Piccola & Jofrette - History, Models and Owners' Reviews

Piccola & Jofrette is a Swiss watch brand founded in 1914 in Biel/Bienne by Charles Perret, Georges Flury, and Fernand Engel; revived today on its historic site, it positions itself as a “100% Swiss” house producing small-batch, classically styled mechanical watches with a supply chain made exclusively of Swiss partners.

Biel 1914, Perret–Flury–Engel: from origins to a local revival

The company was launched in spring 1914, when three Biel entrepreneurs set up a workshop on Champagne Street — now Chemin Frédéric-Ingold — in a district teeming with watch factories, and this geographic rooting explains the brand’s current insistence on strictly Swiss manufacturing.

After an early life under the Piccola and Joffrette names and a structure shared with other entities, the name returns in the 21st century with a clear aim: produce contemporary watches that respect a mid-century aesthetic and a local supply chain, and build a tight offer around a single, durable core model.

Operationally, the brand is hosted within an established Biel manufacturer, enabling shared industrial capacity while keeping close control of components and finishing, and this networked setup shortens the path from design to production to client.

Fifties design and 9.6 mm ergonomics: the PJ1 grammar

The chosen look nods to 1950s watches: satin/polished steel case, fluid lugs, sober typography, soft-contrast dials (blue, anthracite, silver, eggshell) and pared-back hands for clarity, and the 9.6 mm thickness gives the model uncommon versatility under a cuff.

The 39-mm diameter pairs with a ~46.6-mm lug-to-lug that sits naturally on most wrists, while sapphire crystal and a stated 100-m water resistance place the piece on the “serious daily” side, and overall ergonomics favour discretion over spectacle.

Inside is a proven Swiss small-seconds calibre (ETA 2895-2), chosen for long-term serviceability and smooth running, and this movement choice supports a balance of tradition and real-world use.

PJ1 family: dials, variants and Swiss-sourced straps

The current collection centres on a single family offered in four dial hues with straps produced in Switzerland within roughly 70 km of Biel/Bienne, and this restrained range keeps decisions simple without losing character.

• Piccola & Jofrette PJ1 Blue — fine-grained blue dial, applied markers, small seconds; warmth/coolness shifts with strap pairing.
• Piccola & Jofrette PJ1 Anthracite — a more graphic, modern read that retains the line’s classic proportions.
• Piccola & Jofrette PJ1 Silver — the most versatile bright tone, ideal for maximising dial light.
• Piccola & Jofrette PJ1 Eggshell — lightly textured eggshell tone, the series’ most overt mid-century signature.

Notably, straps use Swiss leathers — Frutiger sturgeon (patinated or natural) and Swiss red deer — tanned without artificial dyes in Steffisburg, then hand-stitched in Riedbach, and an “Easy Change” clip allows tool-free swaps.

The coherent recipe — sober dials, slim case, small seconds at 6, local straps — yields a watch that is both discreet and immediately legible, and identity comes from proportion and restraint rather than adornment.

“100% Swiss” anchoring: regional partners, 70-km radius and traceability

The maison states that all components are developed and manufactured exclusively with Swiss partners located in a regional triangle (La Chaux-de-Fonds, Biel and surroundings), and this claim goes beyond the legal threshold of “Swiss Made”.

In practice, cases, dials, hands, movements, casing-up and QC are announced as Swiss-executed, with goals of safeguarding trades, reducing transport and ensuring long-term parts support, and small-series production is treated as an industrial choice as much as a quality criterion.

Public messaging emphasises authenticity, social and environmental responsibility and transparency on key steps; where information is lacking, the brand avoids over-promising, and this editorial restraint fits an engineering-first, marketing-second attitude.

Positioning, price, distribution and buyer profiles

Published entry pricing for the Piccola & Jofrette PJ1 sits around CHF 2,500 depending on variant — unusual for a watch presented as “100% Swiss” with local components — and the value proposition turns on restraint, finishing and traceable sourcing.

Distribution blends direct sales and targeted showings at Geneva watch weeks, complemented by international editorial coverage, and this short channel helps preserve price coherence and attentive service.

Core buyers include fans of well-made, classical watches who value a local supply chain, along with customers seeking a single do-it-all piece rather than a large rotation, and most decisions hinge on dial and strap hue, not on deep technical sub-references.

Historical cues: Piccola, Joffrette and the Glycine neighbourhood

Soon after the founding, the Piccola and Joffrette names coexist in the Biel ecosystem alongside other houses, and records show a corporate styling linking Glycine, Piccola & Joffrette in the 1910s, and this industrial proximity enriches the name’s heritage without diluting identity.

Continuity through the 20th century was not linear, but today’s reboot reframes the past through regional manufacturing and timeless design rather than literal re-edition, and heritage serves as a discreet compass rather than a constraint.

This method — few references, much care per piece — matches a broader independent trend that favours substance over spread, and buyers gain range clarity and longer-term support as a result.

Conclusion

By reviving a century-old Biel name around a single slim, legible watch, Piccola & Jofrette offers a straightforward path: tidy mid-century design, Swiss components and pricing that stays restrained for the supply chain claimed. Decide first by dial colour and strap material, then by the overall mood you want (warmer, cooler, brighter). To confirm your pick with day-to-day feedback — comfort, strap wear, finishing durability — the most practical compass remains Dialicious customer reviews.

(Updated August 2025)