Dubois et fils

What Dubois et fils does

DuBois et fils (legal entity Philippe DuBois & fils S.A.) is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1785 and headquartered in Basel, with an atelier and restoration facility in Muttenz. The company, led by CEO Thomas Steinemann since his 2010 acquisition, produces limited-edition mechanical timepieces built around original historical Swiss movements sourced from manufacturers such as Felsa, Record, A. Schild, and ETA, with each piece assembled, regulated, and certified in-house. Its eight main collections (DBF001 through DBF011) are released in small runs of 11 to 99 pieces per variant and are priced between approximately CHF 4,450 and CHF 9,600, with anniversary and jubilee editions commanding comparable or higher pricing. The company's stated point of differentiation is its 200,000-plus movement inventory combined with a proprietary blockchain tokenization system, developed with SwissValueCHain GmbH, which pairs each historical movement with an on-chain DBF-Token providing immutable provenance, anti-counterfeiting certification, and a personal digital chronicle that can include diary entries by celebrities such as Jo\u00e3o Cancelo, Ivan Rakiti\u0107, Fabienne Wohlwend, or Marlene Lufen.

The business model combines several revenue streams: direct-to-consumer luxury watch sales via the duboisfils.ch e-commerce site and the Muttenz atelier/showroom, online auctions of celebrity NFT diary watches (realized prices CHF 6,767-11,222), the sale of standalone tokenized historical movements with a buyback guarantee (e.g., AS-1985 at CHF 115 plus optional 10% watch discount), aftermarket servicing and DBF010 customization through authorized dealers, and ongoing share issuance through the website \u2014 a legacy of the company's pioneering 2012-2013 equity crowdfunding round, the first by any luxury watch brand, which raised CHF 1.5 million from 587 investors across 21 countries and seeded a long-tail shareholder community. Marketing centers on the company's claim to be the oldest continuously operating watch factory in Switzerland, the celebrity NFT diary program, a partnership with FC Schalke 04, an academic partnership with the University of Neuch\u00e2tel, and annual Generalversammlung (shareholder) events.

At 1-10 employees, the operation is highly artisanal; the company has nonetheless continued to add production capacity (its own manufacture, completed in 2024), product lines (DBF009 pilot watch in 2024/2025, DBF010 and DBF011 in 2025-2026), celebrity endorsements (Alex Frei joined the board in January 2024), and supply-chain partnerships (Swiss tanneries Graber and Zeller, social-enterprise leather workshop Lederwerkstatt Rehovot) that extend its Swiss-Made heritage positioning.

Name

Dubois et fils

Legal name

Philippe DuBois & fils S.A.

Website

https://duboisfils.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1785

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DuBois et fils is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1785 that produces limited-edition mechanical timepieces built around historical Swiss movements from the 1930s-1970s. The company serves luxury watch collectors through direct-to-consumer sales, with each movement tokenized on blockchain for provenance and digital diaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Watches

SIC

Watches, Clocks, Clockwork Operated Devices/Parts (3873)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent/Microbrand Watches (CRAKADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Watch Manufacturing (Movements, Cases, Dials, Assembly) (CRAKADAJ), Pre-owned, Vintage & Certified Pre-owned Watches (CRAKADAM), Watch Repair & Movement Service (CRAKALAE)

Keywords

• Swiss luxury watches
• Mechanical watchmaking
• Limited edition timepieces
• Historical watch movements
• Blockchain-authenticated watches

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Luxury Watch Sales: Sale of limited-edition Swiss mechanical watches to end consumers. Each watch model is sold in a limited run (e.g., 11, 22, 33, 99 units), with prices ranging from approximately CHF 4,450 to CHF 9,600. Revenue is generated through direct online sales and showroom/atelier visits.
2. Tokenized Historical Movement Sales: Sale of tokenized historical Swiss watch movements (DBF-Tokens) as standalone products. Customers purchase a specific numbered movement, then later assign it to a watch of their choice. This creates a pre-revenue stream before the watch is built and delivered, with buyback guarantees if customers choose not to proceed with a watch purchase.
3. Auction of NFT Diary Watches: Celebrity NFT diary watches are auctioned directly on the company's platform. These auctions bundle a limited-edition watch with an immutable digital diary created by a celebrity (e.g., João Cancelo, Fabienne Wohlwend, Dada Herzog Al-Attas). Auction prices have ranged from CHF 6,767 to CHF 11,222.
4. Share Issuance (Crowdinvestment): In 2012-2013, DuBois et fils conducted a crowdinvestment campaign, raising CHF 1.5 million from 587 investors across 21 countries. The company continues to offer shares for purchase (Buy shares / Aktien kaufen section on website), suggesting ongoing equity capital raising.
5. Aftermarket Services: Watch servicing, maintenance, and repair services offered through the company's Atelier in Muttenz. Authorized dealers also perform customization services for interchangeable DBF010 case elements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Dubois et fils designs, assembles, and sells handcrafted Swiss mechanical watches built around restored historical movements sourced from the 1950s through 1970s, marketed as limited-edition pieces to collectors. Each movement is paired with an NFT (digital twin) recorded on a blockchain to authenticate origin and ownership history. Production is small-scale, conducted at the company's atelier in Muttenz and headquarters in Basel, with retail prices spanning roughly CHF 4,450 to CHF 9,600 per watch.

Product overview

Dubois et fils is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1785, claiming to be the oldest watch factory in Switzerland. The company produces handcrafted limited-edition mechanical watches featuring historical Swiss movements from the 20th century. The product portfolio centers on eight main watch collections (DBF001 through DBF011), each comprising multiple variants with different dial colors and materials. All watches are built around original historical movements sourced from Swiss manufacturers including Felsa, Record, A. Schild, and ETA. The DBF006 series revives the Bidynator bidirectional winding rotor movement, while the DBF007 and DBF008 series include blockchain-connected NFT diary functionality. The DBF009 introduced in 2025 is a pilot watch with proprietary propeller crown design. Complementary services include NFT diary/tokenization of watch movements via SwissValueCHain blockchain infrastructure, watch auctions, and handcrafted Swiss leather cases made from wild animal hides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DBF-series Mechanical Watches (DBF001 to DBF011) Handcrafted Swiss mechanical wristwatches built around restored historical Swiss movements from the 1950s through 1970s, produced as a numbered limited-edition series (DBF001 through DBF011), targeted at watch collectors and priced between approximately CHF 4,450 and CHF 9,600.

Quantifiable outcome

• NFT diary watches auctioned for CHF 6,767–11,222, demonstrating premium collector demand for celebrity-associated limited watches
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Alex FreiminorOthers · 15 January 2024Swiss professional footballer Alex Frei became a shareholder and joined the Verwaltungsrat (Board of Directors) of DuBois et fils as of January 15, 2024. His involvement brings sports credibility and personal brand association to the company.
• SwissValueCHain GmbH (SVCH)coreTechnology or IntegrationDuBois et fils developed its NFT tokenization platform for historical watch movements in collaboration with SwissValueCHain GmbH based in Laufen, Switzerland. SwissValueCHain provides the blockchain infrastructure, virtual asset management, and tokenization technology that enables the company's digital twin and NFT diary features. This is a foundational technology partnership for the company's differentiation strategy.
• University of NeuchâtelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuBois et fils established a partnership with the University of Neuchâtel as part of its 2022 activities. The collaboration supports the company's positioning within the Swiss academic watchmaking community and contributes to the preservation of Swiss horological heritage.
• FC Schalke 04minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuBois et fils is the official watch partner of FC Schalke 04, the German football club. This partnership provides brand visibility and marketing reach within the football community, extending the company's reach beyond traditional watch enthusiasts to a broader sports audience.
• Gerberei Graber (Tannery)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuBois et fils sources Swiss wild game leather (from deer, chamois, and roe deer) for DBF007 watch cases. Gerberei Graber in the Emmental performs the tanning process using traditional craftsmanship and vegetable tanning agents. This partnership supports the company's Swiss Made and sustainability narrative.
• Gerberei Zeller (Tannery)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerberei Zeller in Steffisburg, a family business since 1837, processes leather and hides for the DBF007 leather watch cases. The company uses exclusively vegetable tanning agents, and the partnership ensures authentic Swiss wild-game leather products with full traceability.
• Lederwerkstatt RehovotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLederwerkstatt Rehovot in Basel is a recognized employment program that employs asylum seekers from around the world. DuBois et fils developed a custom design for DBF007 leather cases with this atelier, which manufactures the watch cases by hand. Up to five people are involved in making each leather case. This partnership supports Swiss social enterprise values.
• PayPal (Europe) S.à.r.l. et Cie, S.C.A.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPayPal is listed as a third-party payment processor in DuBois et fils' privacy policy, indicating it is used as a payment method for online watch purchases. PayPal facilitates transaction processing for e-commerce sales.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• MB&F: Independent Swiss 'horological lab' producing very small runs of high-concept mechanical watches, sharing DuBois et fils' small-scale, story-rich, limited-edition positioning and direct-to-collector sales approach.
• Oris: Swiss independent watchmaker known for limited mechanical editions and accessible luxury positioning, closely comparable to DuBois et fils in being a heritage-driven, independently operated microbrand with a strong collector community.
• H. Moser & Cie. Independent high-end Swiss watchmaker producing very limited runs of mechanical timepieces with strong narrative and provenance marketing, comparable to DuBois et fils in independent ownership, scarcity model, and collector focus.
• Chronoswiss: German-Swiss independent watchmaker known for traditional mechanical craftsmanship and small-batch production, comparable to DuBois et fils in independent ownership, mechanical-only catalog, and limited-edition collector focus.
• Bremont: British independent mechanical watchmaker producing small-batch limited editions with strong provenance and heritage narrative, comparable to DuBois et fils in independent structure, limited mechanical production, and direct consumer engagement.
• Maurice Lacroix: Independently operated Swiss watchmaker (still family-controlled) producing limited mechanical editions in the accessible luxury segment, comparable to DuBois et fils in independent ownership and limited-edition mechanical positioning.
• Hanhart: German independent watchmaker with heritage roots, producing limited mechanical chronographs and pilot watches for collectors — directly comparable to DuBois et fils' heritage-driven, small-batch, mechanical-only positioning.
• Sinn Spezialuhren: Independent German mechanical watchmaker producing limited, technically focused timepieces with strong craftsmanship narratives, paralleling DuBois et fils' heritage-independent model and small-batch mechanical catalog.
• Carl Suchy & Söhne: Austrian independent watchmaker that revived a dormant heritage brand using historical movements and modern craftsmanship, mirroring DuBois et fils' approach of pairing historical calibers with contemporary limited-edition cases.

Emerging players

• Alpina Watches: Swiss heritage watchmaker producing limited mechanical sports and pilot watches with strong historical narrative, comparable to DuBois et fils' heritage-driven positioning though now operating as part of a larger group (Citizen).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/duboisetfils

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dubois et fils