Titoni
Titoni Ltd. is a Swiss watchmaker that was founded in 1919[2] by Fritz Schluep in the Swiss "watch town" of Grenchen[2] under the name Felca Ltd. The company, which is now owned and operated by the third and fourth generation of its founding family,[3][4] currently employs around 60 people.
 | |
| Type | Private[1] |
|---|---|
| Industry | Watch Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1919[2] |
| Founder | Fritz Schluep |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Daniel Schluep (CEO), Marc and Olivier Schluep (Operative Leadership)[3] |
Number of employees | 60 |
Expansion to China
In the 1940s Felca was selling watches in Singapore and Hong Kong under the Titoni brand name, where Chinese sailors bought them.[2] The founder's son, Bruno Schluep, first established contacts with Chinese businessman Koh Mui Yew in 1944.[2]
In 1960 the Chinese State Import Authority ordered Titoni watches after Felca invited a delegation to Switzerland. The company name was soon extended to Felca & Titoni Watches Ltd.[2] and later Titoni Ltd. Felca branded watches continued to be sold in Europe, while the Titoni brand was used in Asia.[2]
Titoni manufactures watches in the mid-price range. During China's planned economy rule a maximum price of CHF 80 was prescribed by the communist regime.[2]
Quality
Titoni watches have a reputation for high quality at a reasonable price, and is considered a prestigious status symbol especially in Asia.[2] During the 1970s watch crisis due to the introduction of quartz watches, Titoni opted for a mix of traditional mechanical watches with quartz watches.[2]
Almost all of the timepieces have mechanical movements that are assembled by hand.
References
- "Certificate of registration".
- Messmer, Matthias (2013). "Titoni Ltd.: An Independent Swiss Watchbrand in China". Business Transformation Essentials. Surrey, England: Gower Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781472426987.
- Toggweiler, Andreas (8 August 2022). "Generationenwechsel bei Titoni – und was es alles braucht, um ein eigenes Uhrwerk zu entwickeln". Grenchner Tagblatt. Grenchen.
- "Sponsored Post: TITONI Celebrates A Century Of Independent Swiss Watchmaking With In-House T10 Movement/". aBlogtoWatch. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
Official Page Titoni AG