Fortis Uhren
 | |
| Privately held company | |
| Industry | Watch assemblying |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Founder | Walter Vogt |
| Headquarters | Grenchen, Switzerland |
| Products | Wristwatches, accessories |
| Slogan | since 1912 Swiss |
| Website |
www |
Fortis is a watchmaker based in Grenchen, Switzerland that was founded by Walter Vogt in 1912.
History
Fortis was founded by Walter Vogt in 1912. Twelve years after its establishment, Vogt set up production with John Harwood, inventor of the automatic wristwatch. In 1926, Fortis released the patented Harwood Automatic, the first self-winding wristwatch at Baselword. In 1937, Fortis commemorated the company's 25th anniversary by manufacturing and marketing their first chronographs, including the Rolls and the Autorist. The Autorist was also designed by John Harwood, and it used the movement of the strap to power the watch. By 1943 Fortis was introducing the world's first waterproof watches with the Fortissimo models, which were increasingly popular.
In 1962 the legendary Spacematic Automatic was constructed to hold up in extreme conditions and temperature changes. The watch was tested by the seven members of an US space mission.[1] In 1994 Fortis introduced strict endurance tests. This same year the Star City Training Center chose the Fortis Official Cosmonauts Chronograph as part of their Official Cosmonauts' equipment. Fortis Automatic wristwatches have proven their space capability inside and outside of the protection of the space station.[1] Since 1994 Fortis has been the exclusive supplier of manned space missions authorized by the Russian Federal Space Agency. In 1997 the same watch, the Fortis Official Cosmonauts Chronograph, became the official watch of the German-Russian space mission MIR 97.[1]
In 2012, during its 100th anniversary celebration, Fortis launched the Spacematic - Limitited Edition, in small number of 2012 pieces.
Fortis Flieger
During Fortis'75th anniversary year, it introduced a new edition of the Flieger automatic collection, the world's first factory for automatic wristwatches.
In 2004, the Flieger Chronograph was awarded the inaugural trophy of the European Aviation Watch of the Year.
Military Squadron Editions
Fortis have supplied watches to many worldwide military squadrons. The list includes the de:Jagdgeschwader (Germany), Swiss 11 Fighters (Switzerland), Hellenic Tigers (Greece), NATO Forces (Hungary), Immelmann 51 (Germany), Thunder Tiger Aerobatic Team (Taiwan) and Papa Squadron (Hungary).
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "FORTIS Swiss Watches". Fortis-watches.com. 2010-04-19. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
Further reading
- Mattise, Nathan, "Museum of Fakes: German Gallery Showcases Best Knockoffs", Wired magazine, December 2011 issue. One of the winners for the 2011 annual competition was a counterfeit of a Fortis B-47 calculator model.