Cyma SA is a

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

manufacturer of luxury

wristwatch A watch is a timepiece carried or worn by a person. It is designed to maintain a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is worn around the wrist, attached by a watch strap or another type of ...

es, founded by brothers Joseph and Theodore Schwob in 1862. By 1908, Cyma was advertising the resilience of their timepieces when exposed to electricity, magnetism and varying temperatures. The company is currently owned by Stelux International, Ltd. a Hong Kong–based holdings firm which invests primarily in fine jewellery and watches, and is overseen by fellow '' Fédération de L'industrie Horlogère Suisse'' member

Universal Genève Universal Genève SA is a Swiss luxury watch company, founded in 1894 as Universal Watch. It is a subsidiary of Breitling SA. Since its beginnings, the company has produced complete watches with in-house movements. Along with neighboring Geneva ...

History

The Schwob brothers named the company '' cyma'', a Latin word meaning "sprout", and the origin of the French ''cime'' ("summit"). In early years, the company had a staff of 40 people and 55 machines that together produced about 40 watches a day. However, it was not until 1892 in which the brothers partnered with Frédéric Henri Sandoz, the owner of the watch wholesale company, ''Henri Sandoz et Cie'', that the business expanded. Under Sandoz's leadership, the company became the Cyma Watch Company and built the Cyma factory in

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, ...

, Switzerland in the

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, near

Le Locle Le Locle (; ) is a Communes of Switzerland, municipality in the Canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It is situated in the Jura Mountains, a few kilometers from the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is the third smallest city in Switzerland (in Swit ...

. Both towns had been the center of 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 ...

making industry during the 19th century. In 1959 the brand was bought by the Heuroplan group, joining

Movado Movado is an American watch brand originally founded in 1881 in Switzerland. Movado means "movement" in Esperanto. The watches are known for their signature metallic dot at 12 o'clock and minimalist style; the company is best known for its Mu ...

, Eska and Nappey. The company is currently located in Le Locle and is provincially managed by Claude and Françoise Guilgot. On 9 September 2010, Cyma SA and E-Watch organised an event in Yverdon to launch their new brand collection, Myriad.

Price and value

Cyma watches from the 1950s retailed between approximately $400 and $25,000 (figures adjusted to 2010 inflation).

References

{{Reflist Manufacturing companies established in 1862 Watch manufacturing companies of Switzerland Swiss watch brands High fashion brands Swiss companies established in 1862