
Based in La Neuveville on the shores of Lake Biel/Bienne, Capsa has been a well-established name in watchmaking subcontracting for 90 years, as well as a 100% Swiss made benchmark in the machining, assembly and finishing of metal components for the watch industry. This anniversary marks a wealth of unique industrial expertise and continued growth.
Camille Piquerez was founded in 1953 in the Jura town of Bassecourt, where it manufactured bicycles, first under the Jurassia brand and then under that of Stella. In 1951, Camille Piquerez moved to La Neuveville and began manufacturing watch components. At that time, Capsa employed 10 people in the factory as well as 15 working in their own homes and had 15 machines at its disposal. In 1958, the decision was taken to focus exclusively on the manufacture of spring bars, thus becoming the first to automate certain assembly operations and to use new Esco-type machines featuring tools revolving around the raw material. Camille Piquerez quickly became the watch industry’s largest producer of spring bars.
Today, Capsa employs some 180 people and has one of the largest fleets of bar-turning machines in the country, with 400 machines, 12 5-axis CNC machining centres and 30 automated bar assembly machines. It also has a 10,000sqm production area thank to the construction of a new building in 2017.
Over the years, Capsa has established itself as a benchmark in top-of-the-range watch decoration, combining expertise and exceptional know-how. Mastering the art of machining and assembly, the company excels in the manufacture of essential components such as bars, arbors, nuts, screws, pins, lugs, lugs and links. These parts plaiyng a key role in watch exteriors and mechanisms embody the company’s unique expertise and contribute to enhancing each exceptional watch.
In 2008, Daniel Streit acquired the majority of the shares and became company Chairman, while Camille Piquerez serving as Vice-Chairman and Paulette Piquerez as Director remained the sole partners. In 2022, Capsa joined the Acrotec Group, becoming one of its watchmaking flagships. In January 2024, after 25 years of exemplary commitment, Daniel Streit handed over his post as CEO to his son Kevin, aged 33.
January 30, 2025