Wakmann

WAKMANN History In 1895, Mr. Wakmann was born in Russia with Jewish origins. 1943 – During WWII In the early stages of World War II (WWII), Mr. Wakmann started his watch business in Portugal and had been representing several high-end European watch brands. At the same time, warfare was spreading across Europe in rapid pace. During the Holocaust, the Wakmann family devoted great efforts in assisting refugees from the Nazi horror. During WWII in North America, many American watch companies were put at a disadvantage. Their production was switched to war products, while the Swiss watch manufacturers produced watches for war efforts and civilians. As a result, the U.S.government decided to support the American watch industry. The Swiss Watch Import Act was subsequently formed, and the U.S. Department of Commerce started to impose custom duties on high-end imported Swiss watches.