Jubilees in the Sandoz Family Foundation

More than 200 people attended the event, including Sylvia Morel, communal councillor and Director of the Department of the Economy in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Pierre Landolt, Chairman of the Board of the Sandoz Family Foundation, and Alain Marietta, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the canton of Neuchâtel.

Les Artisans Boîtiers (LAB) and Quadrance & Habillage (QH) have been working for the Parmigiani brand for fifteen and ten years. Vertically integrated in the Sandoz Family Foundation watchmaking group with atokalpa, Elwin and Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, their clients include high-end watch manufacturers. Together they form a complete artisanal-industrial centre which combines all the skills required to make a timepiece, from manufacture of the balance-spring and gear-train to production of the case and dial. The two entities with expert knowledge in the field of watch exteriors add their skills to expertise in the field of the mechanical movement and, through Vaucher Private Label, supply complete 100% Swiss made watches.

The company Quadrance & Habillage was formed in December 2005 and was integrated into the watchmaking group to guarantee self-sufficiency in dial production and extend its creative reach. It employs around twenty craftsmen and specialist workers. High-end dials are produced in the traditional way. The base, machined with CNC equipment by QH, can be engine-turned as required. Next come surface treatment and colouring operations, following which the assembly is protected by the application of a colourless or tinted lacquer. Lastly, the artisanal dial-maker transfers indications, and affixes applied chapters. Step by step he creates a unique design for each timepiece, incorporating finishing work of the very highest quality.

At the time of its acquisition by the Sandoz Family Foundation in May 2000, Les Artisans Boîtiers, located in la Chaux-de-Fonds, already laid claim to the most prestigious expertise in the preparation of high-end watch cases. In those days it produced a thousand cases a year. Since its integration in the watchmaking group, LAB ensures that its clients benefit from traditional skills acquired over the years, as well as cutting-edge production techniques. Now, depending on the complexity of products, it can boast an annual production of between 5,000 and 10,000 pieces.

July 16, 2015