The first german watch movement After years of pioneer work Josef Bidlingmaier could in 1928 introduce the Caliber B2025 as the first self developed and manufactured watch movement. It is the first form movement specially for watches built in Germany. Also it is the first watch movement with anchor lever of german production. On the ¾ bridge of the movement was the signature ”BIFORA” (BI= Bidlingmaier, FOR= Formwerk, A= Ankerhemmung) and ”D.R.G.M.“ (Deutsches Reichs-Gebrauchsmuster). In 1934 the trade mark ”Bifora” was registered and the company renamed in ”Bifora-Uhren J. Bidlingmaier Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung”. The company J. Bidlingmaier developed to one of the leading German watch manufacturers and the watches had an excellent image. Bimag - the first german automatic movement 1951 the caliber 103 SA was introduced as the first German automatic movement. 1962 Bifora introduced the first German ladies automatic caliber, caliber 70 with 7 ¼ lines, to the market. In the same year also a new Bifora-Automatic mens watch was introduced. The caliber 910 was based on an inexpensive pole construction. Chronometer Bifora ”Unima” 1955 the caliber 120 in the form ”Unima” was presented as a very successful handwind-chronometer movement. The Bifora ”Unima”-Chronometer were besides the Chronometers of Junghans and Laco the top products of German watch production. Quarzwatches Already in 1967 working prototypes of the electromechanical movements B8 and B9 were shown, but only in 1971 the calibers B10/B11 were functional electromechanical products in serial production. Bifora then could show an own quartz movement in 1973 with the caliber B12. A lot of parts of the B10/B11 (i.e. plates and bridges) could be reused. With the ”flat-line” and the calibers B17/B18 Bifora could then in 1977 show the worldwide slimmest quartzwatch with a hight of 3,0-3,2 mm, where the case and basetplate were produced from one piece. The end Josef Bidlingmaier died on 20. January 1967 and his two sons took over the management of the company. Regardless of massive personnel cut, in 1977 with in the end 270 workers they had to claim bankrupt. 1978 the former repräsentative of the company in middle east, the India high merchant Hiranand Gajria, took over Bifora. The produktion in Germany stopped finally in 1983and the factory was closed down. Also in India the watch production was finally closed down in the 1990s. The new aera In 2011 a small team started again by founding the ”Bifora Uhren-Manufaktur GmbH”. They want to produce high quality mechanical watches in the old tradition but following the modern demand. And so they could show in november 2014 the JB-60, the first Bifora-watch since 30 years. The name reminds at the founder Josef Bidlingmaier and the edition of 60 pieces. 60 original caliber 130 from 1965 were used. They have been generally fixed and exceptionally refurbished and polished. All parts of the watch, as of their pretention, are produced in Germany and Switzerland. The case for example is produced in Pforzheim, the band in Augsburg. The dial and hands are made in Switzerland. The business model did not succeed and was closed in a friendly way. The brand name stayed with the former owner. the 60 watches were sold with the assistance of the Bifora Freundeskteis e.V. Until today exists a sale office of the indian owners of Bifora in the former manufactoring site and offers modern Bifora watches of the indian manufacturing. Brand museum 2009 the association ”Bifora Freundeskreis e.V.” was founded. Since 2014 a museum managed by the Bifora Freundeskreises e.V. was founded in a side wing of the former manufacturing site and documents the companys history by i.e. all ever built movements and many other artefacts. To maintain and keep the museum alive every now and then small series of watches from still existing new old stock movements are created for specific Schwäbisch Gmünd city events. They are remainders of the production of 1980 and are combined with new cases and dials designed and manufactured by the Bifora Freundeskreis e.V..
Excerpt and translated from Wikipedia https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bifora-Uhren
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