anufacture France Ebauches, located in the Doubs region in the heart of Franche-Comté, currently produces watch components for the sister brands of the Festina Group of which it has been part since 2017. Thanks to the recently relaunched production of French movements, the France Ebauches factory is in the process of relocating, re-industrialising and developing the production of quality French mechanical movements. The Festina group intends to respond to the expectations of brands, consumers and politicians who are calling for the development of French movements incorporating French values.

Festina, Pierre Lannier, Apose, Akrone and Carzo & Lieutier along with other French brands, are delighted to be once again sourcing mechanical movements from France Ebauches. The aim is to achieve 70% French value, with major components such as baseplates, bridges and oscillating weights manufactured at the Maîche site. The remaining 30% – mainly balance springs, pallet- levers and escape-wheels – are produced in the Swiss Jura by the group’s sister companies.

These movements, inspired by vintage France Ebauches 4600-5600 calibres, have been optimised to deliver both precision and reliability. The movements beat at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), the optimal compromise between speed, accuracy, durability and torque. They are also equipped with best-on-market Incabloc^® double-cone shock absorbers in order to ensure incomparable robustness for the regulating mechanism.

Engineers have worked on the movement’s solidity and resistance by constructing a cross-through balance bridge, a signature characteristic of the most famous brands. Nor is the aesthetic aspect neglected, as the bridge has been hollowed out to provide a perfect view of the regulating organ. The finishes are just as exclusive: the original rhodium-plated honeycomb motif symbolising France replaces the traditional Swiss “Côtes de Genève” pattern. The design also reveals the calibre on both faces, with the balance visible on the dial side and the sunburst blued steel rotor as well as the baseplate adorned with the honeycomb motif visible through a transparent caseback.

The Festina Group is thereby demonstrating its commitment to French industrial production, the preservation of local employment and the promotion of ancestral expertise. This iconic Manufacture’s return to the forefront of the French watchmaking scene serves to strengthen territorial independence in the production of mechanical movements, a crucial issue amid an uncertain geopolitical context. With the production of these two “Made in France” mechanical movements, the Manufacture France Ebauches is thus contributing to the development of the French watch industry and its long-term survival.