Paul Bernard Vogel
Encyclopedia
Paul Bernard Vogel was a Swiss industrialist who owned the Solvil et Titus
watch manufacture.
and Paul Ditisheim brands from their founder Paul Ditisheim
.
Vogel moved the company's headquarters
to Geneva
where he became the chairman of the Salon Montres et Bijoux (the Watch and Jewelry's Fair), the most prestigious association of Swiss watch manufacturers and jewelers of the time. By the 1950s
Vogel, feeling the shift in consummer's habits, decided to divided its brands into two. On the one hand, the company kept producing the luxury
watches it was famous for. On the other hand, it started producing lower-cost watches that fitted properly the emerging mass consumption markets. Thanks to this new orientation, Solvil et Titus was instrumental in the development of mechanical
and electronic watches
. In 1968, Vogel took the lead of the newly founded Societe des Gardes-Temps SA, a conglomerate
of low cost watch manufacturers which was the world's third largest watchmaking company of the time and had a true international dimension (it acquired the American Waltham Watch Company
and signed a licensing agreement in 1973 with Elgin Watch
– then Swiss watchmaking's biggest foreign investment.
Vogel has foreseen the necessities of broadening the market for watches and of creating an international distribution system and consequently decided to expand Solvil et Titus activities overseas. In the 1970s, surfing on the Asian Tigers
economic boom, he sent his son, Paul Vogel, to grow the family business operations in the Asian market
. The operation was successful and Solvil became one of the most popular brand in Eastern Asia.
, the historic birth place of watchmaking industry., the son of a prestigious family of industrialist, he married first Suzanne Eberhard, the heiress of the prominent Eberhard family
. The couple was part of the small social circle
of industrialist families that led the Swiss watch industry of the time and they both were prominent members of Geneva
's high society
. The Vogels were renowned for the various social events they organized.
Another of Vogel's passions
was orchids. He travelled the world to bring orchids' seeds back to Geneva
where he cultivated them in a complex of climate-specialised greenhouses in the garden of his lakeside
mansion
, Le Breuil, in Versoix
, Geneva. The orchids were sold in a luxury
flower shop named after the estates that still exist today.
Solvil et Titus
Solvil et Titus is a formally Swiss, now Hong-Kong-based, watch company, founded in 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, Switzerland by Paul Ditisheim and developed by Paul Bernard Vogel.-Paul Ditisheim: the founder:...
watch manufacture.
Business life
In 1930, Vogel acquired the Solvil et TitusSolvil et Titus
Solvil et Titus is a formally Swiss, now Hong-Kong-based, watch company, founded in 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, Switzerland by Paul Ditisheim and developed by Paul Bernard Vogel.-Paul Ditisheim: the founder:...
and Paul Ditisheim brands from their founder Paul Ditisheim
Paul Ditisheim
Paul Ditisheim is a famous Swiss watchmaker, inventor and industrialist.-Early years:Paul Ditisheim was born in 1868 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the historic birth place of watch-making industry...
.
Vogel moved the company's headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
where he became the chairman of the Salon Montres et Bijoux (the Watch and Jewelry's Fair), the most prestigious association of Swiss watch manufacturers and jewelers of the time. By the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
Vogel, feeling the shift in consummer's habits, decided to divided its brands into two. On the one hand, the company kept producing the luxury
Luxury good
Luxury goods are products and services that are not considered essential and associated with affluence.The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies...
watches it was famous for. On the other hand, it started producing lower-cost watches that fitted properly the emerging mass consumption markets. Thanks to this new orientation, Solvil et Titus was instrumental in the development of mechanical
Mechanical watch
A mechanical watch is a watch that uses a mechanical mechanism to measure the passage of time, as opposed to modern quartz watches which function electronically. It is driven by a spring which must be wound periodically...
and electronic watches
Electric watch
Electric watch, which commonly means any watch that is powered by electricity, has become a generic term for the first generation of electrically powered watches which appeared starting in 1957, before the invention of quartz watches in the 1970s...
. In 1968, Vogel took the lead of the newly founded Societe des Gardes-Temps SA, a conglomerate
Conglomerate (company)
A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure , usually involving a parent company and several subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company...
of low cost watch manufacturers which was the world's third largest watchmaking company of the time and had a true international dimension (it acquired the American Waltham Watch Company
Waltham Watch Company
The Waltham Watch Company, also known as the American Waltham Watch Co. and the American Watch Co., produced about 40 million high quality watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, time fuses and other precision instruments between 1850 and 1957...
and signed a licensing agreement in 1973 with Elgin Watch
Elgin Watch Company
The Elgin National Watch Company, most commonly known as just the Elgin Watch company was a major US watch company.-History:The Elgin National Watch Company, was founded in August 1864 as the National Watch Company. A number of former associates of the Waltham Watch Company and Chicago watchmaker J.C...
– then Swiss watchmaking's biggest foreign investment.
Vogel has foreseen the necessities of broadening the market for watches and of creating an international distribution system and consequently decided to expand Solvil et Titus activities overseas. In the 1970s, surfing on the Asian Tigers
Asian Tigers
The Asian Tigers is a Pakistani militant group, first publicised when they claimed credit for the kidnapping of former Pakistani intelligence officers Khalid Khawaja, Colonel Imam, British journalist Asad Qureshi and Qureshi's driver Rustam Khan in March 2010. Khawaja was killed in April 2010....
economic boom, he sent his son, Paul Vogel, to grow the family business operations in the Asian market
Asian market
Asian market could mean:* Asian financial markets, see List of stock exchanges and List of futures exchanges for a comprehensive list.* Asian supermarket...
. The operation was successful and Solvil became one of the most popular brand in Eastern Asia.
Private life
Born in La Chaux-de-FondsLa Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds is a Swiss city of the district of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometres from the French border. After Geneva and Lausanne, it is the third largest city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of...
, the historic birth place of watchmaking industry., the son of a prestigious family of industrialist, he married first Suzanne Eberhard, the heiress of the prominent Eberhard family
Eberhard
Eberhard or Everard or Everardo is an old Germanic name meaning the strength or courage of a wild boar.-First name:*Eberhard of Friuli , Duke and key figure in the Carolingian Empire*Eberhard of Béthune , Flemish grammarian....
. The couple was part of the small social circle
Social circle
Social circles are groups of socially interconnected people. A Social circle is distinguished from a social pyramid in that there are two perspectives that can be used to describe a social circle: the perspective of an individual who is the locus of a particular group of socially interconnected...
of industrialist families that led the Swiss watch industry of the time and they both were prominent members of Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
's high society
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
. The Vogels were renowned for the various social events they organized.
Another of Vogel's passions
Passions
Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
was orchids. He travelled the world to bring orchids' seeds back to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
where he cultivated them in a complex of climate-specialised greenhouses in the garden of his lakeside
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
, Le Breuil, in Versoix
Versoix
Versoix is a municipality in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland, which sits on the right bank of Lac Léman. It is the last town of the Canton of Geneva on the road northeast towards Lausanne, before the Canton of Vaud starts. It is a train stop on the SBB-CFF-FFS railway line running between...
, Geneva. The orchids were sold in a luxury
Luxury good
Luxury goods are products and services that are not considered essential and associated with affluence.The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies...
flower shop named after the estates that still exist today.