A house of legend.

A century and a half of tradition
watchmaker in the service of the Navy.

Watchmaker for the French Navy, the Observatory of the Bureau des Longitudes, the Army’s geographic service and the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers.
Since its origins in 1854, Auricoste has been closely linked to French naval aviation. Its history gives it a special status in the world of watchmaking, where beauty and rigor of mechanism are the watchwords.

Its chronographs are considered to be the measuring instruments of choice by specialists and enthusiasts of watchmaking mechanisms throughout the world.

Its performance enables it to equip naval, air and land armies in France and abroad. Our measurement tools and models
are designed for robustness and perfect legibility to withstand the most extreme situations.

Chronology

1854

Creation of the house
by Emile Thomas

1900

Gold medal at the
Paris Universal

1905

World Fair of Liege

1910

World Exhibition
of Brussels

1925

Commissioning of the heavy cruiser Tourville
equipped by Auricoste

1926

Exhibition at the Decorative Arts

1935

Commissioning of the battleship
Richelieu equipped by Auricoste

1946

Commissioning of the Auricoste equipped aircraft carrier Arromanches

Equipment of the aircraft carrier La Fayette

1951

1954

Creation and development of the Type 20 model, whose flyback function became a standard imposed by the French Ministry of War. More than 2000 chronographs are delivered to the different French forces

1961

Equipment of the aircraft carrier Foch

1963

Commissioning of the aircraft carrier Clemenceau equipped by Auricoste

1964

Equipment of the helicopter carrier Jeanne d’Arc

1966

Collaboration with Patek Phillippe for the creation of electromechanical marine clocks and chronometers

1975

Equipment of the
anti-submarine frigate
marine Tourville

Equipment of numerous avisos and SNA submarines (such as the Rubis, the Perle…)

1980 – 2000

Auricoste equips Argentinian pilots with the Type 20 model during the Falklands War.

1982

1982

Auricoste equips combat swimmers and mine clearance divers
of the French Navy with
the Spirotechnique model.

2001

Commissioning of the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle with its Auricoste flight deck clock

2010

Auricoste revisits the type 20 and creates the type 52

2012

The Spirotechnique renews its confidence in the Auricoste company for the edition of its new diving watch Auricoste Spirotechnique

2019

Auricoste creates the type 26 inspired by its aviation counters

2020

Auricoste revisits the type 20 Flymaster model

2021

Development of a watch for the French demining service and creation of the ScubaMaster 300, worthy heir to the spirotechnique

Auricoste is a company that has never ceased to put its watchmaking expertise at the service of the French naval aviation industry. His expertise will be recognized worldwide by obtaining the gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1900.

Recognized for its reliability and expertise around the world, Auricoste received orders for over 30,000 chronographs during the Great War. In 1954, the French War Ministry ordered over 2000 Type 20 flyback models. In the 80s, Auricoste also equipped the French Navy’s combat swimmers and mine-clearing divers.

At the dawn of the 21st century, the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle is adorned by the Maison Auricoste with the large clock on its flight deck.
For 150 years now, the French Armed Forces have continued to place their trust in Auricoste and know that they can count on the reliability of the company, which has become a legend.

The Foch and Clemenceau aircraft carriers, avisos, 2000 frigates and SNA nuclear submarines are among the illustrious list of vessels equipped with Auricoste time networks, criss-crossing the world at the heart of the French Navy.