ERNEST BOREL

Jules Borel began creating watches near Neuchâtel, Switzerland, in 1856, according to Ernest Borel. Borel & Courvoisier Company was formed in 1859 by Borel and his brother-in-law, Paul Courvoisier, and began exporting watches and clocks the following year. The firm was busy making timepieces for the international market and won first place in a timing competition held by the Neuchâtel Observatory in 1866. Ernest Borel received honors in Philadelphia and Paris in 1876, suggesting their export concentration.

In 1894, Jules Borel's son Ernest took over the business, renaming it Ernest Borel & Cie in 1898. At the time, the company's "dancing lovers" emblem was selected. Ernest Borel began selling watches in China in 1903, establishing an important market for the company. In 1936, Jean-Louis Borel succeeded his father. Borel primarily focused on the China market until the revolution in 1949.

Following the closure of China, Ernest Borel moved to Europe and eventually settled in the United States in the 1950s. The business experimented with the "Incastar" balance mechanism in ETA movements at the time, although they also made watches with standard ETA and FHF movements. Borel produced 4,172 timepieces certified by COSC throughout that time period, many of which were chronometers. The so-called "cocktail watch," which debuted in 1953 and had a revolving kaleidoscope dial, was another popular item at the period. Cal wore the Rendez-Vous as an alarm clock. The "Dateoptic" featured a date magnifier installed on the dial as early as 1930, and the Sea Gem was a water-resistant variant.

Ernest Borel's production had dropped by 1968, and the firm was acquired by ASUAG. It was grouped with Doxa and Cyma in the Synchron group, and the three brands were marketed together during the 1970s. The brand, however, was largely extinct by 1980.

By 1981, Aubry Frères had taken over Ernest Borel and Doxa, and the company had a brief comeback. It was a well-known brand in the Americas and China, and it served as a counterpoint to their Middle Eastern West End watch brand. Despite changes in ownership, the firm was resurgent in 1992, marking "135 years in operation."

In 1997, a consortium of Chinese businessmen relaunched the Ernest Borel brand in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. In 2009, it was moved to Le Noirmont. In 2014, the firm went public on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The corporation now concentrates on the markets of China, Eastern Europe, and the United States.