Fortis x Kenissi: Precision. Engineered.
Fortis works with Kenissi, the Le Locle movement manufacture co-founded by Tudor and partially owned by Chanel. Discover how Werk 13 and Werk 11 bring 70-hour autonomy, free-sprung regulation and chronometer precision to Fortis tool watches engineered for aviation, deep water and space-related missions.
When Engineering Standards Align
When collectors search for Kenissi, they are not browsing casually. They are researching mechanical credibility. They want to know which brands are trusted with one of Switzerland’s most respected modern movement manufactures.
Fortis is part of that circle.
Kenissi, based in Le Locle, has become one of the most respected independent Swiss movement manufacturers of the past decade. Its production model is selective. It does not operate as an open supplier. Partnerships are limited to a small number of brands whose technical standards align with its own.
For Fortis, that alignment was decisive.
The Industrial DNA Behind Kenissi
Kenissi was co-founded by Tudor and is 20 percent owned by Chanel. It operates from Le Locle in the heart of the Jura manufacturing corridor. Founded in 2016, it was created as the dedicated movement production arm supporting Tudor’s transition to proprietary mechanical calibres. Tudor itself was established in 1926 by Hans Wilsdorf, the co-founder of Rolex. That lineage still shapes the industrial culture behind Kenissi today. Precision through repeatability. Robustness through engineering. Reliability over spectacle.
At the core of its movements is a free-sprung variable inertia balance secured by a traversing bridge. This improves long-term rate stability and resistance to shocks. A 70-hour power reserve ensures the watch runs across an entire weekend. Bridges are solid. Torque delivery is stable and consistent, essential for professional watches with large hands and strong luminous material.
Kenissi supplies this movement platform to a select group of manufacturers including Tudor, Chanel, Breitling, TAG Heuer, Bell & Ross and Fortis.
Why Kenissi?
Fortis builds professional watches tested in space, aviation and deep water. That positioning demands a mechanical foundation that reflects the same seriousness as the case construction and design language.
The collaboration with Kenissi marked a deliberate evolution. It allowed Fortis to develop manufacture-level calibres built on a modern industrial platform while remaining fully independent as a family-owned Swiss brand.
From this partnership emerged two key movements: Werk 13 and Werk 11. Both are based on Kenissi architecture and developed according to Fortis performance requirements.
Werk 13: Modern Precision for Aviation and Travel
Werk 13 powers the Flieger Triple GMT and the Vagabond collections. It combines a 70-hour power reserve with chronometer certification and a free-sprung variable inertia balance engineered for stable long-term precision.
In aviation and global travel, mechanical reliability matters. Constant motion, shocks and environmental shifts require a movement that maintains amplitude stability and accurate timekeeping under stress. Werk 13 is built to deliver that consistency over years of daily wear.
It represents modern Swiss movement engineering configured specifically for Fortis tool watches.
Werk 11: Structural Reliability at 500 Metres
Werk 11 drives the Marinemaster M-44 platform, engineered for 500 metre water resistance.
Inside a professional dive case, torque stability becomes critical. Large hands, strong luminous material and high-pressure sealing systems place mechanical demands on the movement. Werk 11 maintains chronometer-level performance while delivering the durability required for underwater use.
Its construction is purposeful. Solid bridges. Stable balance system. Efficient winding. Extended power reserve.
A Limited Circle of Trusted Brands
Kenissi works with only a small number of manufacturers such as Tudor, historically connected to Rolex through Hans Wilsdorf, Chanel, Bell & Ross, TAG Heuer, Breitling and of course Fortis.
The structure is deliberate. Production is tightly managed in Le Locle. Partnerships are long term. Access to the movement platform remains selective.
For collectors researching which brands use Kenissi movements, this selectivity carries real significance. It reflects technical alignment, controlled manufacturing and sustained access to components and service. Fortis stands within that group as an independent Swiss brand trusted with this level of industrial precision.
The Standard: Industrial Discipline
In Le Locle, Kenissi builds movements to exact tolerances, with processes refined for stability, consistency and long-term performance.
In Grenchen, Fortis selects that platform and integrates it into watches engineered for demanding conditions. Seventy hours of autonomy. Free-sprung regulation. Chronometer precision. The standards are shared. The expectations are high. The mechanics are measurable.
This collaboration places Fortis within a rare circle of manufacturers trusted with one of Switzerland’s most disciplined movement platforms. The result is watchmaking grounded in engineering that earns its reputation over time.
Watch to Dive Deeper
