Switzerland does not really come to mind when considering the early semiconductor industry. However, when researching the data book by Derivation and Tabulation Associates (D.A.T.A):

I came across a number of devices by Ébauches S.A. of Neuchâtel, an important company in the business of Swiss watches. Why they got involved with early transistors is a mystery to me.

If you can provide more detail about this, please

ES3126 transistor

Nevertheless, it seems that they manufactured (or possibly had manufactured for them?) a number of germanium transistors. The 1962 D.A.T.A. book lists:

The D.A.T.A. Book of Discontinued Transistors 1969 lists these and also includes:

These are all germanium PNP alloy transistors, and seem to be general-purpose types. The ES311x ones use the TO-23 outline, the others TO-5. My image shows an ES3126, dated 1961, and ES3123 is listed on the superb radiomuseum site. They do not bear a manufacturer name or logo.

It seems to me that the size of these transistors would be unsuitable for use in watches, and anyway, were there watches in 1961 with germanium transistors inside them? Their purpose remains a mystery to me.

I would be interested to obtain examples of more of these types for my collection. If you know where I can get some, or can provide more information about them, please