Fortis: history, models and value

Founded

1912

Founder(s)

Walter Vogt

Headquarters

Grenchen

Owner / group

Independent (owned by Jupp Philipp)

Fortis: origins and founding

Fortis was founded in 1912 in Grenchen, in the canton of Solothurn, by Walter Vogt. The company still works from the building Vogt put up that year. The name Fortis Watch Co. was adopted in 1914. In the early decades Fortis made wristwatches at a time when pocket watches still dominated.

Founders and family

Walter Vogt led the company for decades and became its sole owner in 1933. Family members Max Vogt and later Rolf Vogt joined the business, and the family kept running it after Walter Vogt's death in 1957. Around 1990 the company passed to Peter Peter, who turned the focus to pilot, space and instrument watches.

Fortis history and milestones

• 1926: together with English watchmaker John Harwood, Fortis brings out the Harwood Automatic, regarded as the first serially produced self-winding wristwatch.
• 1930s: first wrist chronographs and the water-resistant Fortissimo.
• Around 1940: Fortis stops making its own movements and uses supplied calibres.
• 1994: the Official Cosmonauts Chronograph is adopted by the cosmonaut training center in Star City and is worn on the Mir space station.
• 2012: centenary, including the B-42 Mars 500 Chronograph.
• 2017: financial difficulties and a debt-restructuring moratorium.
• 2018: private investor Jupp Philipp takes over the brand and the Grenchen site. The company becomes Fortis Watches AG.
• 2021 onward: relaunch of the Flieger, redesigned Marinemaster and Stratoliner, and space tests with the Swedish Space Corporation.

Famous Fortis models

• Official Cosmonauts Chronograph: the space chronograph of the 1990s and 2000s.
• Flieger: pilot's watches, from older automatics to the relaunched range.
• B-42: a large family of pilot and space models in the 2000s and 2010s, including chronographs.
• Marinemaster: the diving and sports line, relaunched in recent years.
• Stratoliner, Novonaut and Vagabond: newer collections under the current owner. The Novonaut succeeded the Cosmonauts Chronograph.

Older pieces you may find in a drawer include vintage Fortis automatics from the 1950s and 1960s and colorful 1970s chronographs.

Movements and technique

For most of its history Fortis used movements from outside suppliers, from around 1940 onward supplied by Ebauches SA and other makers. Under Jupp Philipp the brand launched its own numbered "WERK" calibres developed with partners. The COSC-certified WERK 11 used in the Marinemaster comes from Kenissi. The WERK 17 is an automatic column-wheel chronograph used in the Novonaut and Stratoliner.

Fortis today

Fortis is independent and owned by Jupp Philipp, who is also CEO. It is based in Grenchen and makes around 2,500 watches a year according to Europa Star. It positions itself as a tool-watch brand in the mid-range, with prices noticeably higher than before the relaunch.

Fortis prices on the pre-owned market

Fortis watches from before the relaunch (Flieger, B-42, Cosmonauts) are widely available pre-owned and usually sell well below their original retail prices. Special and limited editions, alarm chronographs and pieces with a documented space connection draw more interest. The Harwood Automatic is a historic piece that interests collectors of early automatic watches. For current models, full sets with box, papers and bracelet links matter most.

How to recognise a genuine Fortis

Check that the dial, caseback engraving and movement fit the model. On the Cosmonauts and B-42 lines, the chronograph layout should match the movement used for that reference. Vintage Fortis watches are sometimes fitted with replacement dials or hands, so originality matters more than appearance. Read our guide on how to spot a fake watch for general checks.

What is your Fortis worth?

Take clear photos of the dial, caseback and any papers and use our free watch value estimate. If you need a written document for insurance, an estate or a divorce settlement, our watch appraisal service can help.

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