A. Schild SA

A. Schild SA (ASSA) was founded in 1896 in Grenchen, Switzerland, by Adolf Schild as a major ebauche (raw watch movement) manufacturer. The company grew rapidly, becoming one of Switzerland's largest movement producers by the 1920s, known for reliable "AS"-marked movements used by many brands. In 1926, ASSA co-founded Ebauches SA alongside A. Michel SA and Fabrique d'Horlogerie de Fontainemelon (FHF), forming a dominant cartel that controlled most Swiss ebauche production through the Great Depression and World Wars while retaining individual branding. ASSA operated independently within Ebauches SA until the 1970s quartz crisis severely impacted volume mechanical movement demand. In 1978, A. Schild SA was absorbed into ETA, reuniting Schild family operations in Grenchen, originally split since 1896 when Adolf left Eterna (formerly Dr. Girard & Schild Ebauches, est. 1856). Operations continued under ETA into the late 1970s, with the factory at Schild-Rust Strasse 17 still active today as ETA Werk 01.