Meet America’s Largest Manufacturer of Watchcases

By Phin Upham

Joseph Fahys was one of the first people in the United States to make cases for watches. He was an immigrant from France who would establish Joseph Fahys & Co., which was the largest manufacturer of watch cases in the United States at one time. Fahys founded the Jeweler’s Board of Trade and the Watchcase Manufacturer’s Association.

Fahys had bought the Savoye business on June 1, 1857, and he changed the name to be in line with his own. He moved the factory shortly after that purchase, and re-located it to the fourth floor of a New York City factory. That location didn’t last and the plant was relocated to New Jersey in 1861. That was the result of a connection he’d formed with the Fortenbach Brothers. The venture manufactured watch cases at an incredible scale. That volume created steady profit for five years. During that time, Fahys developed a passion for manufacturing and decided to sell off his retails stores in order to focus full-time on factories. He formed a join venture with another firm known as Wheeler, Parsons & Hayes to create the Brooklyn Watch case Company. For many years, his special silver watch cases were the boon of his manufacturing plant.

Fahys was passionately dedicated to his industry, and he recognized the value of a watch far beyond the dollar amount. His major contribution was to form the Jeweler’s Board of Trade and the Watchcase Manufacturer’s Association. The former helps jewelry business with information and marketing services, and still exists today.

About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or Facebook page.