Zodiac Talk => General Zodiac Discussion => Topic started by: brtime on December 30, 2015, 02:14:13 PM

Title: Zodiac Ownership Timeline
Post by: brtime on December 30, 2015, 02:14:13 PM
Hello fellow Zodiac enthusiasts. Bruce Shawkey here, friend of the brand, though I do not post often here (or anywhere for that matter!). I am trying to figure out a "timeline" of sorts for ownership of Zodiac. This is for an article I'm doing for the NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin. I sort of "flubbed it" 10 years ago when I wrote my first article on Zodiac, I thought there was an "interim owner" between Dixi and Monnier, but now I believe this is not the case. Anyway, here's what I believe to be the chain of ownership:

1882 - 1978: Calame Family
1978-1979: Dixi Group takes over, first a controlling interest, and by 1979 full ownership.
1990: Willy Gad Monnier, formerly of Heuer/Tag Heuer
1998: Genender International *
2001 to present: Fossil Inc., which purchased the brand from Genender for $4.7 million.

* Alan and Ken Genender, the Zodiac brand owners prior to Fossil, have now revived the Clebar brand, which for years was affiliated with Zodiac, making principally chronographs.

Does this square with your understanding of the chain of events? I know this sounds like such an elementary question, but I've been unable to find a straightforward timeline. There are pieces of it scattered here and there, but I thought a straightforward timeline would be useful in putting any given model into its proper time perspective.

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

Bruce Shawkey
Title: Re: Zodiac Ownership Timeline
Post by: Butch on December 30, 2015, 06:01:23 PM
That is about as close as you are going to get. As a side note, Ken has nothing to do with the modern Clebar brand, it is all Alan.

I still talk with both occasionally.
Title: Re: Zodiac Ownership Timeline
Post by: brtime on December 30, 2015, 10:21:02 PM
Thank you, Butch!

Bruce