1793 - At Fontainemelon in Neuchâtel, Isaac and David Benguerel, Julien and François Humbert-Droz set up the first factory to make ébauches (movement blanks).; 1816 - Fabriques d’Horlogerie de Fontainemelon (FHF) built its first factory; 1856 - At Grenchen, Solothurn, Switzerland, Urs Schild, a schoolmaster, and Dr. Girard set up an ébauches factory, and the origin of ETA; 1876 - ETA expanded its operations and manufactures complete watches; FHF, now a limited company; 1896 - Adolf Schild-Hugi set up the AS ébauches factory in Grenchen; 1926 - ETA, AS and FHF and other companies created the company Ebauches SA though each company had its own product range. 1962 - FHF build new factory at Fontaines to manufacture pinions. 1969 - ETA takes over the Felsa ébauches factory at Grenchen; 1973 - FHF open factory in Sion to manufacture mechanical parts; 1978 - ETA and AS (A. Schild SA) merged; 1982 - ETA, FHF and EEM organizations were simplified with general management established in Grenchen, marketing at Marin and the chief production units at Grenchen, Fontainemelon, Sion, Les Bioux and Marin. November 1982 - SWATCH, a fashion watch made of synthetic material and based on an integrated system, produced and sold by ETA, successfully launched in the United States; 1985 - ETA SA Fabriques d’Ebauches took in all the activities done by Ebauches SA