Pierce

Pierce was founded in 1883 by the Lévy brothers in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, under the official name Léon Lévy Frères Manufactures des Montres et Chronographes Pierce SA. By 1910 the company employed 1,500 people at a time when Biel had only around 24,000 inhabitants. From the 1930s, Pierce produced their first self-developed calibre in series, and were awarded a Royal Air Force contract for the pilot's watch Flight Calendar. In 1956, Pierce introduced the Duofon, a mechanical alarm wristwatch capable of delivering its alarm at two volume levels. The brand became well known for its up-down chronographs and the iconic Greek "Pi" logo. During the quartz crisis of the 1970s, Pierce remained committed to mechanical watchmaking. The brand was temporarily shut down but revived in 2005, offering low-priced models including Arabesque, Observer, Commander, Air Command, Calendar Flight, and Ocean Drive - designs inspired by historical Pierce models, using Swiss movements with final assembly in Germany. The revived brand eventually ceased operations again; the domain piercewatches.com has since expired and no current production is known.