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Original PRIM: How to tell

To make absolutely sure that the PRIM watch you have purchased or want to purchase was actually produced by a company, which has been the sole bearer of the Czechoslovak watchmaking tradition for more than 70 years, always check on the issued watch certificate whether ELTON hodinářská, a.s. is identified as the manufacturer. 


The logos found on our watches can also be a tell-tale sign. It was decided in 1958 to use the so-called "loaf logo" to brand wristwatches, wall clocks and alarm clocks from PRIM in Nové Město nad Metují. However, over time, the logo became old-fashioned and was considered too complicated and unsuitable for wristwatches. In 1969, after ELTON became an independent company, it was therefore decided to create a new logo. The task was assigned to an employee of the Nové Město plant, designer Josef Žid. He created a simpler, clearer logo PRIM  that met the requirements of the time. The "loaf" logo therefore disappeared and has not been used for the production of wristwatches in the factory in Nové Město nad Metují since the 1970s. 

So if you find a PRIM wristwatch with a loaf logo on the market today, it is not a product of ELTON hodinářská, a.s. Please also be aware of the fact that PRIM wristwatches bearing the current logo may be a product of our company, but may also be counterfeit, the manufacture of which we have nothing to do with. Every year, we are approached by a number of customers who mistakenly bought a PRIM watch bearing our logo, believing it to be an original product from Nové Město nad Metují. To prevent such mistakes, we strongly recommend that you verify the certificate before purchasing.

At present, our company produces three basic model lines. For watches with an in-house manufactory movement, i.e. with PRIM calibres of our own design, we use the PRIM MANUFACTURE 1949 logo. This emphasises the manufactory origin of the watches, which are created in the workshops of our company.

The PRIM MANUFACTURE 1949 logo is registered as a European trademark of ELTON hodinářská, a.s. and can therefore not be used by any other entity within the EU. It is therefore a reliable indicator of the origin of our watches.

The Nové Město arches are a symbol that has been synonymous with the PRIM brand for many decades. The symbol is a reference to the facades of the buildings on the square in Nové Město nad Metují. The production of wristwatches here has been uninterrupted since 1949. 

By using a logo inspired by the Nové Město arches, we emphasise the origin of PRIM watches. You will find it on all our watches with an in-house mechanical movement, as well as on all accompanying documents and promotional materials.


The logo inspired by the Nové Město arches is registered as a trademark of ELTON hodinářská, a.s. and can therefore not be used by any other entity on the market. The Nové Město arches are therefore also a clear sign that it concerns one of our products. 

Another name that you can find on our wristwatches is PRIM AUTOMATIC. We use this designation for models equipped with a high-quality Swiss movement. This designation is based on the history of the ELTON company - the dominant feature is the classic PRIM logo, as created by the designer Josef Žid in 1969, supplemented with the inscription “AUTOMATIC” in the form used since 1978 for watches with a modified automatic movement.  

We use a different PRIM logo for watches with a quartz, i.e. battery powered movement.  You will find this logo on some of our iconic watches, such as the Sport or DIPLOMAT, where the use of an extended version of PRIM MANUFACTURE 1949 would be at the expense of classic minimalist design.

Unfortunately, until the long-standing disputes over the PRIM brand are resolved, our company's products will still appear on the market next to watches which have nothing to do with the tradition and history of Czechoslovak and later Czech PRIM watches other than the logo. This logo is the most common reason for mistakes on the part of customers who buy a foreign product in the belief that it is an original watch from our company in Nové Město nad Metují. If you are not sure whether the watch you are going to purchase is really a product from ELTON hodinářská, a.s., please do not hesitate to contact us.

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