Founded in 1973, Petitpierre SA is today a benchmark in the Swiss microtechnology industry, particularly in watchmaking. Recognized expertise, backed by technological excellence and a capacity for innovation that have won over space scientists.
The adventure began in 1973 in Cortaillod, in the Canton of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), one of the cradles of Swiss watchmaking. Freddy Petitpierre sets up a micromechanics workshop specializing in the manufacture of metrological components. Petitpierre SA quickly expanded its customer base and areas of expertise to include microtechnology subcontracting, tooling and automation, becoming a solid reference in the demanding field of watchmaking subcontracting with a team that now numbers 70 employees.
Boris Petitpierre played an active part in this development, joining the company founded by his father in 1991: ” The story is beautiful. It has never ceased to be written to the rhythm of our technological successes and innovations. In fact, we’ve kept pace with the demands and ambitions of end-product manufacturers who are constantly on the lookout for components that are as close to perfection as possible in terms of choice of materials, dimensions, surface finishes and geometric complexity. Our machinery and the talent of our teams have made the difference in meeting this market requirement. We’ve even met the expectations of CSEM in Neuchâtel, which has called on us several times, notably for titanium parts essential to its Space-X program for the exploration of the planet Mars. “
Assembly and tooling virtuosos
At Petitpierre, this requirement does not end with machining, but extends to automation. Whether for highly complex shapes, low mass or very small sizes, Petitpierre adapts to all the requirements of automatic assembly with an agility that appeals to the most prestigious watch brands and others. This invaluable expertise enables the Cortaillod-based company to come up with tools that don’t exist, but are simply essential to the customer’s rational and specific needs. From the dynamometric screwdriver to the eight-chiffre, from the bottom chasing jib to the diamond sorting sieve, Petitpierre takes on any tooling challenge if a need is clearly identified.
Innovation at Petitpierre means constantly striving to meet customer requirements, to streamline processes, save time and money, while improving the finished product. With this in mind, Petitpierre has also launched the innovative Drop-Lumen combination, with effective support from Acrotec R&D.
Drop-Lumen combines a high-performance cleaning module with a high-tech optical measuring device for demanding environments. This “cleaning-measuring” process is carried out directly at the output of the machines. ” Fifty years after the birth of the metrological components workshop created by my father, we can now consider that this metrology centre has come full circle,” says a delighted Boris Petitpierre.
It’s also in this spirit that the young company H2i has recently joined Petitpierre in bringing to market the ONEOF® products in the Accuracy range with the smallest watch-measuring instrument ever built, and the only acoustic instrument capable of measuring and demagnetizing a watch simultaneously.
The other highlight in Petitpierre’s history was the decision to join the Acrotec Group in 2016. ” This federation of companies sharing the same values really appealed to us,” says Boris Petitpierre. Our innovations and machines also serve other Group companies, and there’s a very healthy emulation between us to build joint projects. This group spirit and complementary skills are unique in Switzerland, and are what drive us forward. “
Since January 1, 2023, Vincent Rieder has become co-director of Petitpierre, alongside Boris Petitpierre, while also being director of Acrotec and H2i’s R&D division since 2020. A smart way to preserve Petitpierre’s historic values while preparing for the future, by taking advantage of this anniversary to launch a new logo with clean lines, a new graphic identity and a modernized website. These innovations are the perfect embodiment of Petitpierre’s constant drive to innovate and “stick” to markets, and to continue the company’s remarkable history of serving microtechnical excellence.
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