Olma

By Bruce Shawkey

Olma was a brand name of Numa Jeanin S.A. Fleurier, a small company in the canton of Neuchatel, founded circa 1917. They originally made keyless wind pocket watches, gravitating toward wristwatches with several brand names, including Allmaster, Manu, and Sonya. The brand name "Olma" eventually came up. An ad in the March/April 1954 issue of Swiss Horological Journal shows an automatic model with 17 jewels and an Incabloc shock-protected balance. Their trademark pictured an anchor, a plumed helmut and ornate leaves over a shield with "Jeannin" and a small figure on a flower.

The brand name was picked up in 1952 by the Dean Company, Daytona Beach, Fla., and the brand name survived as late as 1963. Here is the ad for the Olma watch in the 1954 issue of Swiss Horological Journal.