The revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 caused many French watchmakers to flee the country for fear of being persecuted for their protestant faith. A number of them set up business again in Switzerland, around Geneva and Neuchâtel. .

The craft of making watches is based on tradition and highly-demanding skills. New technologies are now being used to compliment the irreplaceable experience of the specialist watchmaker. Michel Herbelin has continued to maintain the exacting standards that are vital to the making of the very finest timepieces.

 

The Michel Herbelin story began in 1947 in Charquemont, France in the heart of the Jura mountains - the home of watchmaking since the 18th century. Michel Herbelin was a passionate believer in traditional fine watchmaking and decided to make a stand against the new mass production techniques that were looming on the horizon and threatening to oust the old techniques.

In 1947, Michel Herbelin set up his own company with the avowed intention of making watches of the highest quality, to the same standards as the great names of the day. Herbelin worked in close collaboration with his suppliers and with the specialist laboratories in the region to come up with elegant, technically sophisticated creations that provided the basis for his burgeoning reputation. With the appearance of the company's logo in 1965, the Herbelin name became a well-known brand.

In 1972, Michel’s son, Jean-Claude Herbelin joined the company. The advent of quartz technology provided a boost for Michel’s creative instincts resulting in innovations noted by the watch industry such as extra slim watches and the wire bangle watches for which the brand became synonymous. When Jean-Claude took over as head of the company upon his father’s retirement, he steered the brand into a new phase, developing a brand image based on creativity and attention to detail through worldwide communication campaigns.

Today, the company is still run by Jean-Claude Herbelin and his brother Pierre-Michel. Now with a third generation of Herbelin family members involved in the company, Michel Herbelin is truly one of the only Independent watch manufacturers of note in existence. Michel Herbelin is an international brand and produces over 150,000 watches per year which are exported to over 50 countries worldwide. The brand is positioned in the middle of the market with the majority of the collection retailing from £250-£1000. In France, the brand is market leader in the mid market segment. In the UK and Republic of Ireland, Michel Herbelin is stocked by a strong network of over 350 leading quality jewellers.