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Picking up the thread of history, with audacity
The history of French watchmaking is rich and diverse, dotted with inventions and innovations. This audacity and freedom now accompany our 1977 watches, created by our committed, creative, and passionate designers.
To support our creations, we chose the France Ebauches automatic movement, a 100% French movement, assembled in Maîche (department 25), in the historic premises of its manufacture, in the heart of the Haut-Doubs watchmaking basin.
This strong choice is part of our desire to support the revival of French watchmaking, which is restructuring around emblematic brands and historical component manufacturers. Our ambition is to accompany the rebirth of this flagship of the French watchmaking industry and restore it to its former glory.
“1977, a French movement”
Discovering the France Ebauches manufacture
The company France Ebauches (FE) was founded on April 3, 1967, by the merger of four manufacturers: Joseph Jeambrun (created in 1900 and based in Maîche), Technic Ebauche, Ebauches Cupillard, and the Fabrique d’Ebauches de Montres du Genevois Annemasse. Under the impetus of François Perret, the company quickly established itself as a major player in French watchmaking.
At the time, French watchmaking was fragmented, with an annual production of just over 5 million watches, far from Switzerland's 40 million. This situation led to the need for greater concentration to foster innovation and efficiency, rationalize production, and reduce the number of ébauche models.
This successful transformation then placed France Ebauches second in the world with a production of 8 million ébauches in 1977, thanks to its sites in Maîche, Villers-le-Lac, Valdahon, and Besançon, where the company employed 710 people in total, including 360 in Maîche.
However, the advent of quartz in the 1980s disrupted the market, pushing France Ebauches to diversify its activities and convert its production to quartz. The company then became the leading French and European watch manufacturer (EEC Zone).
Unfortunately, the drop in watch selling prices, increased competition, and the global watchmaking crisis in the 1990s led to numerous financial difficulties.
In 2000, France Ebauches was taken over by a group of Swiss and then Chinese shareholders and renamed Technotime. Despite a strategy focused on higher value-added products, the company saw its Valdahon site close during the 2009 crisis.
Technotime continued its activity on the Swiss side before being put into judicial liquidation in November 2016.
But in 2017, the Festina Group announced its intention to relaunch the production of France Ebauches movements in France, at its historic site in Maîche. In 2023, the first calibers, based on the historical know-how of France Ebauches and Soprod calibers, were launched.
The France Ebauches automatic movement: French watchmaking excellence
The France Ebauches automatic movement, used in all 1977 watches, is derived from the historical calibers FE 4 600 and FE 5 600, produced until the early 1980s. This robust, reliable, and high-performance movement has largely proven itself, with more than 25 million units sold during its 15 years on the market.
Relaunched in 2022, France Ebauches engineers improved its performance by increasing it from 3Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour) to 4Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour) and integrating a 44-hour power reserve. Tested by the Besançon Observatory, this caliber meets the international chronometry standards ISO 3159.
Its robustness has been reinforced thanks to the traversing balance bridge, guaranteeing better resistance to shocks and vibrations. The balance staff is protected on both sides by double-cone Incabloc© shock absorbers, recognized as the most effective on the market.
Finally, the caliber benefits from a stop-second function, allowing the time to be set to the precise second.
The 150 parts of the movement are 100% made in the Jura Arc, between France (frame, barrel bridges, pallet lever, balance, oscillating weight, mainplate...) and Switzerland, and its assembly is carried out in Maîche, in its historic manufacture.
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Combining creativity and technicality, the designers of the 1977 brand pay particular attention to detail, giving the France Ebauches movement a unique personality.
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The date window is distinguished by its red number 7, an audacious signature of the brand that reinforces the collection's identity.
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The oscillating weight is adorned with a French flag and the cut-out logo, a subtle tribute to French watchmaking.
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On the technical side, our watchmakers adjust each watch according to an elaborate regulation of -7 to +7 seconds per day, checked in three positions, for increased precision.
Our watches are equipped with the France Ebauches caliber.
