EDOX

Christian Rüfli-Flury, a brilliant watchmaker, presented his wife, Eva-Maria, with a pocket watch he made for her 25th birthday in 1883. She was so taken aback by her husband's abilities and the beauty of the watch that she convinced him to start his own watchmaking business.

Christian Rüfli-Flury opened his watchmaking business in Biel-Bienne the next year, a city known for its well-educated watchmakers. The corporation was given the name "Edox," which means "hour" in ancient Greek. Since then, the hourglass logo he used on his timepieces has been on all Edox watches.

For a century and a quarter, Edox's history has been littered with horologic triumphs and inventions, many of which are still unequaled today.

Edox was taken over by Robert Kaufmann-Hug when the founder died in 1921. Kaufmann-Hug understood that wristwatches were more practical than pocket watches and progressively phased out pocket watch manufacture. His choice was a watershed moment in the history of Swiss watchmaking.

Edox watches were in high demand after World War II. Edox was so successful that in 1955 it relocated into a stunning new manufacturing facility, which at the time was Switzerland's most advanced watch manufacture. The choice paid off with one technical breakthrough after another, and Edox has created several firsts in the Swiss watch industry since the 1960s.

Edox has always been ready to put significant resources into improving the company's technical capabilities and the skill of its engineers and watchmakers: Due to its durable, protective gaskets, double case-back, and exceptional shockproof construction, Edox became the standard brand for water-resistance in 1961 with the debut of its Delfin model, a groundbreaking watch that was water-resistant to 200 meters. The Delfin set a new benchmark for water resistance and shock resistance.

Edox Hydrosub achieved a new record in 1965 with a device that could withstand 500 meters of water.

In 1966, Edox was chosen as the official timekeeper of the famed Vuelta bicycle race in Aragon, Spain, recognizing the company's dedication to developing innovative, extremely precise timepieces.

When Edox became the official watch of the Olympics in 1968, the firm maintained its position as an official timekeeper in the world of sports.

Victor Strambini took over Edox in 1983, in the midst of a watchmaking crisis, and relocated the firm to Les Genevez, in the Swiss Jura Mountains. In 1988, Edox made a big splash with the legendary Les Bémonts Ultra Slim, an ultra-slim calendar watch. It had a thin movement, measuring only 1.4 millimeters thick. A readers' vote of the famous specialized monthly Orologi awarded Edox the prestigious "Watch of the Year" prize for Les Bémonts Ultra Slim. To this day, the world record for the slimmest calendar watch stands.

Of course, Edox's technical experts and exquisite watchmakers were never satisfied with just setting new benchmarks for precise clocks. They set out to set an even higher standard. The iconic Les Bémonts Maitre Horologer 5 Minute Repeater was produced by Edox in 2005. This mechanical watch had an extremely intricate movement that used a bell mechanism to indicate the time.

Edox's obsession with technological perfection prompted it to go into the realm of nautical activities, first with luxury yachts and then with powerboats. Edox became the official timekeeper for the Class-1 World Powerboat Championship, the famed Formula 1 of the seas, in November 2006. On the wrists of the two crews of the Team Qatar boats are Edox Class-1 models.

Edox created a new type of chronometry based on satellite and GPS technologies in close collaboration with Class-1 experts. Edox was the first watchmaker to commit to motorized water sports in a significant and long-term way.

Edox Watches has had a clear vision of how to attain and transcend perfection, owing to their new ideas and never-ending design research, while keeping the classic traditions of watchmaking know-how, since its inception. Since 1884, the Edox ideology has been defined by elegance, accuracy, and technological innovation.