The Penza Literature Museum displays a Billodes pocket watch that belonged to Pavel Ivanovich Zadornov, the father of the famous writer Nikolai Pavlovich Zadornov. The watch has an engraved and partially visible movement. The white enamel dial is decorated with floral patterns, featuring Roman numerals and a sub-second. Billodes was a brand of the renowned watchmaker and owner of the first major watchmaking company in Switzerland.
Georges Favre-Jacot was born in the Swiss town of Le Locle, in the watchmakers’ quarter of Billodes. When he was nine years old, he stopped attending school to study watchmaking. By the age of thirteen, he had already taken his first steps in the world of business. In 1865, when he was just 22, Georges Favre-Jacot organized the production of watches in his hometown. He built a watch empire with a total area of enterprises of 17,000 square meters. He even organized the construction of a railway to connect the workshops with the station in Le Locle and ensure the direct supply of raw materials. In the early 20th century, the renowned Swiss watch manufacturer employed over two thousand people. In 1900, the company expanded its range of products. The watchmaker’s nephew, James Favre, sold watches in North and South America, the Russian Empire, India, China, and Japan. The company opened branches in Moscow (1908), Paris (1909), Vienna (1910), and London (1914).
In Russia, the company’s watches were sold under the logo “Georges Favre-Jacot — Le Locle.” At the 1900 Paris World’s Fair, the company was awarded the Grand Prix for the exceptional quality of Zenith, its luxury watch brand. This phenomenal success led to changes and in 1911, the company was renamed Zenith. To this day, Zenith watches are considered among the most accurate and reliable in the world.
