Nisus 25 Jewel Automatic Winding 1960's Watch
- Something rather different - A lovely Nisus Automatic watch with a 25 Jewel movement - The dial is in cream, textured outer, and smooth inner, the applied Arabic numerals in gold match the hands whilst the sweep second hand is red tipped. Overall the watch looks good, but there is some ageing on the dial, and hands - The 34mmx44mm case is heavily gold plated and is fairly good - Runs well and keeps time, period leather strap - Dates to around 1963-4.
Nisus watches were produced by the Swiss watchmaking firm S.A. / Dreyfus Frères SA (later known as the Laager family's Nisus firm) based in Péry, near Bienne, Switzerland. The brand is known for its rugged military timepieces and beautifully crafted vintage dress watches.
The Early Beginnings (1857–1930): The roots of the company began with Auguste Laager, who started making watches in 1857. For decades, the family workshop in Péry operated on a small, artisanal scale before Constant-Auguste Laager (Auguste's son) transitioned the business to factory production and registered the firm in 1930.
Formation of Nisus (1940s): In the early 1940s, the Laager family merged their business with their primary distributor, A. Douard of Bienne, and officially introduced the Nisus brand name.
Military and Complicated Watches (1940s–1960s): Nisus gained a reputation for its reliable, rugged Mens Nisus Dreyfus Swiss Military Watch: 17 Jewels 1950s Wind-up, producing reliable watches for military personnel. The company also produced highly complex and collectible models, such as the Nisus Jubilé featuring dead seconds (using the Chezard 7402 movement) in the 1960s.
The Quartz Crisis: Like many traditional Swiss mechanical watchmakers, Nisus struggled to compete during the 1970s and 1980s when battery-powered quartz watches dominated the market, leading the company to eventually cease operations around 1982.
