You know what they say: when it comes to watches, the Swiss have it nailed! For almost 150 years, devoted Swiss brand Cortébert has been creating luxurious timepieces that are sure to impress. With iconic collections, meticulous craftsmanship, and a reliable precision, Cortébert watches are a symbol of sophistication.
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History of Cortébert
Cortébert is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, founded in 1869 by Gottlieb Gassmann. It was one of the first companies in the area to specialize in assembling wristwatches with quartz movement, and their refined engineering earned them a loyal following. After a series of ownership changes, they eventually joined with the Girard-Perregaux conglomerate in the late 1980’s.
Features of Cortébert Watches
- Intricately constructed movement with pallet lever, set wheel, click wheel and barrel
- Anti-reflective sapphire glass on both sides for maximum viewing pleasure
- Scratch-resistant gold or stainless steel case available in various sizes and shapes
- Vintage-style leather strap, or steel wristband
- Highly accurate quartz movement
Popular Models
L’Heure Bleue
The most recognizable of the Cortébert collections, the L’Heure Bleue line is inspired by the mystical hour just before sunrise and sunset. The vintage-inspired models are avant-garde, yet still evoke the brand’s timeless style. They feature an openworked dial to show off the intricate engineering of the movements.
The Chantilly
The Chantilly line is a sleek, modern interpretation of the Cortébert brand. Often seen with a black or steel case, the Chantilly models allow the intricate quartz movement to take the spotlight. They feature a rounded design with Roman numerals and a black sunburst dial for a timeless yet contemporary look.
An elegant Cortébert watch is the ultimate statement of sophistication and precision. It is a symbol of luxury and a timeless reminder of loyalty that is sure to make a lasting impression. Whether you’re looking for an exquisite statement piece or a more subtle timepiece, Cortébert watches offer a timeless elegance that no other brand can match.
Cortébert was a Swiss high-end watch brand, manufacturing their own movements, supplying movements to different brands such as Rolex and introducing a jump-hour movement later embraced by IWC. When the quartz crisis impacted the industry in the 1970s, the bulk of prestige brands ceased production, which included Cortébert.
Abraham-Louis Juillard started his little watchmaking shop in Cortébert village in Switzerland in 1790. This year is often used as the time of founding although the Cortébert brand identity was not registered until 1855 using the bottony cross as logo.
Cortébert became well recognized for their railroad watches: they distributed to both the Turkish railroad system and the Italian railroad system, together with a variety of street car systems across Europe.
In the year 1927, at the call of Mussolini, Cortébert began distributing their watches in Italy under the Perseo brand marker, as fascist Italy rejected overseas brand names. It’s under this brand that they were used by the Italian rail system.
The Russian-based watch manufacturer Molnija created a number of calibers that were incredibly similar to Cortébert’s 16 Ligne Cal. 620.
By 1944 Cortébert boasted a lineup consisting of 20 different models.
Perseo persisted to be used by the Italian railway system after the Second World War and grew to be well considered by the Italian public. Perseo continues their relationship with the Italian Railroad System.
In the early 1970s, Cortébert felt the impact severely from the quartz revolution taking over the world watch industry. The representatives of Cortébert in Italy acquired the Perseo brand name from Cortébert and continue presently as an independent enterprise.
Cortébert closed in the early 1970s and production ceased.
In the late 19th century, Cortébert obtained license for the innovative timekeeping method created by Josef Pallweber. The similar movement was utilized in certain IWC models.
The early 1920s saw development of the timekeeping innovation into a wristwatch. Because it in turn showed the time with digits instead of rotating hands, it became the first digital wristwatch made.