Angelus: The Legendary Watch! The History of the Manufacture Born in a World Heritage Site

The history of the Angelus complicated watch

Le Locle is a city surrounded by high mountains in Switzerland, a mecca for watches.

To the northwest of this area, where houses are lined up in neatly organized blocks, rises the Jura Mountains, which mark the border with France.The town, which developed at its foot, was designed for making watches.

Le Locle has flourished as a watchmaking town since the 18th century, and in 2009 it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as "La Chaux-de-Fonds/Le Locle Watchmaking Town".

Many watchmakers moved to the city, numerous watch manufacturing companies were established, and the entire city became a watch factory city.

https://www.ohselection.com/en/

In Le Locle , the upper floors of the houses were used as studios, and each building was designed to maximize the amount of sunlight it could receive.

In addition, to improve the transportation convenience of the watchmakers who frequently traveled around the city during the day, wide roads were built and urban planning was carried out that was also effective in removing snow and preventing disasters.

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The watch manufacturing company we will introduce today, ANGELUS, was born in a town filled with the dedication of its artisans.

The Angelus watch company was founded in 1891 by the brothers Albert and Gustav Stolz.

The company, which began modestly in a single atelier, won a gold medal at the Paris World's Fair in 1900.

This World's Fair was the last of the 19th century and the largest of its kind in Paris, setting a vision for the 20th century.

Around this time, heavy industry was beginning to develop in America and Germany.

Meanwhile, France placed great value on refined and elegant decorative arts and the intricate craftsmanship of artisans.

Therefore, by hosting the World's Fair, France was able to greatly promote its values ​​and later became a pioneer in bringing the Art Nouveau style into fashion.

By the way, in the 1970s, the quartz crisis occurred, and low-cost, mass-produced, precise battery-powered watches suddenly became popular all over the world.

This caused great damage to the production of mechanical watches in Switzerland, but the intricate designs and techniques of artisan-made watches continue to be valued today as special and expensive items.

Angelus watches have been recognized for their complex technologies, such as their power reserve (longest operating time) and precise chronographs, and have won numerous grand prizes at prestigious awards, including at world expositions and exhibitions in Belgium, Italy, the United States, Switzerland, and other countries.

https://angelus-watches.com/history

In 1940, Angelus chronographs were officially adopted by the Hungarian Air Force.

Models that were already in production were engraved with the logo "LE (Legi Ero)", which means "Air Force" in Hungarian, and supplied to the military.

Angelus is also the company that produced the world's first watch with a date and month display, the Chronodate. During its 10-year production period, it was the number one selling watch in Switzerland.

Even today, the company still produces all of its movements in a manufacturing facility located nearby the original atelier. The company offers a collection that blends cutting-edge technology with tradition and is particular about comfort, such as fit.

source:

Angelus Official Website https://angelus-watches.com/history

UNESCO World Heritage Listhttps ://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1302/

Switzerland Tourism "La Chaux-de-Fonds/Le Locle Watch Industry Urban Planning" https://www.myswitzerland.com/ja/experiences/br-2/

OH Selection "Urban planning adapted to the industrialization of watchmaking" https://www.ohselection.com/en/guides/industrie-horlogere/horlogerie-suisse-2/le-locle/

National Diet Library "Exposition of Modern Technology" https://www.ndl.go.jp/exposition/s1/1900.html