The forgotten Swiss company that found itself at the center of the biggest rescue in the history of watchmaking

There are companies that have made history through the watches they have created.

And there are companies that made history by helping the entire watchmaking industry survive.

Sicura falls into the second category.

Today, the name Sicura is virtually unknown to most modern collectors. In contrast, names like Breitling, Sinn, and Ollech & Wajs continue to spark excitement among mechanical watch enthusiasts.

And yet, if we turn back the clock to the 1970s, we will discover that Sicura found itself at the center of one of the most critical moments in the history of Swiss watchmaking.

The Birth of Sicura

Sicura was founded in 1939 in Granges, Switzerland, and initially manufactured affordable yet reliable mechanical watches, based primarily on the philosophy of Roskopf movements. It did not aim for luxury. It aimed to offer Swiss watches to people who wanted a practical tool on their wrist.

In the 1950s, a man emerged who would change the course of the company forever.

His name was Ernest Schneider.

An engineer, entrepreneur, military officer, and passionate pilot. Schneider didn’t view watches merely as products. He saw them as tools. As precision instruments. As equipment for professionals.

Under his leadership, Sicura grew spectacularly.

By the mid-1970s, the company had multiple assembly facilities, a frame manufacturing plant, and significant production capacity.

Sicura for Collectors

Anyone who takes a look at vintage Sicura today will discover a company that wasn't afraid to experiment.

Diving masks with internal rings.

Double crowns.

Bright colors.

Watches inspired by auto racing.

Jump-hour.

Tools for pilots.

Tools for divers.

Tools for people who actually used their watches.

Sicura wasn't trying to be Patek Philippe.

He wasn't trying to become a Rolex.

Sicura was striving to become the most compelling company in its market segment.

And he often succeeded.

The three Sicura from my workshop

I recently acquired three different Sicura models that represent three different eras of the company.

The first is a smaller 36mm model with an SIC 19 movement and 23 jewels.

The second is a striking diver's watch with two crowns and an SIC 48 movement.

The third is a later Submarine 17 Jewels model with an ST 969N movement.

Although they differ considerably in appearance, they share one common feature:

The same philosophy.

Each one was designed as a tool.

Not as jewelry.

And that’s something you can tell right away when you hold them in your hand.

The cases are sturdy.

The dials are easy to read.

The wreaths are functional.

Case backs full of character.

Seahorses, divers, shields, and marine motifs appear time and again, creating a strong identity that many modern collectors are unaware of.

The Quartz Crisis

In the early 1970s, the Swiss watch industry faced the greatest threat in its history.

The quartz watches from Japan were:

• more expensive,

• cheaper,

• easier to produce.

Within a few years, hundreds of Swiss companies disappeared.

Others merged.

Others have closed permanently.

And one of the companies that found itself on the brink of ruin was Breitling.

The Downfall of Breitling

In 1978, Breitling effectively suspended its operations.

The company laid off staff and began selling off assets.

For many, Breitling's story was over.

But that is precisely where one of the most fascinating chapters in the history of watchmaking begins.

Because Breitling's legacy did not end up in the hands of a single buyer.

It scattered.

And he was saved.

Sinn and the Navitimer

Helmut Sinn immediately recognized the value of the Navitimer.

It acquired the rights to use the designs of the legendary Breitling 806 and 809, along with components and production tools.

The result?

The Sinn 903.

A watch that is still in production today and represents one of the most authentic connections to the historic Navitimer.

As the official Sinn service center in Greece, I have always considered the 903 to be more than just a chronograph.

It is a piece of living history.

Ollech & Wajs and Aviation

During the same period, Ollech & Wajs acquired machinery, components, and inventory related to the production of Breitling chronographs.

These components were later used to create the company's aviation chronographs.

And so, another part of Breitling’s legacy lived on.

Not under the name Breitling.

But in the spirit of it.

What about Sicura?

The most decisive move took place on April 5, 1979.

On that day, Ernest Schneider signed an agreement with Willy Breitling and acquired the rights to the Breitling and Navitimer names.

This is perhaps the most significant event in Sicura's history.

Because from that moment on, Schneider was no longer just the head of a successful Swiss company.

He became the man who ensured Breitling's continuity.

Without that decision, it is very likely that Breitling would have disappeared for good.

The legend of "Sicura by Breitling"

One of the biggest mistakes I often see in auctions and classified ads is the term:

“Sicura by Breitling.”

In fact, Breitling historians have repeatedly pointed out that no such company or production line ever existed in the 1960s or 1970s. There was Ernest Schneider’s Sicura, and later Breitling under Ernest Schneider. These are two different chapters of the same story.

And that makes vintage Sicura models even more interesting.

They aren't "cheap Breitlings."

They are genuine Sicura products.

Why they deserve collectors' attention today

For many years, Sicura watches were considered nothing more than quirky vintage timepieces.

Today, however, collectors are beginning to reevaluate them.

And rightly so.

Because they represent:

• a unique design school,

• an important period in Swiss watchmaking,

• one of the most prominent business leaders in the industry,

• and a pivotal chapter in Breitling's history.

Looking at the three Sicura watches now in my workshop, I don’t just see three vintage watches.

I see three chapters of a story that begins in the 1960s, passes through the greatest crisis the Swiss watchmaking industry has ever faced, and continues to influence companies such as Sinn, Ollech & Wajs, and Breitling to this day.

And that, in my opinion as a watchmaker, is far more interesting than any technical specification printed on a dial.