flipper" watch. For the American market, the "FORTIS Cobra" was a highly distinctive design that was a real hit and a tremendous success during these turbulent times.

In 1975, FORTIS set new standards in watchmaking with the "Flipper Quartz Leader" model, which enjoyed great success in over 40 countries in the following years. This watch series featured the original FORTIS container system, which allowed for the movement and bracelet to be replaced in seconds.

1982 The "Flipper Quartz Leader" offered a wide selection of colorful straps in addition to steel and 18-karat gold bracelets, making this FORTIS design a hit in the early 1980s, worn by artists such as the Rolling Stones, Roman Polanski, Leonard Bernstein, and others. The "aristocrat of plastic watches" V. Philibert, Europa Star.

1987 On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, FORTIS sets a trend with the reissue of the automatic wristwatches that were synonymous with the brand in its glorious past.

In addition to the original FORTIS Container System with the successful line of the "FORTIS Logo Swiss" collection and the Harwood, the world's first automatic wristwatch in series production, FORTIS relaunched the legendary pilot's watches with their clear functions and easily legible dials in the typical FORTIS design this year, thus marking the renaissance of mechanical watches, a trend that many Swiss

Source: brittons-watches.co.uk