Paul Ditisheim
Encyclopedia
Paul Ditisheim is a famous Swiss watchmaker
, inventor and industrialist.
, the historic birth place of watch-making industry. Paul, son of the famous Ditisheim family
, funder and owner of Vulcain, the legendary watch manufacture enjoyed by American presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon
and Lyndon Johnson, was born into the small social circle
of industrialist families that led the Swiss watch industry of the time. He studied at the Horological School of La Chaux-de-Fonds and received his diploma at the age of 13. He was then trained in several of the major watch makers and worked at his family's Vulcain manufacture until 1892 when he founded his own brands: Solvil (whose items were often signed Paul Ditisheim) and Titus (whose items were generally marked separately).
and magnetic fields. He invented the affix balance
. Thanks to his inventions, he was able to make the most precise chronometers ever made. By 1903, his watches were awarded by the Kew
and Neuchâtel Observatories
contests. In 1912, he won the world’s chronometric record of the Royal Kew Observatory
. He also worked closely with Physics Nobel prize
winner Charles-Edouard Guillaume and has been considered the father of the modern chronometers. According to Professor M. Andrade of the Besançon Astronomical Observatory
, Ditisheim’s work “constitutes the most important progress of modern chronometry
”
and Paul Ditisheim brands to wealthy Swiss entrepreneur
and captain of industry
Paul Bernard Vogel. Vogel, heir to a prestigious family of industrialist and married to the heiress of the prominent Eberard family, was also a member of the Swiss watch industry’s elite
. Vogel moved the company headquarters to Geneva
and turned it into one of the largest and most successful brand of the time, expanding it over the world. Ditisheim died in 1945, leaving a legacy
of technical excellence and design
that has renewed the reputation of Swiss Made
.
Watchmaker
A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since virtually all watches are now factory made, most modern watchmakers solely repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their parts, by hand...
, inventor and industrialist.
Early years
Paul Ditisheim was born in 1868 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 watch-making industry. Paul, son of the famous Ditisheim family
Ditisheim
The Ditisheims are a prominent dynasty of Swiss watchmakers and industrialist family who have been instrumental in the development of the watchmaking industry...
, funder and owner of Vulcain, the legendary watch manufacture enjoyed by American presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and Lyndon Johnson, was born into 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. He studied at the Horological School of La Chaux-de-Fonds and received his diploma at the age of 13. He was then trained in several of the major watch makers and worked at his family's Vulcain manufacture until 1892 when he founded his own brands: Solvil (whose items were often signed Paul Ditisheim) and Titus (whose items were generally marked separately).
A mastermind of Swiss watch-manufacturing
Paul Ditisheim was instrumental in developing the new generation of chronometers, improving them grandly through his studies on the impact of atmospheric pressureAtmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure is the force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth . In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point...
and magnetic fields. He invented the affix balance
Affixing machine
An Affixing Machine is a machine that affixes postage stamps to an envelope, postcard or wrapper. The first affixing machines appeared in the 1850s but were not widely used until the early 20th century. There were also much larger floor models produced for this purpose. Stamp affixer machines were...
. Thanks to his inventions, he was able to make the most precise chronometers ever made. By 1903, his watches were awarded by the Kew
Kew Observatory
Kew Observatory was an astronomical and terrestrial magnetic observatoryfounded by King George III , located within the Old Deer Park of the former Richmond Palace in Richmond, Surrey, now within Greater London. The former royal manor of Kew lies to the immediate north...
and Neuchâtel Observatories
Neuchâtel Observatory
The Observatoire Cantonal de Neuchâtel is an astronomical observatory funded by the Public Economy Department of the Neuchâtel State . It is located in Neuchâtel and was founded in 1858. Besides astronomical observations, the Neuchâtel observatory also works with atomic clocks...
contests. In 1912, he won the world’s chronometric record of the Royal Kew Observatory
Kew Observatory
Kew Observatory was an astronomical and terrestrial magnetic observatoryfounded by King George III , located within the Old Deer Park of the former Richmond Palace in Richmond, Surrey, now within Greater London. The former royal manor of Kew lies to the immediate north...
. He also worked closely with Physics Nobel prize
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
winner Charles-Edouard Guillaume and has been considered the father of the modern chronometers. According to Professor M. Andrade of the Besançon Astronomical Observatory
Besançon Astronomical Observatory
The Observatoire des sciences de l'Univers de Besançon is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Centre national de la recherche scientifique...
, Ditisheim’s work “constitutes the most important progress of modern chronometry
Chronometry
Chronometry is the science of the measurement of time, or timekeeping.It should not to be confused with chronology, the science of locating events in time, which often relies upon it.-See also:...
”
Later life
In 1930, Paul Ditisheim handed over 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 to wealthy Swiss entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and captain of industry
Captain of industry
"Captain of industry" was a term originally used in the United Kingdom during the Industrial Revolution describing a business leader whose means of amassing a personal fortune contributes positively to the country in some way....
Paul Bernard Vogel. Vogel, heir to a prestigious family of industrialist and married to the heiress of the prominent Eberard family, was also a member of the Swiss watch industry’s elite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
. Vogel moved the company headquarters 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...
and turned it into one of the largest and most successful brand of the time, expanding it over the world. Ditisheim died in 1945, leaving a legacy
Legacy
-Comics:* Legacy , an alias used by Genis-Vell, better known as Captain Marvel* "Batman: Legacy", a 1996 Batman storyline* Star Wars: Legacy, a 2006 series from Dark Horse* X-Men: Legacy, a 1991 series from Marvel Comics...
of technical excellence and design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
that has renewed the reputation of Swiss Made
Swiss Made
Swiss Made is a label used to indicate that a product was made in Switzerland.-Overview:The wording was formally adopted in the late 19th century and is unique in that most other countries use the phrase "Made in ". The most obvious place where the label is found is on Swiss watches...
.
Sources and references
- Who is Paul Ditisheim? Watchlord forum http://watchlords.forumotion.net/t8618-so-who-is-paul-ditisheim (En)
- Paul Ditisheim profile Worldtempus http://www.worldtempus.com/fr/encyclopedie/horlogers-celebres/ditisheim-paul/?tx_alphasitemap_pi1%5Bchar%5D=J&cHash=4e093fdc4a (Fr)
- History of Solvil et Titus, official website http://www.solvil-et-titus.com/hk/en/#/3/ (En)