Barostar
The town of Morteau in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France played a key role in the history of French precision instrument making. It was a cradle of micromechanics, where, since the late 19th century, watches, scientific instruments, and later — barometers — were manufactured. It was here, in the 20th century, that two independent but neighboring companies emerged:
- Barostar, founded in 1939 as a watchmaking company;
- Altitude, established slightly later in 1955, with a focus on precision meteorological instruments.
Both companies developed their own barometer mechanisms:
- Barostar in the 1950s;
- Altitude in the 1960s, followed by an advanced mechanism in the 1970s known as MECA (Mécanisme Économique Compact et Adapté).
Thus, Barostar and Altitude were parallel brands from the outset, producing competitive meteorological instruments and exporting them throughout Europe.
Barometers under the Barostar brand were manufactured from the mid-20th century. Initially, these were compact instruments in wooden cases, often shaped like a ship’s wheel, an anchor, or a lyre. The product range included:
- Aneroid barometers with mechanical capsules;
- Thermometers and hygrometers (often integrated into a single unit);
- High-quality finishes (oak, mahogany, brass, glass).
After the watchmaking division was closed in 1980, Barostar focused exclusively on meteorological equipment, including:
- Decorative indoor weather stations;
- Specialized nautical instruments;
- Export models for the UK, Germany, and Belgium.
In 1994, Barostar acquired the historic Paris-based workshop Panchet, expanding its archives and product range.
Baromaster appears to have been a product line or brand name used by Barostar in the 1950s–70s. At the time, manufacturers often created sub-brands for different markets. For example:
- Baromaster was used for interior decorative barometers with French-language dials;
- Barostar was reserved for professional or export models (including those with English-language scales).
The mechanisms and design of instruments under both brands were virtually identical. In some cases, the same housing could be fitted with a differently marked dial.
Altitude, for its part, actively produced barometers from 1955. In the 1970s, it developed the unique MECA mechanism, used in both wall-mounted and desktop weather stations. Altitude’s products typically featured:
- Casings made of metal or wood;
- Scales in hPa/mBar;
- Precise mechanisms suitable for both home and marine use.
After demand for analog instruments declined in the 1990s, Altitude ceased independent operations. In 2013, the Altitude brand was acquired by the Danish company Delite, which continues to produce meteorological instruments under this name.
Today, Altitude survives as a brand owned by Delite (Denmark), whereas Barostar and Baromaster have ceased production.
Together, these brands represent a distinct chapter in the French tradition of aneroid barometer craftsmanship — a postwar phenomenon that left a lasting mark on the history of meteorological instruments.
