Edox

Who are Edox?

Edox is a Swiss watch company founded in Biel/Bienne in 1884 by Christian Ruefli-Flury and based today in Les Genevez, in the canton of Jura (Edox; Swiss commercial register). Edox watches are known mainly for diving, starting with the Delfin of 1961. This page covers the history, what Edox is known for, the collections and who owns it, then what to check when buying an Edox watch second-hand in the UK.

Edox trades as Montres Edox et Vista SA (Edox). It is family-owned (Wikipedia; Jeweller Magazine), and in 2024 it said it made more than 70,000 watches a year in Les Genevez (Jeweller Magazine).

The history of Edox

Edox’s history runs from a Biel workshop in 1884 through a period of dive-watch firsts in the 1960s, a spell inside the ASUAG group in the 1970s, and a sale to a family company in 1983. The key dates are the founding (1884), the Delfin (1961), the Hydro-Sub (1965), the Geoscope (1970), the 1983 sale and the Les Bémonts Ultra Slim (1998).

The founding. Christian Ruefli-Flury was born in Courrendlin in 1860 and worked for the watchmaker Jean Ægler in Biel/Bienne until 1883. Edox says he founded the company in Biel in 1884, after making a pocket watch for his wife Pauline’s 25th birthday, and that the hourglass became the brand’s symbol in 1900 (Edox). After his death, Robert Kaufman-Hug took over in 1921 (Wikipedia). By 1955 Edox employed up to 500 watchmakers and moved into a larger factory (Edox).

Dive watches and travel watches. The Delfin of 1961 had a double case back and a double O-ring crown seal, and Edox patented a double-gasket crown in Bern (Edox). The Hydro-Sub followed, with a tension-ring crown and 500 metres of water resistance; Edox dates it to 1965, Wikipedia to 1963. In 1970 the Geoscope showed the time in almost 50 cities (Edox). Victor Flury-Liechti took over from his uncle in 1965 (Wikipedia).

ASUAG and the 1983 sale. In the 1970s Edox became an affiliate of the General Watch Company, a sub-holding of ASUAG, the group that later became part of the Swatch Group (Wikipedia). In 1983 it was sold to Victor Strambini of Montres Vista SA and moved to Les Genevez, and Wikipedia says it “has since remained a family-owned company”.

Records and sport. In 1998 Edox launched the Les Bémonts Ultra Slim, a calendar watch with a 1.4mm movement, which Wikipedia says “still holds the record for the slimmest calendar watch” (Edox; Wikipedia). The CO-1 was engineered in 2006 for offshore powerboat racing (Edox). Edox became official timekeeper of the Class-1 World Powerboat Championship in 2008, of the World Rally Championship in 2010 and of the Dakar Rally in 2012, and a timing partner of BMW M Motorsport in 2021 (Edox). The Delfin was revived in 2013, and Edox marked its 140th anniversary in 2024 (Edox).

What is Edox known for?

Edox is known for dive watches, for chronographs tied to motor racing and powerboats, for records such as the Les Bémonts Ultra Slim, and for watches assembled in Les Genevez with Swiss supplier movements.

Water resistance. Edox calls itself “the water champion since 1961” (Edox). It says it still uses the double O-ring crown seal developed after the Delfin, and current dive models range up to the 1,000-metre Neptunian, which has a 3mm sapphire crystal and a helium escape valve (Edox). Our guide to water resistance explains what a rating means on a second-hand watch. Other Swiss dive-watch specialists at a similar price point include Doxa and Squale.

Motor sport and powerboats. Edox’s timekeeping roles have included powerboat racing, rallying and Formula One, with a premium partnership with the Sauber F1 Team in 2016 (Edox). Its chronograph collections, such as CO-1 and Chronorally, come from that side of the business (Edox).

Movements. Edox gives its movements its own calibre numbers, but they are based on Swiss supplier movements. Time+Tide describes the Edox Calibre 80, used in the SkyDiver and Neptunian, as mostly a renamed Sellita SW200-1, and Edox lists the 2024 Sportsman chronograph’s Edox 082 as an SW 510 (Time+Tide; Edox). Edox also makes quartz watches: retailers list CO-1 quartz chronographs with a Swiss Ronda 5030 D movement (Helveti). Our guide to mechanical and quartz watches explains the difference.

Assembly. Each watch is assembled by hand in Les Genevez, with one watchmaker responsible for assembly and regulation (Jeweller Magazine).

Which Edox collections are there?

Edox lists eight collections: CO-1, Neptunian, Delfin The Original, Grand Ocean, Hydro-Sub, SkyDiver, Sportsman and Chronorally (Edox). The collections table on this page describes the six we could source. Points that help when reading listings:

• Quartz or automatic. The same collection can include both. The CO-1, for example, is sold as a quartz chronograph and as an automatic chronograph (Helveti; Edox). Check the movement, not just the collection name.
• Water resistance by model. Ratings differ within families: the automatic CO-1 chronograph is rated to 500 metres (Edox), while a 45mm titanium quartz CO-1 chronograph is listed at 1,000 metres (Helveti). Read the case back and the papers.
• Limited editions. Edox makes many numbered editions, such as the 600-piece SkyDiver editions of 2022 and the 600-piece Sportsman of 2024 (Time+Tide; Edox). Match the number to the papers.
• SkyDiver story. Edox says the SkyDiver is based on a 1973 design found in its archive (Edox). The details of that original watch come from Edox and have not been independently documented.

Who owns Edox?

Edox is family-owned and is not part of a watch group. It was sold in 1983 to Victor Strambini of Montres Vista SA, which is where the company name Montres Edox et Vista SA comes from, and it has stayed family-owned since (Wikipedia). In 2024 Edox’s head of global sales, Leonhard Schweiger, said family members had held senior strategic roles for several years (Jeweller Magazine).

The Swiss commercial register lists members of the Strambini family on the company’s board as of May 2025. Edox does not publish its shareholders.

Buying an Edox watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check the movement and the water-resistance rating against the model reference, ask for the warranty card and service history, and run a stolen-watch check before you pay.

1. The movement. Ask whether the watch is quartz or automatic and which calibre it has, because Edox sells both within the same collections (Edox; Helveti).

2. Papers and the warranty card. Edox gives a two-year international warranty on new watches bought from authorised retailers, and says watches bought from unauthorised sellers may not be covered (Edox). Its service centres ask for the International Edox Warranty Card, showing the retailer’s stamp, purchase date and case and serial numbers (Edox). Ask for the card and see our guides to what “full set” means and watch warranties explained.

3. Servicing and water resistance. Edox recommends a maintenance service about every two years, which renews seals and water resistance, and a complete service about every four to six years (Edox). If you plan to swim with a Delfin, Hydro-Sub or Neptunian, ask when the seals were last replaced. Our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves.

4. Limited editions. Match any edition number on the case or dial to the papers.

5. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

6. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Edox?

Edox is family-owned. It was sold to Victor Strambini of Montres Vista SA in 1983 and has stayed family-owned since (Wikipedia).

Is Edox a Swiss brand?

Yes. Edox was founded in Biel/Bienne in 1884 and is based in Les Genevez, in the canton of Jura (Edox; Swiss commercial register).

Where are Edox watches made?

In Les Genevez, where each watch is assembled by hand (Jeweller Magazine).

What does the name Edox mean?

Edox says it comes from ancient Greek and means “measuring of time” (Edox).

Does Edox make its own movements?

Edox uses its own calibre numbers on movements based on Swiss supplier calibres, such as the Sellita SW200-1 behind the Edox 80 (Time+Tide).

Does Edox make quartz watches?

Yes, alongside automatic watches. The CO-1, for example, comes in quartz and automatic versions (Helveti; Edox).

What is the Edox Delfin?

A dive watch launched in 1961 with a double case back and double O-ring seal, revived as a collection in 2013 (Edox).

How often should an Edox be serviced?

Edox recommends a maintenance service about every two years and a complete service about every four to six years (Edox).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Edox.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.