====== Garde-Temps ======

{{wst>author|[[Foskett, Stephen|Stephen Foskett]] ([[https://grail-watch.com/|Grail Watch]])}}

**Société des Garde-Temps SA** was a federation of Swiss watch manufacturers active in the 1960s and 1970s.

===== History =====
Société des Garde-Temps was founded in [[1968]] in [[Neuchâtel]]. The original members included [[Degoumois]]/[[Avia]], [[Fleurier Watch]], [[Helvetia]], [[Silvana]], [[Solvil et Titus]], and [[Vuilleumier]]. The group also included various sales and finance companies, as well as a balance factory in [[Dombresson]], and the former [[Jeanneret]] [[jewel]] company in [[Neuchâtel]].

In [[1970]], SGT acquired [[Waltham]]'s operations in [[Neuchâtel]] and [[Chicago]] and the [[Sandoz]] group, which included the famous [[Invicta]] brand. By [[1974]], Sandoz acquired the famous American [[Elgin]] brand, and this was also added to SGT.

SGT was affiliated with [[Optel]] and was one of the first to release a [[quartz]] watch using their [[LCD]] technology in [[1972]]. The company focused heavily on digital quartz watches in the 1970s. This included the development of [[IS MECA]] of La Chaux-de-Fonds, which developed an advanced watch testing and calibration machine.

By [[1979]], SGT was divided into three major groups [[Helvetia]] (which included [[Waltham]]), [[Sandoz]] (including [[Avia]], [[Elgin]], [[Invicta]], and [[Silvana]]), and [[Tell]]. The remaining brands were deprecated by this time.

SGT faced difficulties in the 1980s. The group focused on the [[Helvetia]] and [[Avia]] brands in [[1980]] but was bankrupt by [[1981]]. Some brands expired (including [[Prexa]], [[Sandoz]], [[Silvana]], [[General Watch Co.|General]]) and others ([[Invicta]], [[Avia]], [[Waltham]]) were sold off. Many continue to this day, and some ([[Avia]], [[Invicta]]) are market leaders. SGT itself was dissolved around [[1985]].

===== Membership =====
  * [[Fleurier Watch|Fleurier Watch Co. SA]], [[Fleurier]] (by [[1972]])
  * [[Helvétia|Montres Helvétia SA]], [[Reconvilier]]
    * [[Waltham]] ([[1970]])
  * [[Mathez|William Mathez SA]], [[Neuchâtel]]
  * [[Solvil-Titus|Solvil-Titus SA]], [[Genève]]
  * [[Vuilleumier|E. Vuilleumier SA]], [[Neuchâtel]]
  * [[Sandoz]] ([[1970]])
    * [[Degoumois|Deugoumois & Cie SA, Fabrique des Montres Avia]], [[Neuchâtel]]
    * [[Elgin]] (by [[1974]])
    * [[Invicta]] ([[1970]])
    * [[Silvana|Silvana SA]], [[Tramelan]]
  * [[Tell]] (by [[1976]])


{{tag>Garde-Temps Neuchâtel Defunct_watch_and_luxury_trusts}}