Armand Nicolet

Armand Nicolet begins around 1875 in Tramelan, a small town in the Bernese Jura. Armand Nicolet, son of a watchmaker, established his Atelier d'Horlogerie after a brilliant apprenticeship. By 1902, he had produced a pocket watch with a guilloché rose gold case, enamel dial, monopusher chronograph, complete calendar with moonphase, and minute repeater. After Armand's death in 1939, his son Willy Nicolet developed the company into one of the most important production facilities in the region. During the quartz crisis, Armand Nicolet survived by working with major industry companies. In 1987, Willy Nicolet met Rolando Braga, an Italian watch enthusiast, and their partnership brought Italian design sensibilities to the traditional Swiss manufacture. Braga remains Managing Director. The group controls Nicolet S.A. and Nicolet M.D. srl, owning the Armand Nicolet and Telda brands.