Armand Nicolet

The story of Armand Nicolet begins in 1875 in Tramelan, a small town in the Bernese Jura region of Switzerland. Armand Nicolet, son of a watchmaker, established his own "Atelier d'Horlogerie" after completing a distinguished apprenticeship. By 1902, he had demonstrated remarkable technical mastery by producing an exceptional pocket watch featuring a guilloché rose gold case, enamel dial, monopusher chronograph, complete calendar with moonphase, and minute repeater complications. Following Armand's death in 1939, his son Willy Nicolet took control of the company and developed it into the largest T1 (Termineur) watchmaker in the region, specializing in decorated, finely set and assembled mechanical movement components. During the quartz crisis of the 1970s and 1980s, while many Swiss watchmakers closed their doors, Armand Nicolet survived by working with major industry companies, though they were left with a large stock of unused mechanical movements. In 1987, a pivotal meeting between Willy Nicolet and Rolando Braga, an Italian watch enthusiast working in the industry, set a new direction for the brand. This partnership brought Italian design sensibilities to the traditional Swiss manufacture, creating the distinctive identity Armand Nicolet maintains today. The company continues to operate from Tramelan, maintaining a museum showcasing historical pieces including the 1902 masterpiece pocket watch.