General Watch Co. (GWC) was the watch companies holding of

ASUAG Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG; French: ''Société Générale de l'Horlogerie Suisse SA'') was the former biggest Swiss Watch Industry Group that had been created with the assistance of the Swiss Government and the Swiss Bank ...

History

ASUAG had been founded in 1931, with the assistance of the Swiss government and the Swiss banks, to combat the severe economic crisis and ensuing unemployment by means of refinancing (thus eliminate the deadly "dumping for survival" murderous competition within the still somewhat "cottage industry"-like status of a majority of the movements and parts thereof supplying companies) and complementary research and development programs in their respective companies. Its mandate was to maintain, improve and develop the Swiss watch industry. ASUAG also expanded gradually through the purchase of ebauches manufactures (movement blanks), movement parts manufactures (e.g. balance wheels, assortments, rubies) and a number of assemblers and manufacturers of complete watches, that were subsequently brought together under the subsidiary “GWC General Watch Co. Ltd.” (This company was formed in 1971 and should not be confused with the General Watch Co or La Generale formed in 1895 which changed its name to the Helvetia Watch Co in 1949)

Affiliated watch brands and companies

* A. Reymond S.A. or ARSA * Atlantic S.A. * Certina * Diantus (now production subsidiary of the

Swatch Group The Swatch Group Ltd is a Swiss manufacturer of watches and jewellery. The company was founded in 1983 through the merger of ASUAG and SSIH, moving to manufacturing quartz-crystal watches to resolve the quartz crisis threatening the tradition ...

) *

Edox Montres Edox et Vista SA (EDOX) is a Swiss manufacture of luxury brands, luxury wristwatches that operates under the ''Era Watch Company''. Christian Ruefli-Flury, a watchmaker originating from Grenchen, Switzerland, founded the company in 1884 ...

* Endura * Eterna *

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

Longines Compagnie des Montres Longines, Francillon S.A., or simply Longines (), is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. Founded by Agassiz family, Auguste Agassiz in 1832, the company has been a subsidiary of the Swiss The Swatch G ...

* Microma * Mido * Oris * Rado * Roamer * Rotary * Technos

Merger with SSIH into SMH

However, it proved difficult to implement a common industrial policy for the subsidiaries concerned. Following repeated crises in the Swiss watch industry, by the 1970s ASUAG (as well as SSIH, the other major Swiss Watch holding company) was once again in trouble. Foreign competition, in particular the Japanese watch industry, with its mass production of cheap new electronic products and new technology, was rapidly establishing a strong foothold in the market. Eventually, both ASUAG and SSIH faced amalgamation: thus, in 1983 “GWC General Watch Co.” and its affiliated watch brands and factories, were merged with its parent company ASUAG, together with SSIH, creating the ASUAG/SSIH entity, later renamed SMH (the

since 1998) under the patronage of the Swiss Banks that were at the time financially involved.

Spin-offs

Some companies had however beforehand made themselves again independent or having been sold off, namely: *A. Reymond *Atlantic *Edox *Eterna *Oris *Roamer *Rotary *Technos

References

{{Reflist Watch manufacturing companies of Switzerland Manufacturing companies established in 1931 Swiss companies established in 1931