Our History
For almost 100 years, the von Burg family from Bettlach near Grenchen, at the foot of the Jura mountains, has been associated with the production of watches, and for over 25 years, SARO-Gem has been producing sapphire jewelry watches of extraordinary elegance and durability. Each watch that leaves our factory is individually hand-crafted and consecutively numbered. Working exclusively with Swiss partners, the company chooses high-quality materials and uses the most modern techniques, maintaining highest quality and reliability standards. Using only the most precious materials, our employees produce a limited number of unique creations.
Maybe you are courious why there is such limited amount of advertisement for SARO-Gem products. This is because our Jewelry Watches are often sold by customer referral and recommendation. You won't find our fine watches on display and for sale in jewelry stores, because we don't just want to be one of the many watch brands offered there, but THE fine watch you want to own. This is the reason why in Switzerland, our unequaled Jewelry Watches are on display and sold only at a few selected consumer trade shows. A personal consultation on our SARO-Gem show booth Calendar of Events allows to inform and educate you in great detail about our sapphire watches and show you many of the intrinsic details and advantages which make our watches so special.
And in such a way everything began......
In October of 1979, managing director Rolf von Burg Burg was on another business trip headed for the Middle East. Back then, his products where comprised of quite inexpensive watches, assembled without a sapphire glass and thus, where not very durable – one might compare them to a Swatch. Three things caught his attention:
1. People will buy expensive watches if the quality is right.
2. Watch glasses made from sapphire perfectly withstood the merciless way in which the people wore them, whereas steel or even softer materials were scratched after just a short while, showing unsightly wear or damage.
3. The brand name should have four to five letters maximum so that the public is able to grasp it quickly.
He traveled offering products under the brand name Electrowa, a name which people in the Middle East, and elsewhere for that matter, could not pronounce.
One night, after a hearty evening meal with a customer he was dropped off at his hotel. In his room – it was in the Red Sea Palace Hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – he prepared himself for the next day. Because he was not yet tired, he grabbed paper and pencil, sat on the big bed and started to think, how a durable yet appealing watch would have to be designed. It did not take long and the basic idea was born:
One would have to be able to "pull" the tried and tested stone over the whole watch. It shouldn't just be used for the watch glass or to cover the watch head; it should be used holohedrally all over the watch.
Very soon he had a few draft designs put to paper.
Back at the office, he immediately sat down with the designers and manufacturing engineers. Many prototypes where produced. Numerous changes and revisions followed until the proper form and dimensions which would give the band the necessary flexibility and comfort where developed. The team went to great lengths to verify and fine-tune the technical and economical manufacturing process for the bands.
Proudly, in July of 1984 and as a world's first, Rolf von Burg submitted a watch bracelet, it's surface completely covered with sapphire stones for model protection.