Brand Directory: Angelus

Brothers Albert and Gustav Stolz founded Angelus in 1891 in Le Locle, Switzerland. They began with just a room on the Rue du Marais. The third brother, Charles Stolz, joined Angelus In 1898. After hiring 15 additional workers in 1904  they decided to start making their own movement blanks (ébauches) and to build their own manufacturing facility. Specialising in complicated movements including repeaters and chronographs.

In 1925 they launched their first in-house monopusher chronograph and ten years later they developed their first two-pusher chronograph.

At the beginning of WW2 in 1940 the  Hungarian Air Force bought their chronographs.

Innovation continued during the war years and in 1942 they caused a sensation in the world of watchmaking by launching the world’s first series chronograph with a calendar.

Through their innovation and movement complications, they were soon picked up by many brands such as Panerai in 1955 who chose the 8-day calibre SF240 to be fitted in their Italian Navy watches which you can recognise by the small seconds at 9 o’clock.

Not stopping there in 1958 they launched the Tinkler, which is both the first-ever automatic repeater wristwatch as well as the first waterproof repeater wristwatch.

In 1978 in collaboration with Dubois Dépraz they produced a five-minute repeater.

Manufacturer La Joux-Perret bought Angelus in 2011. Later in 2012 Citizen Group purchased La Joux-Perret for CHF 65 million.