Auguste Reymond: history, models and value

Founded

1898

Founder(s)

Auguste Reymond

Headquarters

Nidau

Owner / group

Independent

Auguste Reymond: origins and founding

In 1898 Auguste Reymond set up a small watchmaking business in Tramelan, a village in the Bernese Jura. A handful of watchmakers first made pocket watches in small runs, sold under the name ARSA. The business grew quickly: by 1910 it had its own factory with around 100 employees. In 1918 it became a company, Manufacture d'Horlogerie A. Reymond SA, which is where the name ARSA comes from.

Founders and family

Guillaume-Auguste "Auguste" Reymond (1872–1946) was trained as a banker, not a watchmaker. He led the company until the 1930s, when he sold his shares to ASUAG, the large Swiss watch holding, and later stepped down for health reasons. He died in Lausanne in 1946.

Auguste Reymond history and milestones

• 1898: Business founded in Tramelan.
• 1918: Incorporated as A. Reymond SA (ARSA).
• 1926: Reymond buys the bankrupt Unitas company. ARSA keeps the Unitas name for complete watches; the movement factory later becomes part of Ebauches SA.
• 1930s: ASUAG takes over ARSA.
• 1930s–1960s: Waterproof sports watches, chronographs, early automatics, Braille watches, the Alertic alarm watch and the Hydrabloc diver.
• 1989: Thomas Loosli buys the Auguste Reymond name and relaunches the brand in Tramelan.

Famous Auguste Reymond models

Vintage ARSA and Auguste Reymond watches include chronographs, "Arsamatic" automatics and Braille watches for blind users. After the 1989 relaunch, the brand became known for entry-level mechanical watches with jazz-inspired names such as Cotton Club. Today's collections are Origin, Unity, Heritage 1898, Magellan and Tramelan, with a focus on vintage-style dress watches, moon phases and regulator dials.

Movements and technique

The Unitas name lives on in the hand-wound Unitas 6497 and 6498 pocket-watch-size movements, which ETA still produces and many brands use. Modern Auguste Reymond watches use Swiss movements from outside suppliers, such as the ETA 2824-2 in the Elégance Automatic, and the brand still offers watches with Unitas-type movements.

Auguste Reymond today

The company describes itself as an independent Swiss watchmaker and is based in Nidau, near Biel/Bienne. It works on a small scale and assembles watches by hand. Prices are in the entry to lower mid-range of Swiss watches.

Auguste Reymond prices on the pre-owned market

Most pre-owned Auguste Reymond watches sell for modest sums, often well below their original price. Vintage ARSA chronographs and unusual pieces such as Braille or alarm watches interest collectors more than modern quartz models. Condition, an original dial and a running movement matter most; papers help with recent watches.

How to recognise a genuine Auguste Reymond

Counterfeits of this brand are rare. Check that dial, crown and caseback signatures are clean and consistent ("Auguste Reymond" or "ARSA" on older pieces) and that the movement fits the model. With vintage pieces, the bigger risk is replaced dials, hands or movements. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch lists the general checks.

What is your Auguste Reymond worth?

Send us clear photos of the dial and caseback for a free watch value estimate. For estates or insurance, a written watch appraisal is also available.

← All Swiss watch brands A–Z