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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Glossary · Trade

Établissage

The distributed Swiss system of production in which specialist firms supply components later assembled and finished by others.

Explanation

Établissage is the traditional Swiss system of distributed production: farmers and specialist workshops made components — ébauches, escapements, dials, cases, hands — which an établisseur collected, assembled and finished under his own name. It dominated the Vallée de Joux and Geneva into the 20th century and explains why many 'Swiss' watches combine parts from many anonymous specialists.