André Beyner

Nationality: Swiss

Early training: Apprenticeship at the watchmaking school in Le Locle

Swiss watch industry: Technical director of Ebauches SA, Inventor

Main achievements: Beyner was a visionary, already inspired by the very first developments of battery alimented wrist watches by Lip and Elgin in 1953. He started his employment at Ebauches SA in 1951 and took up the research into the Swiss version of the electromechanical system in 1953. His first research project will peak of the first Swiss electromechanical watch in 1960.

Apart the further development of the electromechanical system integrating transistor-technology, peaking in the development of the Dynotron-system, issued in 1967, Beyner also initiated the research to counter Max Hetzel’s ‘Accutron’ system. Beyner was very impressed of Hetzel’s development and he was the earliest representative of the Swiss watch industry to directly challenge the very sophisticated Bulova ‘Accutron’ patent.

He was so convinced that the metal tuning fork system would be the pinnacle of wrist watch technology, that Ebauches SA, being majority shareholder of the CEH, would impose the main research direction of the CEH being the metal tuning fork system. His most dear project was the development of MOSABA, which unfortunately would still infringe Bulova’s ‘Accutron’ patent and which therefore would force Beyner to enter harsh licensing negotiations with Bulova lasting 6 years. After obtaining the Bulova licence, the very elaborated MOSABA system would be successfully marketed and used until 1976 by many major Swiss watch manufacturers als alternative to the quartz system.

Beyner will also contribute to the transition from bar shaped quartz elements to tuning fork shaped quartz elements and the integration of bought-in CMOS technology at Ebauches SA in 1975. This strategic change will allow Ebauches SA to merge expertise with ETA and develop very important, thin quartz calibers, which in return will allow for the development of the ‘Delirium tremens’, the thinnest watch in 1979 (1.98mm) and the ‘Delirium popularis’ in 1980, which will become Swatch in 1982.

Picture credit: Grail Watch Wiki