The history of Montilier is similar to the emergence of many original watch brands back then. It goes all the way back to 1852 when Etienne-Ovide Domon, who was born in 1807 in Soulce, founded a watchcase factory in Murten. Until the formation of the watchcase factory in Murten he could already look back upon a rich life. For a long time he was a gunsmith in France (Havre) and as a consequence of his rich experience he made many technical and artistic inventions. Some of them were later even exhibited in Paris.

During this period Domon developed many valuable design, technology and watch making skills. Back in Switzerland Domon founded the Ateliers d’Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds (1845) and in Neuenburg (1849). He later relocated the Ateliers from Neuenburg (specialised in the manufacture of watch components) to Murten. There he founded the Fabrique d’Horlogerie Montilier (1852). Shortly afterwards the factory settled in Montilier, as the state offered attractive entrepreneurial conditions and industrial support programmes there.

His first partner was Constantin Dinichert (1832 – 1916), who originally came from Alsace. He was a watchmaker by trade and worked in the Montilier watch factory with precious stones as a sertisseur. He soon stood out as having excellent watch making knowledge. Domon recognised the potential in the young and brilliant Dinichert and henceforth worked together with him as a partner. They began to construct new technical features together, which soon gave Montilier a name for innovation and quality.


The Fabrique d’Horlogerie Montilier and the later Montilier Watch Co. received many awards at world exhibitions such as in Paris in 1878 and in 1889, in Liege in 1930 and in Brussels in 1935. The quality of these watches was so legendary that even military watches were manufactured until the 1950’s.