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+====== Fabriques de Balanciers Réunies ======
+{{wst>author|[[Stephen Foskett]] ([[https://grail-watch.com/|Grail Watch]])}}
+**Les Fabriques de Balanciers Réunies S.A. (FBR)** was a [[holding company]] in [[Bienne]] including many Swiss [[balance]] manufacturers until the formation of [[Swatch Group]] in the 1990s.
+===== History =====
+FBR was created by [[ASUAG]] and Swiss banks on October 24, [[1932]]. As the depression began impacting Swiss watch production, the makers of [[balance wheel]]s were brought together to ensure their survival. Founding members included manufacturers [[Maurice Favre]] of [[Cernier]], [[Werner Vaucher]] of [[Evilard]], [[Romano Sieber]] of [[Saint-Imier]], and [[Emile Vogel]] of [[Bienne]]. The company was headquartered in [[Ponts-de-Martel]] near [[Le Locle]], where Vice President [[Robert Guye]] was located, with a second office in [[Bienne]]. Other directors included [[Sidney de Coulon]] of [[Fontainemelon]], [[Georges Schaeren]] of [[Soleure]], [[Albert Juillard]] of [[Cortébert]], and [[Maurice Vaucher]] of [[Bienne]].
+By [[1934]], FBR had grown to include many more affiliated manufacturers, including [[Henri Devenoges-Dubois]] of [[Les Hauts-Geneveys]], [[Ed. Devenoges]] and [[Schopfer-Montandon]] of [[Travers]], the former [[Baume Frères]] of [[Saignelégier]], the former [[Assortiments Gallay]] of [[Le Sentier]], [[Gaberel & Ducommun]] of [[Savagnier]], [[Jaquet-Guguenin]] and [[Roulet Frères]] of [[Ponts-de-Martel]], [[Fernand Nicolet]] of [[Bienne]], [[Otto Pfister]] of [[Granges]], [[Caesar Schopfer]] of [[Genève]], [[Constant Thiébaud]] of [[Saint-Aubin]], [[Médéa]] of [[La Chaux-de-Fonds]], and eponymous manufacturers in [[Tramelan]] and [[Le Sagne]]. Many of these were soon merged and closed, including the workshops in Savagnier, Ponts-de-Martel, Travers, and Genève.
+By [[1961]], FBR included about 800 employees working in 14 factories in the Cantons of Berne, Neuchâtel, Soleure, and Vaud. These were managed by local managers but technical and commercial direction was focused on the [[Bienne]] headquarters. The group then produced 30 to 35 million balance wheels. FBR was also involved in the development of the [[Beta 21]] [[quartz]] watch movement at the [[CEH]], though this would not use a balance wheel.
+In the 1970s, FBR was involved in the marketing and promotion of [[high-beat|high-frequency]] watches and [[Glucydur]] balance technology. By [[1977]], FBR was down to 210 workers and had relocated to [[Les Ponts-de-Martel]] and accounted for just 0.7% of revenue of ASUAG.
+In [[1984]], FBR was merged with [[Fabriques d'Assortiments Réunies|Fabriques d'Assortiments Réunies (FAR)]] and [[Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies|Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies (FSR)]] to become [[Nivarox-FAR]], a subsidiary of [[ETA]] within [[Swatch Group]].
+{{tag>Organizations_and_institutions Watch_trusts General_Watch_Co. Swatch_Group ASUAG}}