The Grovana factory is located in Tenniken, a town in the northwestern part of Switzerland, near Basel. The company is privately owned and has remained independent under the stewardship of the Bitterli family for over 30 years. Today, the company employs 40 people, with 25 are working in production facilities and 10 in administration.

Grovana is a historic Swiss watch manufacturer, founded in 1924.

Hans and Walter Gröflin established H. and W. Gröflin Uhrenfabrik AG in Tenniken, specializing in the production of affordable pin-lever Roskopf movements for the mass market.
Up to the 1970s Gröflin made mechanical watches that were always state of the art.

In 1961, Hans Gröflin founded his own company, Hans Gröflin AG, constructing a new factory building at Bisnachtweg 42.
In 1970, Werner Bitterli acquired the company, renaming it Grovana Uhrenfabrik AG and shifting focus from manufacturing movements to developing a proprietary watch collection under the Grovana name.
The production of watch movements is gradually being reduced whilst the development of the company’s own collection of watches simultaneously starts under the name of Grovana.

During the 1970s, Grovana expanded into new markets and phased out Roskopf pin-lever watches by 1972, recognizing the rise of electronic timepieces.
During the 1980s, amidst the greatest crisis in Swiss watchmaking history – when demand for mechanical watches sharply declined – Grovana adapted quickly by introducing quartz analog watches, becoming one of the first Swiss brands to do so. Due to high demand, the production premises were expanded for the first time. Thanks to its flexibility, Grovana successfully weathered the Swiss watch industry crisis, when many competitors failed.

This technological know-how enabled Grovana to open up new markets. As early as 1982 80 % of Grovana’s output consisted of analog quartz movement watches. In 1999, a second expansion of the premises was required to optimize warehouse and shipping capacities.

Between 2000 and 2001, Grovana signed a license agreement for the production and global distribution of Revue Thommen watches. Mechanical movements for Revue Thommen watches were acquired under license, and Grovana decides to produce his own movements again and sell them exclusively under the Revue Thommen brand. (Revue Thommen is a Swiss brand founded in 1859, known for producing luxury wristwatches and aviation instruments.) In 2003 the production premises were extended for a third time to improve the production processes. The resulting Grovana made his own exclusive mechanical manufacture movement under the name of GT (Grovana Tenniken) in 2006.

In 2012-2014, the rights to the Revue Thommen brand passed to the joint company GT Thommen Watch Co. founded together with several partners in 2012. Grovana transferred its license for the production and worldwide distribution of Revue Thommen watches to GT Thommen Watch AG.

Grovana Watch Co. Ltd. celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024.

As of 2020, Grovana produces on mass-market Swiss watches under the Grovana and Swiss Alpine Military brands. Currently Grovana factory has areas of activity: SWISS ALPINE MILITARY by Grovana, Revue Thommen timepieces, GROVANA watches (Swiss Made Since 1924), and the manufacture of GT Movements.

In recent years the company has achieved annual sales increases of between 5% and 15%. Today, Grovana exports to over 80 countries and presents its collections annually at numerous European and international trade fairs.

A new administrative and factory building wing came into service in January 2000. The entire components warehouse was brought together in this new building and at the same time new forwarding unit was put into operation. This means all work process connected with watch manufacture are now more optimally organized Additionally, Grovana established a watch factory in Tessin in southeast Switzerland to reduce the cost of production but remain “Swiss Made”.

Swiss Made is the standard at Grovana
Swiss Made is the standard at Swiss Alpine Military by Grovana

The first Swiss Alpine Military collection was launched in 1998. Today, the annual production volume is around 30,000 watches, encompassing over 120 references across collections dedicated to military, diving, aviation, and marine themes.
These are authentic Swiss watches featuring a distinctive cross on the dial – offered at surprisingly affordable prices.

The Swiss Military name and the red cross logo are owned by the Swiss army, so you would have to pay a license fee to the government to use them. However, Swiss Alpine Military is a registered trademark owned directly by Grovana – meaning no licensing costs, resulting in better affordability for customers.

The art of watchmaking has a long tradition in Switzerland. Quality and precision, durability and reliability are summarized in one label: “Swiss-Made”. For this purpose, at least 60 percent of the manufacturing costs for the end product must be incurred in Switzerland, and at least half of the value of the components must be manufactured there. In addition, it’s necessary that the technical development also originates in Switzerland. So are the stringent regulations.

All Grovana watches meet these legally stipulated Swiss quality standards and even exceed them. Nevertheless, Grovana offers their quality watches at an extraordinary price-performance ratio. Thanks to long-term supplier relationships, flexible production, and loyal customers, Grovana focuses on what matters most: crafting watches that inspire and last a lifetime.

In addition to excellent technical innovation, the family business in Tenniken places great importance on sustainability and regionality, preferring Swiss suppliers whenever possible. As one of the few companies still employing trained watchmakers, Grovana can manufacture its collections by hand, allowing rapid adaptation to increasing demand and emerging trends. Swiss Alpine Military by Grovana focuses on high-quality, durability and first-class care. These standards are constantly being refined through new innovations which result in a wide selection of excellent automatic and quartz watches.

Sapphire Crystal Glass: The robust sapphire crystal is absolutely scratch-resistant and is only surpassed in hardness by diamond, the hardest material in the world. “The king of watch glasses” is Swiss Alpine Military by Grovana’s quality standard and is highly appreciated by watch enthusiasts.

Quartz Movement: For years, Swiss Alpine Military by Grovana has relied on Ronda’s reliable Swissmade quartz movements, which are manufactured with the utmost precision and care. Many of them contain complex calibers with high-level multifunctions.

Automatic Movement: A Swissmade automatic movement is the absolute heart of every Swiss Alpine Military by Grovana automatic watch. Swiss precision, quality and reliability are combined to create the epitome of watchmaking excellence. Manufacturing at the headquarters in Tenniken.

SLC1 Superluminova․ Good readability is a key feature of quality Swiss watches. To ensure this even in the dark, Swiss Alpine Military by Grovana uses SLC1 Superluminova in many models. The luminous material is integrated on the hands and index and makes them glow in dark surroundings.

Zirconia Gemstones: The sparkling gemstones give selected Swiss Alpine Military by Grovana ladies’ watches that certain something. Highly crafted and brilliant-cut, each stone is individually set (not glued) into the case to guarantee that the gemstones will remain perfectly attached for years to come.

PVD Coating: The term PVD stands for ‘Physical Vapor Deposition’ and is one of the most technologically advanced coating processes. The biggest advantages include a smooth surface, optical enhancement without discoloration and very good adhesion.

Water Resistance: Each watch produced in the Swiss Alpine Military by Grovana factory undergoes a number of tests and checks during the manufacturing process, including water resistance. This tests the watch’s ability to withstand pressure and shock, as well as prevent the penetration of dirt, dust and water.

Genuine Leather Strap: The stylish Swiss Alpine Military by Grovana leather straps made of genuine calfskin underline the high-quality standard of Swiss Alpine Military by Grovana. Equipped with a noble buckle, the strap nestles perfectly around the wrist after only a short time of wearing and promises the highest wearing conformity.

316L Stainless Steel: The 316L stainless steel is extremely robust and therefore perfectly suitable as a material for Swiss Alpine by Grovana watch cases and metal bracelets. The steel is very resistant to corrosion, its shine remains over time and does not dull.

Swiss-made watches are synonymous with quality. It comes hand in hand with a centuries-old tradition of watchmaking in the country. But the Swiss tradition has been practiced less and less by local watch manufacturers in recent decades. “Too expensive and too time-consuming”, is what has been said, as with so many activities that cannot be carried out by machine. Grovana, on the other hand, has continuously developed its watch manufacturing in Tenniken, and has expertly adapted it to the zeitgeist.

Grovana has always manufactured affordable, high-quality watches itself. Highly trained watchmakers emphasize the quality and durability of the watches in the family business in Baselland every day. Combining the latest technology and in-depth specialist knowledge with decades of experience, Grovana creates watches to be worn and admired for a lifetime.

More than half of the manufacturing costs are incurred in Switzerland — often much more, depending on the model. Grovana carefully sources components from trusted Swiss suppliers whenever possible, ensuring top-quality products.

To top it all off, there is a 3-year worldwide guarantee on every watch that has been manufactured by the hands of Grovana professionals.

Brand’s idea: Swiss Military watches can refer to various brands that produce watches specifically for sport or military use or are designed to meet possible military specifications.

Design and Features: These watches are often built to higher durability standards, focusing on functionality, reliability, and toughness. They may include features like water resistance, shock resistance, and precise timekeeping.

Target Audience: These watches often marketed towards sport, active individuals and military personnel who require rugged timepieces.

There are three long-lived Swiss brands that have the words Swiss Military in their name. Swiss Alpine Military by Gronova, Swiss Military by Chrono, Swiss Military Hanowa claim to have military mechanisms.

See the histories of the last two:
The Swiss Military Hanowa brand was created in 1990 by Hanowa (established in 1963), which initially produced sports watches. According to the manufacturer, all of the company’s offerings are sports watches that meet all of the principles of the Swiss Army. Officially licensed by the Swiss Confederation, it highlights the values of the Swiss armed forces: robustness, endurance as well as the ability to perform under extreme conditions․

Since 1994 Chrono AG (established in 1981) created its brand Swiss Military by Chrono. Swiss Military by Chrono watches are an official licensed product of the Swiss Confederation (represented by Armasuisse) and stand for authenticity, quality and Swiss origin. All SWISS MILITARY by Chrono watches are equipped with movements of the renowned Swiss movement producer ETA, Ronda and Sellita. Swiss Military by Chrono joins forces with the Swiss Confederation in establishing the image of the Swiss Military brand in a global context – reliability, precision, quality and innovation being its trademarks.