The world's oldest ébauche manufacturer, founded in 1793, which dominated 19th-century Swiss movement supply before absorption into Ebauches SA and eventually ETA.
Fabrique d'Horlogerie de Fontainemelon (FHF) was founded on October 31, 1793, by Isaac and David Benguerel along with Julien and François Humbert-Droz in Fontainemelon, Switzerland, as Benguerel & Humbert, making it the world's oldest ébauche (raw watch movement) manufacturer. It began by producing ébauches to supply Swiss watchmakers and reduce dependence on French suppliers like Japy in Besançon. The company was incorporated as Fabrique d'Horlogerie Fontainemelon S.A. in 1876 and produced 240,000 ébauches per year with 400 workers. By 1913, output reached 1 million ébauches per year. FHF was managed by the Robert family for five generations until the 1920s. In 1926, FHF became a founding member of Ébauches SA via merger with A. Michel SA (AMSA) and A. Schild SA (ASSA). The company dominated 19th-century Swiss ébauche supply from the small town of Fontainemelon and continued producing "Standard" affordable calibers under Ébauches SA until the 1980s. The site eventually evolved into ETA production facilities as part of the broader industry consolidation.
MOVEMENT TYPES
MANUFACTURING
Full ManufactureSPECIALIZATIONS
HEADQUARTERS
Fontainemelon, Canton Neuchâtel, Switzerland1793 Benguerel & Humbert-Droz families
1821 Robert family
1926 Ebauches SA
Current ETA SA
