Agassiz Watch Co. S.A. Saint-Imier and Geneva. The company was founded in 1876. In 1832, Auguste Agassiz, brother of the eminent geologist Louis Agassiz, began a horological business as a wholesaler in Saint- Imier. The manufacture was in fact really founded by his son and not until 1876, after a constructive market research. The company specialised in the production of high quality watches. A new caliber was soon designed, on the basis of regular 19??? watch movements, smaller in diameter and as slim as technically possible. Later, in response to wholesalers' requests, the manufacture began to design movements which were entirely new movements and even thinner: first of 17???- 24/12th, and later of 20/12th, and 17/12th. These very slim watches were highly praised by demanding customers. The Agassiz Factory began negotiations with Touchon & Co., a Genevan firm which specialized in the production of very thin movements. A few years later, the two companies merged and the new firm successfully launched on the market extra slim watches of 16 1/2???- 17/12th, 15/12th, 10/12th, and even of 10???- 10/12. The latter movement, fitted in its case, could be concealed in a 20- dollar coin. It was awarded the Gold Medal at the Paris Exhibition in 1889 and in 1910, received the highest distinction in Brussels. The company produced these watches for Tiffany. In 1946 four World Time watches were commissioned from Agassiz, by the City of Geneva, to be presented to each of the Heads of States of the World War II Allied Forces. "Dictionnaire des Horlogers Genevois", Antiquorum Editions, Genève 1998.