{"id":752,"date":"2023-10-09T11:42:20","date_gmt":"2023-10-09T09:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/piccola-jofrette.ch\/?page_id=752"},"modified":"2026-08-25T16:53:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T14:53:01","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/piccola-jofrette.ch\/en\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Founding<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>
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Piccola & Jofrette was founded in 2023 as a subsidiary of Altus Montres S.A., following two years of development work. The idea behind it was as simple as it was ambitious: to create a beautiful, authentic, and affordable watch whose components, including the movement, case, dial, hands, sapphire crystal, and strap, are manufactured one hundred percent in Switzerland. The brand is headquartered at Chemin Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Ingold 5, the former Champagne 1a, in Biel-Bienne, right in the heart of the Swiss watch industry.<\/p>\n

The brand name Piccola & Jofrette was inspired by the names \u00abPiccola\u00bb and \u00abJofrette\u00bb, which were each registered as trademarks individually more than a hundred years ago and originally produced pocket watches.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the full founding story and the inspiration behind the brand name in our accompanying article<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Motivation & Philosophy<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>
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Founder and CEO Stephan Lack draws on decades of personal experience in the Swiss watch industry. He lived and worked in Asia for ten years, among other places, and has an in-depth knowledge not only of the markets, but also of supplier networks and the procurement process for watch components. During this time, he witnessed firsthand how heavily the industry had maneuvered itself into a dependency on foreign, particularly Asian, suppliers, causing an increasing shift of value creation away from Switzerland and abroad.<\/p>\n

In his view, it is misleading that today numerous so-called Swiss watches in the lower and mid-price segments are marketed as genuine \u00abSwiss Made\u00bb, even though only a comparatively small share of their components is actually developed and produced in Switzerland, placing their manufacturing at the legal minimum. This creates a significant discrepancy between the Swissness implied by the \u00abSwiss Made\u00bb label and its associated premium pricing, and the actual Swiss content of the watch.<\/p>\n

It was this experience that gave rise to the motivation to take a different path with Piccola & Jofrette.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

From the very beginning, it was clear to us that we did not want to build just another watch of the kind already available in large quantities on the mass market. For us, there was no question of placing the virtues of traditional Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship at the center of everything we do and consistently acting accordingly.<\/p>\n

Our aspiration is to build affordable, classically elegant watches that are not only developed and manufactured in Switzerland, but also consist exclusively of watch components, including the movement, case, dial, hands, sapphire crystal, and strap, developed and produced in close collaboration with regional Swiss partners. In everything we do, we stand for uncompromising transparency.<\/p>\n

The watches of Piccola & Jofrette, as well as the watch components of our Swiss partners, are therefore manufactured locally to the highest standards of authenticity, sustainability, and social responsibility, guided by the exacting demands of Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship as practiced and cherished by our forebears.<\/p>\n

These are the true roots that have created the distinctive reputation and heritage of the Swiss watch industry. And it is precisely for this reason that our philosophy is:<\/p>\n

Back to the roots, back to the future.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

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Swissness<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>
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A Piccola & Jofrette watch is priced in a similar range to many other watches that call themselves \u00abSwiss Made\u00bb. The difference lies in what actually stands behind that Swiss promise of value.<\/p>\n

Swiss law requires only that at least 60 percent of the manufacturing costs of the watch head, meaning the watch without the strap, are incurred in Switzerland in order to use the designation \u00abSwiss Made\u00bb. The strap and its fastening mechanism are not considered part of the watch under the ordinance and are therefore not taken into account in this calculation. In addition, a Swiss movement must be used, for which at least 60 percent of manufacturing costs must likewise be incurred in Switzerland. Since the movement alone can typically account for a substantial share of the total manufacturing costs of a watch, components such as the case, dial, hands, sapphire crystal, and strap are not required to originate from Switzerland. As a result, watches can legally be marketed as \u00abSwiss Made\u00bb even if several or, with the exception of the movement, all of their visible components were developed and manufactured entirely abroad.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Piccola & Jofrette does not orient itself toward this unambitious legal minimum, but rather toward a clear standard of its own: a watch that calls itself \u00abSwiss Made\u00bb should truly be \u00abSwiss Made\u00bb. For this reason, we develop and produce not only the movement, but also the case, dial, hands, sapphire crystal, and strap entirely in Switzerland. The production tooling used in this process is likewise manufactured in Switzerland. This commitment makes a Piccola & Jofrette watch unmistakably and genuinely Swiss within its price segment. It is for this reason that Piccola & Jofrette stands for uncompromising transparency and openly discloses the origins of each of the visible components mentioned above.<\/p>\n

As additional confirmation of our commitment, Piccola & Jofrette is a member of the Swiss Label organization. This Swiss quality seal complements the statutory Swissness requirements with elevated standards for Swiss origin and regular quality assurance audits.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

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Swiss Production<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>
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The watches of Piccola & Jofrette and their components, including the movement, case, dial, hands, sapphire crystal, and strap, are developed and produced in Switzerland within a 70 km radius of Biel-Bienne, from La Chaux-de-Fonds to the Bernese Oberland.<\/p>\n

Purely Swiss production comes at an understandably higher price level than production in a poorly regulated and barely monitored developing or emerging country, a direct result of Switzerland’s very high wage and cost levels and its responsibly regulated labor market.<\/p>\n

In return, Piccola & Jofrette customers benefit from outstanding quality, and at the same time choose a watch whose local production and short transport routes contribute to a significantly smaller ecological footprint.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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The standards applied to a Piccola & Jofrette watch are very high, and every detail throughout the entire production chain is of great importance. Our particular attention therefore goes to all those individuals who in any way make their personal contribution to the success of each individual watch.<\/p>\n

It is important to know that the highly qualified employees of our Swiss partners work in reliable structures, enjoy progressive working conditions, and are fairly compensated.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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In a PJ1 by Piccola & Jofrette, the movement and case come from La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland), the dial from Le Locle (Switzerland), the sapphire crystals from Bo\u00e9court (Switzerland), and the hands from Grenchen (Switzerland).<\/p>\n

The original watch straps also come from Switzerland. Piccola & Jofrette offers two different variants. The first is crafted from sturgeon leather sourced from Frutigen (Switzerland). The leather is tanned in Steffisburg (Switzerland) and subsequently hand-stitched into a finished watch strap in Riedbach (Switzerland). The other straps are made from red deer hide (Switzerland), also tanned in Steffisburg (Switzerland) and hand-finished in Riedbach (Switzerland).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Our watch designer works in Corpataux (Switzerland), and the assembly of the watches takes place in Aarberg (Switzerland).<\/p>\n

The wooden box and outer carton are also developed and manufactured in Switzerland. The wooden box is made from Swiss ash wood and crafted in direct collaboration with Fondation Passarelles in Port (Switzerland) and Stiftung Battenberg, together with the outer carton, in Biel-Bienne (Switzerland).<\/p>\n

From the movement through the case, dial, hands, and strap to the packaging, a Piccola & Jofrette watch is made consistently in Switzerland. Origin, quality, and responsibility remain traceable down to the finest detail. This comprehensive Swiss value creation at an nonetheless accessible price makes our watches unique and unrivaled in their price segment.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Watch Strap, swiss made<\/p>\n<p>Frutigen \/ Steffisburg \/ Riedbach, BE<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Case, swiss made<\/p>\n<p>La Chaux-de-Fonds, NE<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Bezel, swiss made<\/p>\n<p>La Chaux-de-Fonds, NE<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Sapphire Crystal, swiss made<\/p>\n<p>Bo\u00e9court, JU<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Case Back, swiss made<\/p>\n<p>La Chaux-de-Fonds, NE<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Hand, swiss made<\/p>\n<p>Grenchen, SO<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Dial, swiss made<\/p>\n<p>Le Locle, NE<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Movement, swiss made<\/p>\n<p>Le-Cr\u00eat-du-Locle, NE<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Bo\u00e9court, JU<\/p>\n<p>Sapphire Crystal, swiss made<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Le Locle, NE<\/p>\n<p>Dial, swiss made<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Grenchen, SO<\/p>\n<p>Hands, swiss made<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Le-Cr\u00eat-du-Locle, NE<\/p>\n<p>Movement, swiss made<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Biel\/Bienne, BE<\/p>\n<p>Wooden box, swiss made<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Biel\/Bienne, BE<\/p>\n<p>Produkt Management<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>La Chaux-de-Fonds, NE<\/p>\n<p>Case, Case Back, Bezel, Crown, swiss made<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Aarberg, BE<\/p>\n<p>Assembly<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Corpataux, FR<\/p>\n<p>Design and Development<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Riedbach, BE<\/p>\n<p>Watch Strap, swiss made<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Steffisburg, BE<\/p>\n<p>Watch Strap, swiss made<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\"null\"\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Frutigen, BE<\/p>\n<p>Watch Strap, swiss made<\/span> <\/a> <\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>
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