1884: Alfred Lugrin, a self-taught watchmaker, settled in Le Sentier with four people to assemble chronographs on ébauche movements supplied by the Hahn company in Le Landeron.
1890: Construction of a Lugrin factory in L’Orient, where various operations were carried out, such as marking, drilling, tapping, milling, contouring, and finally assembly.
1895: Alfred Lugrin was commissioned by a company in Besançon to manufacture a chronograph-counter of his own invention.
1900: The company began producing complete watches.
1906: The Lémania trademark was registered.
1908: Opening of assembly workshops and a sales office in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
1912: Marius Meylan was hired and modernized the company.
1915: Introduction of the first wrist chronographs.
1917: Marius Meylan married the daughter of Alfred Lugrin.
1920: Death of Alfred Lugrin, after which Marius Meylan took over the company.
1932: Lémania Lugrin S.A. in L’Orient joined the Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère S.A. (SSIH), headquartered in Geneva. This group included the brands Omega, Louis Brandt & Frères S.A. of Biel, and Charles Tissot & Fils S.A. of Le Locle.
1942: Introduction of the famous calibre 27 CH, which at Omega became the calibre 321, used in the Speedmaster model.
1949 and 1956: Expansion of the facilities.
1980: Due to difficulties, the SSIH decided to close the Lémania factory.
1981: The company, taken over by a private group of shareholders, resumed activities under the new corporate name: Manufacture d’Horlogerie Nouvelle Lémania S.A.
At that time, the manufacture was the leading producer of mechanical chronographs. It also specialized in complicated watches, both mechanical and electronic, perpetual calendars, minute repeaters, tourbillons, extra-thin calibres, as well as mechanical timing devices for sports and industry.
1982: Nouvelle Lémania acquired Heuer-Léonidas.
1985: TAG (Technique d’Avant Garde), a major holding company based in Jersey, founded in Luxembourg in 1977 by the Syrian-Saudi businessman Akram Ojjeh, acquired both manufactures to create TAG Heuer.
1992: The Investcorp group (Persian Gulf), owner of Breguet, acquired Nouvelle Lémania.
1999: The Swatch Group took over Breguet and Lémania.
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