The original purpose of the factory founded by Charles-Yvan and Hippolyte Robert in Villeret in 1 858 can be stated in a few words the assembly of watch movements from the ebauche factory in Fontainemelon. In 1878, Charles and Georges Robert followed in the footsteps of the founding generation. The managing triumvirate was completed in 1885 when Yvan Robert joined the partnership. The charactcristic V-shaped trademark with an arrow splitting the letters RF and V, stood for Robert Freres Villeret. It was officially protected in 1887.

At the turn of the century, the Robert brothers began manufacturing movements for pocket-watches. The first was the 18-ligne No. 1 movement with cylinder escapement, in production until 1941, as well as the No. 2 caliber 18- or 19-ligne movement with a Swiss lever escapement. These were followed in 1903 by the 19-ligne No. 3 caliber, noted for its superior finish. In 1908 Robert Freres introduced their first chronograph movement, the caliber 9 CH.

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It was only in 1923 that the name Minerva, goddess of farming, craftsmanship and science, appeared for the first time on the watch dials, followed by the renaming of the business as Fabrique Minerva, Robert Freres S.A. The production of wristwatches must have started at around that time. One of them was the refined 12 3/4-ligne caliber 13-20 CH chronograph movement which appeared on the market in 1923 at the top of the company's range.

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In the early 1930s, the world financial crisis forced the Robert family out of business. Thereafter the watch engineer, Jacques Pelot, and the mechanical technician, Charles Haussener, became responsible for the business. Their success was demonstrated by their appointment as the official time-keepers of the Olympic ski events at Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1936 and the introduction of a number of new movements. In 1940, Andre Frey, a nephew of Jacques Pelot, joined the management. Today Minerva is run by a third-generation member of the Frey family.

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19.08.2000 by Courtesy of Gisbert L. Brunner