Vulcain

Vulcain was founded in 1858 by the Ditisheim family in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. In 1898, Ditisheim & Cie became Fabrique Vulcain. The company gained recognition through World Fair awards in Paris (1889) and Chicago (1893). A new factory was inaugurated in 1919. In 1947, Vulcain presented the Cricket, the world's first mechanical alarm wristwatch with a distinctive loud sound. The Cricket became known as the 'President's Watch' after being worn by multiple U.S. Presidents including Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, and Johnson starting in 1951. In 1961, Vulcain created the Cricket Nautical, the first alarm watch audible underwater. The brand went defunct during the quartz crisis but was revived in 2002 with relocation to Le Locle. Since then, Vulcain has continued producing mechanical alarm watches and complications, including the Imperial Gong tourbillon alarm in 2005.