[1] In 1985, businessman Miguel Rodríguez acquired Festina, a brand founded in Switzerland in 1902, thus forming the Festina-Lotus Group.

[2] In 1935 the founding-family transmitted the brand to businessman, Willy Burkhard von Wilhelm.

In 1975, Georges Uhlmann, an entrepreneur who had a significant presence in the Spanish and Italian markets, acquired the firm.

The Festina brand derived from the Latin "Festina lente" which means: "Make haste, slowly", a phrase that according to Roman historian, Suetonius, is attributed to Augustus Caesar, known for his prudence: "Walk slowly if you want to arrive at a well-done job sooner".

Today the Group, which has seven subsidiaries (France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland and Chile) is present in more than 90 countries on five continents with more than 5 million watches sold per year.