Fortis

Who are Fortis?

Fortis is a Swiss watchmaker based in Grenchen, founded in 1912 by Walter Vogt (Fortis). It put John Harwood’s self-winding wristwatch into series production in 1926, and from 1994 supplied chronographs to Russia’s cosmonaut training centre (Fortis; Wikipedia). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a second-hand Fortis in the UK.

Today Fortis makes tool watches for flying, diving and space-inspired use, and calls itself family-owned (Fortis). Fortis says it has a team of about 25 people in Grenchen; Wikipedia gives about 40.

The history of Fortis

Fortis’s history runs from a Grenchen factory in 1912, through the Harwood automatic and a long run of pilots’ and space watches, to a financial crisis in the 2010s and a new owner.

The founding. Walter Vogt was 29 when he founded Fortis in a factory beside Grenchen’s Nordbahnhof station in 1912, and a new wing followed in 1917 (Fortis). Wikipedia says the company still works from the building Vogt put up.

The Harwood automatic. Fortis says John Harwood, a British inventor, patented his self-winding wristwatch system in Switzerland in 1924 (patent no. 106583) and developed it with Fortis, and that the first Fortis Harwood automatics left the factory on 13 July 1926. Sources word the claim differently: Fortis says the Harwood “is widely regarded as the first serially produced automatic wristwatch”, while Wikipedia calls it the first self-winding wristwatch.

Between the wars and after. Fortis says Lady Drummond-Hay wore a Fortis in 1929 when she became the first woman to fly around the world, aboard the Graf Zeppelin. Wikipedia says Fortis launched its first chronographs in 1937 for its 25th anniversary, and Fortis says the Fortissimo of the 1940s was one of its first water-resistant watches. In the 1960s it made the Spacematic, which Fortis links to NASA’s Gemini programme; Wikipedia says the watch was tested by the seven members of a US space mission in 1962. The Flipper followed in the late 1960s (Fortis).

Cosmonauts. In 1994 Fortis became equipment supplier to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, and its Official Cosmonauts Chronograph was worn on the Mir space station during the Soyuz TM-19 mission that September (Wikipedia). In 1997 it became the official watch of the German-Russian MIR 97 mission (Wikipedia). Wikipedia also says Fortis has been the exclusive supplier of crewed space missions authorised by the Russian Federal Space Agency since 1994.

Pilots’ watches. In 2004 the Flieger Chronograph won the first European Aviation Watch of the Year award (Wikipedia).

Crisis and new owner. Wikipedia says Fortis ran into financial difficulty in 2017 and filed for a debt-restructuring moratorium, after which a private investor, Jupp Philipp, took over the brand and its site, and the company was renamed Fortis Watches AG. Fortis’s own page says Philipp bought the company in 2018. Since then Fortis has introduced new movements with outside partners, including Werk 17 in the Stratoliner range in 2022 (Time+Tide) and Werk 11 and Werk 13 with Kenissi (Fortis).

What is Fortis known for?

Fortis is known for the Harwood automatic, for chronographs supplied to cosmonauts, for pilots’ watches, and since the 2020s for its numbered Werk movements.

Space. The Official Cosmonauts Chronograph of 1994 and its successors made Fortis’s name as a space-watch maker (Wikipedia). Fortis says its Novonaut collection follows three decades of the B-42 Official Cosmonauts.

Werk movements. Fortis lists several movements developed with outside specialists (Fortis):

• Werk 11: automatic, COSC chronometer, 70-hour power reserve, co-developed with Kenissi.
• Werk 13: automatic GMT with a jumping hour, chronometer-certified, 70-hour power reserve, co-developed with Kenissi.
• Werk 17: automatic column-wheel chronograph, 60-hour power reserve, tested with the Swedish Space Corporation. Time+Tide says it follows the layout of the Valjoux 7750 used in earlier Stratoliners.
• Werk 7 and Werk 17 TR: co-developed with La Joux-Perret.

Fortis says Kenissi was founded in 2016 as the movement maker for Tudor, which co-founded it, and that Chanel owns 20 percent of it. See our Tudor page for more. Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains what these partnerships mean, and our guide to COSC certification explains the chronometer certificate. Another tool-watch brand with a strong aviation and military history is Sinn.

Which Fortis collections are there?

Fortis’s current range is grouped into Novonaut, Flieger, Marinemaster, Stratoliner and Vagabond (Fortis).

The collections table on this page gives a line on each. A few points help when you read listings:

• Model codes. Fortis models carry letter-and-number codes, such as the Marinemaster M-44 and the Flieger F-43 Triple GMT (Fortis; Wikipedia). Read the full code and reference, not just the family name.
• Which Werk. Two watches in the same family can have different movements; ask the seller which calibre the watch has.
• Older watches. Earlier Stratoliner models used the Valjoux 7750 rather than Werk 17 (Time+Tide), so an older watch with a familiar name may have a different movement from a current one.

Who owns Fortis?

Fortis is owned by Jupp Philipp, its owner and chief executive, and describes itself as family-owned (Fortis). Fortis says he bought the company in 2018; Wikipedia says the takeover followed a debt-restructuring moratorium in 2017. The company trades as Fortis Watches AG, formerly Fortis Uhren AG (Wikipedia).

Buying a Fortis watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check the papers and which movement the watch has, whether any warranty remains, the service history, and run a stolen-watch check.

1. Papers and the full set. Ask for the signed warranty card, the original receipt and the box. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. Warranty. Fortis gives a five-year manufacturer’s warranty unless stated otherwise, and requires the signed warranty card and the payment receipt from an authorised dealer; straps and bracelets are covered for two years (Fortis). Fortis does not say whether the warranty passes to a second owner. See watch warranties explained.

3. Movement and servicing. Ask which calibre the watch has, when it was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. A chronograph or GMT needs a watchmaker who will service that calibre. Our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves.

4. Space and limited editions. Mission and limited editions should match their papers; check the edition number and reference against the warranty card.

5. Authenticity and theft. 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, and our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers to search before you pay.

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 Fortis?

Jupp Philipp, its owner and chief executive. Fortis says he bought the company in 2018; Wikipedia dates the takeover to 2017 (Fortis; Wikipedia).

Where are Fortis watches made?

In Grenchen, Switzerland, where Fortis was founded in 1912 (Fortis; Wikipedia).

Did Fortis make the first automatic wristwatch?

Fortis says its Harwood Automatic, in production from 1926, is widely regarded as the first serially produced automatic wristwatch. John Harwood patented the system in 1924 (Fortis).

Have Fortis watches been to space?

Yes. Fortis chronographs were supplied to the Russian cosmonaut training centre from 1994 and worn on Mir during Soyuz TM-19 (Wikipedia).

Does Fortis make its own movements?

Fortis develops its Werk movements with partners: Werk 11 and Werk 13 with Kenissi, and Werk 7 and Werk 17 TR with La Joux-Perret (Fortis).

What is the Fortis Werk 11?

An automatic COSC chronometer movement with a 70-hour power reserve, co-developed with Kenissi and used in the Marinemaster M-44 (Fortis).

How long is the Fortis warranty?

Five years from new, unless stated otherwise, with the signed warranty card and an authorised dealer’s receipt; two years on straps and bracelets (Fortis).

What is the Fortis Stratoliner?

A chronograph collection that used the Valjoux 7750 in earlier models and now uses Fortis’s own Werk 17, an automatic column-wheel calibre tested with the Swedish Space Corporation (Time+Tide; Fortis).

Why do some Fortis watches use Kenissi movements?

Kenissi was founded in 2016 as the movement maker for Tudor, which co-founded it and in which Chanel holds a 20% stake; Fortis co-developed its Werk 11 and Werk 13 calibres with Kenissi (Fortis).

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

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.