In the early 1920s, a young man by the name of Goliardo Della Balda ventured away from the hilltop enclave of San Marino with his family to create a new life in Switzerland, where he later challenged himself to master the intricacies of the watchmaking business in the burgeoning timepiece capital of the world. He had always longed to own a great timepiece, but at the time it seemed like a luxury for someone of his humble beginnings. After devoting several years to the industry, Signore Della Balda realized his dreams of both owning a great watch and establishing a world-class watch company by introducing his own brand in 1931. The launch sparked an 86-year legacy of creating elegant timepieces characterized by the passionate pursuit and delivery of classic affordable luxury. Further enhanced by the style and watchmaking advancements of the 1940s and ‘50s, the company’s long history of watch design has shaped a meaningful foundation for today’s classic brand look. To this day, the line remains attractive to watch wearers who value precision, quality and style while continuing to reflect Della Balda’s earliest seeds of inspiration. In the early days, Delbana specialized in mechanical pocket watches and wristwatches which were assembled in-house under strict quality controls. The broad discovery of the quality and style of Delbana timepieces soon fueled the company’s growth to over 100 employees and a wide network of local suppliers. In the 1950s and ‘60s, Delbana expanded its annual production to more than 100,000 watches that incorporated the popular AS1130 movement, sought-after around the globe for its quality and robustness. The innovation and mass marketing of Quartz movement powered watches in the 1970s had a wide impact on the Swiss watch industry. By the late 1970s, Delbana merged with the WEGA watch company, parlaying a new chapter for the brand with the production of watches with quartz movements. Delbana soon reclaimed its place designing and producing high-quality timepieces at an affordable price that are, to this day, sought after all over the world. Timeline: •1931: The Company was founded in Grenchen by Goliardo Della Balda •1975: After a period of close cooperation with the Wega company, Delbana and Wega merges together •1988: 50 years Company Anniversary •2002: Delbana brand was integrated into the Delma Watch Group in Lengnau •2003: New fashionable Delbana collection for Europe •2005: Worldwide distribution of renewed collection •2007: Successful introduction of new Delbana collection in Middle East •2008: 75 years company / brand anniversary Comments are closed.
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Old Time WatchesI enjoy collecting mechanical (manual wind and automatic) and early electric and quartz timepieces. I take great pleasure in researching and writing about the companies and people that created these beautiful watches. PF
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September 2018
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