====== Juvenia ======

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

**Juvenia** was a brand of Swiss watches active in the mid-20th century.

===== History =====
Juvenia traces its roots to the firm of Jacques Didisheim, founded in [[1860]]. The company produced its first key-wound watch with [[cylinder escapement]] in [[1880]]. The firm later developed a [[lever escapement]] and became a pioneer in ladies watches, producing one of the first ever to be marketed. In [[1889]] it was taken over by Bernard Didisheim, then just 22 years old, and moved to [[La Chaux-de-Fonds]]. Bernard would continue with the factory until its centenary and his death in [[1960]]. By this time the concern had been taken over by his son, also named Jacques Didisheim, and was known as Petit-Fils de Didisheim-Goldschmidt.

The Juvenia brand was seen as early as [[1905]], though it may have been used earlier. In [[1908]], Juvenia began producing their own in-house movements, focusing on compact and ultra-thin movements for ladies watches. This was highlighted in [[1914]] at the Swiss national exhibition, where Juvenia showed the world's smallest single-plate movement. Another early innovation was the [[1945]] [[Juvenia Arithmo]], a slide rule watch for pilots.

Their best-known brand was [[Juvenia]], with the advertising motto "Accuracy and Elegance" reflecting their line of upscale dress and ladies watches after World War II. The company was known for their avant-garde case designs, in the shape of a star or flower with inset dials and movements. Juvenia was among the first watches to feature a [[display caseback]] and other transparent case elements.

Juvenia was made famous by their pioneer [[mystery dial]] watch, the [[Juvenia Mystère]]. First registered in [[1945]] and launched in [[1947]], the Mystère was released in many different forms in the 1950s, including a wrist watch, pendant, and table clock. The original Mystère was available in both round and square cases, with hour and minute hands protruding from the central dial into an outer track, transparent front and back. This was joined by a rounded rectangle version in [[1952]], Mystère Automatic and compact Mystère Lilliput in [[1953]].

Other unusual models include the [[1955]] Juvenia Trigone, with overlapping rotating triangles in a transparent case for hour and minute hands; the Juvenia Planéte, with eccentric discs; and the Juvenia Sextant, with a semi-circular hour hand.

In the late 1950s, Juvenia focused on [[ultra-thin]] dress watches in the Juvenia Slim line, notable for their flat cases and spare dials with stick markers. By [[1962]], Juvenia added a family of almond-shaped watches with cut crystals known as Juvenia Navette for ladies. The company relied solely on the Juvenia brand until the late 1960s, when they began selling under the Cord, Montana, Polar, Sonor, and Th. Piccard Fils brands as well. The Mystère was re-launched in [[1969]] in an octagonal case.

By [[1970]], Juvenia had joined with [[Ebel]] and [[Eberhardt]] as part of [[CHP|Communauté d'Horlogerie de Précision]], which later included [[Borel]], [[Doxa]], [[Favre-Leuba]], and [[Zodiac]]. This gave the company access to the [[Beta 21]] [[quartz]] watch project. The company focused throughout the 1970s on ladies watches, especially jeweled and precious metal pieces.

In [[1988]], Juvenia was acquired by [[Asia Commercial Company]] of Hong Kong, along with [[Carvin]], [[Leonard]], [[Montana]], and [[Perry Ellis]]. Juvenia was re-launched, though the focus on hand-made jewelry watches remained. The company launched with a [[pave]] diamond watch and [[coin watch]] for ladies or men. They even created a new quartz Mystère model in [[1992]], with diamond-set bezel or precious metal case and bracelet. But the name had lost its meaning, with a [[Skeleton]] Mystère and later Gents model lacking the namesake [[mystery dial]]. A "Golden Age" Mystère model was a much more faithful re-creation, however. The company also brought back the Sextant watch in [[2000]].

The brand began to stumble in the 2000s. Despite the amusing counter-clockwise dial [[Juvenia Contresens]] in [[2001]] and oddly-shaped Juvenia Excentrique, there was little to recommend the brand. François Thiébaud, who had managed the re-launch, had left to head [[Tissot]] in [[1996]] and the historic brand was aimless. The brand, now headed by Martial Leuba, opened a Hong Kong subsidiary in [[2003]] and focused on the Asian market. Future models, including the [[2006]] Long Feng, were obviously aimed at China. [[As of 2020]], the company's website is no longer operational.

===== External Links =====
  * [[https://grail-watch.com/2020/04/13/beuchat-envers-acw-juvenia-contresens-and-klokers-the-history-of-the-anti-clockwise-watch/|Beuchat Envers ACW, Juvenia Contresens, and Klokers: The History of the Anti-Clockwise Watch]]


{{tag>Watch_brands Watch_brands_Switzerland La_Chaux-de-Fonds}}