Rundgang durch das Maison DuBois

In the middle of Le Locle, opposite the church, stands the founding house of the Neuchâtel family DuBois et fils. Even today it’s possible to peek through the windows into rooms furnished with the former workplace of the watchmakers. This sight brings long gone times back to life in the mind's eye.

The house is still owned today by the DuBois family. Portrait paintings of family members adorn the walls.  Thick, heavy, leather bound books containing historical documents are attest to the company's innumerable achievements.

Members of the DuBois family mastered the art of networking and negotiating at the beginning of the 18th century. At that time, they sold high-quality fabrics on long, grueling trade trips to northern Europe. They skillfully navigated between currencies and negotiated competitive prices.

In 1743, Moise DuBois first bought high-quality pocket watches. As a seller, he quickly found buyers for his goods on his travels. Swiss pocket watches were transported to Germany and the Netherlands, among other places. Moise DuBois was so passionate and successful that he was able to sell all the watches he brought with on each trip. He became more and more interested in the pocket watch and continuously learned more about the technology. He soon realized what a high level of emotionality stood behind those technical showpieces.

In 1751 the time had come: Moise DuBois opened his own watchmaking workshop. Philippe DuBois et Fils S.A. was officially founded in 1785 in Le Locle. The DuBois et fils manufactory was soon producing many high-quality watches, some of which made it into the Patek Philippe museum.

The company experienced its heyday with the manufacture and sale of high-quality pocket watches. The founding family was known for their creativity in business matters and for the ability to generate forward-thinking ideas – to look beyond the norm. From 1844, the family business had branches in Switzerland, Amsterdam and Frankfurt and traded as far away as the USA.

The first wristwatches were added to the line in 1910. DuBois et fils has exclusively produced limited timepieces since 1950. It is the deeply rooted longing for exclusivity that makes the pieces of Dubois et fils jewelry popular and sought after by watch lovers around the world – to this day.

Thomas Steinemann took over the company in 2010, repositioning it in the watch market, establishing it as a global niche brand and an innovative company in the luxury watch industry.

It is important to DuBois et fils to take the past into the future. The art of traditional manufacturing of mechanical Swiss watch movements should be preserved, kept alive and made accessible to future generations. The company history of DuBois et fils not only began on the premises in Le Locle in 1785, but lives and evolves persistently to this day.

Are you interested in visiting Le Locle at Maison DuBois? Do not hesitate to contact us: info@duboisfils.swiss

Warm regards
Philippe DuBois et fils S.A.