Rolex, Richemont and Patek Philippe acquire INCABLOC

SME Incabloc, specialising in impact protection systems for mechanical movements is adopted by three heavyweights in the industry.

INCABLOC

Founded in 1928 and headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds, SME Instabloc has specialised in shock absorbers, making it a crucial player in the global watchmaking industry.

The company is now poised for acquisition, which will solidify its role within the watch industry's ecosystem. All shares held by former owner and director Wilfred Zutter have been purchased by a consortium comprising Rolex, Richemont, and Patek Philippe.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INCABLOC AND ITS SHOCK ABSORBERS

The pivots and jewel bearings of the balance wheel are especially fragile and these were often damaged under an impact. Dropping a watch on the floor often meant fatal damages. This lack of resistance was one of the major weaknesses and causes of repair for mechanical watches until the invention of shock absorbers. With anti-shock systems, the jewels are mounted on springs allowing them to shift in their setting, in order to absorb radial, axial or diagonal shocks. The system re-centres instantly and perfectly the axis of wheels.

The newly developed shock absorbers allowed improving drastically the long-term precision and reliability of watches. To the point that the shock absorber became a mandatory component of any watch equipped with a Swiss lever escapement (99.99% of the watches).

Que es el “incabloc” o “shock resistant”? – WATCH REPAIR BELMONTE

Printing Incabloc on the dial became a sign of quality for watches (with the number of jewels). The Incabloc name, therefore, gained immense popularity in the mid-20th century.

A Technical Perspective - Incabloc, historical supplier of shock absorber for the watch industry

COMPETITORS

Incabloc faces competition from several other manufacturers of shock absorbers. Its primary rival is KIF Parechoc, established in 1944 and currently a part of the Acrotec Group. Similar systems are also developed by manufacturers like ETA, which produces Etachoc for ETA movements, and Rolex, which uses Paraflex for its movements. Internationally, companies such as Seiko and Citizen have their own shock absorber systems, known respectively as Diashock and Parashock.

Historique – Incabloc SA – Amortisseurs de chocs pour l'horlogerie mécanique

FUTURE

Wilfred Zutter, in the picture above, is the current company´s CEO. He has now announced his retirement and will remain in the company by the end of the year 2024. Wilfred wants to ensure the transition to the new management team. The previous production manager, Stéphane Girard who is in the picture below, was appointed as the new Director General.