Audax is a largely obscure brand with no official corporate history available. The research on this brand has been pieced together largely from surviving watches, online forums and a handful of adverts. A lot of the research is guesswork, as much of the material is unsourced, which is not unusual for a brand that likely ended during the Quartz Crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s (Quartz Crisis at Watch Wiki). Normally, I would add this to the Lesser known watchmakers page, but it took such a long time to research, we thought we would create a dedicated page.
The earliest reference to Audax is from Mikrolisk, the horological trade mark index, where the Audax and Labor trade mark was registered to Eberhard & Cie. / National Watch Manufactory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1902. However, the brand didn’t become readily available until around 1930. The exception is an Audax-branded trench watch, dating from 1914. In general, the Audax production appears to run through the mid‑20th century, from the 1930s to the 1960s. Known examples of Audax watches were typically marked “Swiss Made” and often housed Swiss movements, yet many cases were British, commonly Dennison. This suggests Audax was likely marketed in the UK (Eberhard & Co. at Grail Watch Wiki).
Audax watch range
The name Audax is Latin for bold, daring or courageous. Audax produced Swiss-made mechanical wristwatches for both men and women. The styles and materials varied: cases could be base metal or gold (often 9ct), with round or rectangular shapes. Movements came from reputable Swiss makers, for example, Venus and ETA, and were usually stamped “Audax”. Many Audax cases were made by Dennison or BWC (British Watch Cases, of Pentonville Road, London) in Britain. The vast majority of Audax watches are manual-wind, a few automatics appear, but these are rare. Audax watches could be found in retailers such as W.J. Huber LTD, 88-90 Hatton Garden, London (Venus watch movements at EmmyWatch).
Cases ranged from sleek dress styles to robust “All Risks” models. By the late 1950s, some Audax dials were marked “WATERPROOF” or carried an AR (All Risks) symbol for durability. However, divers or chronographs are notably absent. Audax seems never to have produced any high-end sport models.
Market position and quality
Audax watches were mid-market Swiss timepieces. They were better than budget department-store watches (Swiss movements and occasional 9 ct cases indicate a level of quality). However, they were far from the luxury level. In other words, Audax offered solid, dependable watches, sometimes with real gold cases, but without exotic complications. Durability was a selling point, as Audax emphasised with the “All Risks” guarantee logo (AR) and “Waterproof” labels in the late 1950s.
In practice, Audax watches tend to have clean dials and Swiss movements, and many survive in excellent condition today, which suggests decent build quality. However, there are no ultra-fine finishes or complications (even luminous hands or screw-down crowns are rare or absent). Collectors generally view Audax as a respectable vintage brand. Later Audax watches included higher jewel counts (up to 25) and shock protection (Incabloc).
The Fortis connection
In the 1950s and 1960s, Audax became closely linked with Fortis, a Swiss watch company. Late-model Audax dials often read “AUDAX/FORTIS” under a crown motif, and internal casebacks are stamped “Fortis Watch Ltd.”. This suggests Audax was used as a sub-brand or model name of Fortis, likely for the UK market. The exact business arrangement isn’t documented. Audax may have been a Fortis-owned marque or simply a brand Fortis marketed through British retailers. In any case, by the early 1960s, “Audax” watches were essentially Fortis-made dress watches, sharing movements and design cues with other Fortis lines.
Because the Audax/Fortis connection is inferred from surviving watches (no Fortis corporate history mentions Audax by name), it remains partly speculative. In the late 1950s, Audax was using Fortis components and imagery. However, it seems Fortis phased out the Audax link by the end of the 1960s, but the details are murky at best (Fortis at Watch Wiki).
The decline and end of Audax
All evidence points to Audax ending in the late 1960s. No Audax quartz watches emerged in the 1970s, which suggests the brand was dropped before the Quartz Crisis. Why Audax vanished is unknown. One possibility is that Fortis, which took over the name, decided to discontinue it around 1969–1970 when many Swiss brands were reorganised. In any case, after about 1969, the Audax name disappears entirely from advertisements and catalogues. We doubt we will ever see an Audax watch pass through our hands, but it was certainly interesting (and challenging) doing the research. If you have anything to add, please do so in the comments below.
Related content
Audax Watches at The Watch Forum.