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Festina is a Spanish watch conglomerate. In 1985, businessman Miguel Rodríguez acquired Festina, a brand founded in Switzerland in 1902, thus forming the ''Festina-Lotus Group.''

History

Festina was created in 1902 by the Stüdi family in the city of

La Chaux-de-Fonds La Chaux-de-Fonds (; archaic ) is a Swiss city in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura Mountains at an altitude of 992 metres, a few kilometres south of the French border. After Geneva, Lausanne, Biel/Bienne, and Fribourg, ...

, in Switzerland. In 1935 the founding-family transmitted the brand to businessman, Willy Burkhard von Wilhelm. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the company was based in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. In 1975, Georges Uhlmann, an entrepreneur who had a significant presence in the Spanish and Italian markets, acquired the firm. In 1984, the Spanish businessman Miguel Rodríguez, from La Linea de la Concepción (Cadiz), acquired the Festina

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

and all its rights. The Festina brand derived from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

"''Festina lente''" which means: "''Make haste, slowly''", a phrase that according to Roman historian,

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is ''De vita Caesarum'', common ...

, is attributed to

Augustus Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

, known for his prudence: "Walk slowly if you want to arrive at a well-done job sooner". Within the Festina Group the brands Jaguar, Candino and Perrelet are Swiss-made. In 2002, Festina acquired the

Swiss watch Swiss made is a label or marking used to indicate that a product was made on the territory of Switzerland. It is also a geographical indication protected under different Swiss and international laws and treaties. According to the Swiss Federal ...

brand Candino. In 2004, Festina acquired the luxury watch brand, Perrelet, founded in 1777 by the prestigious watchmaker Abraham-Louis Perrelet.

Marketing

In 1992, Festina became the official Timekeeper of the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

until 2016, staying for decades closely linked to the world of cycling as a sponsor / timekeeper of the most important events of the cycling agenda (Tour of Spain, Tour of Britain, etc.). Festina has sponsored the German football club

TSV 1860 Munich , commonly known as TSV 1860 München (; ''sechzig'' locally ; lettered as ) or 1860 Munich, is a sports club based in Munich. The club's association football, football team plays in the 3. Liga, the third tier of German football league system ...

between 2005 and 2006. In 2016, actor

Gerard Butler Gerard James Butler (born 13 November 1969) is a Scottish actor and film producer. After studying law, he turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as '' Mrs Brown'' (1997), the James Bond film ''Tomorrow Never ...

became an ambassador of the brand and image of its campaigns worldwide thus moving its brand positioning towards the lifestyle category.

Festina Group

With more than 30 years of history, Festina Group is today an international company specialized in the production and commercialization of commercial price range watches and precision parts. The Group currently owns seven different brands of watches. Calypso, Lotus, Festina, Jaguar, Candino and two luxury brands Perrelet and L.Leroy. Festina also owns two jewelry brands, Lotus Style and Lotus Silver, to satisfy the demands of a wide range of public. The Group's headquarters is located in Madrid, while the main production centers, owned by the Group, are located in Switzerland and Spain. Today the Group, which has seven subsidiaries (

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Benelux The Benelux Union (; ; ; ) or Benelux is a politico-economic union, alliance and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighbouring states in Western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The name is a portma ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

) is present in more than 90 countries on five continents with more than 5 million watches sold per year. * Festina * Candino * Jaguar * Perrelet * L.Leroy * Joseph Chevalier * Soprod - manufacturer of Swiss-made mechanical and quartz watch movements Soprod company website
* Manufacture Horlogere de la Vallée de Joux (MHVJ) * Calypso * Lotus * Kronaby

References

External links

*
Official US website
{{Authority control Manufacturing companies established in 1902 Watch brands Spanish brands Watch manufacturing companies of Spain Manufacturing companies based in Madrid