Movado

Achille Ditesheim, a 19-year-old entrepreneur from a Jewish watchmaker family that had relocated from Alsace, France, founded the company in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1881. He started with just six watchmakers in a small workshop. In 1892, brothers Leopold, Achille, and Isidore combined their separate businesses to create 'L.A. & I. Ditesheim, Fabricants,' one of the first modern watch factories in the region. By 1897, the company employed over 80 watchmakers and gained international recognition for its pocket watches. The company was renamed 'Movado' in 1905, adopting the Esperanto word for 'always in motion.' In 1947, American designer Nathan George Horwitt, influenced by Bauhaus principles, created the single-dot dial that would become the Museum Watch. In 1960, it became the first watch dial accepted into the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. In 1983, Movado was acquired by North American Watch Corporation, founded by Cuban-born entrepreneur Gedalio Grinberg. The company went public and was renamed Movado Group, Inc., with headquarters in Paramus, New Jersey. Under the Grinberg family's leadership, the company expanded through acquisitions including Olivia Burton (2017) and MVMT (2018), while also developing licensed brand partnerships.