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Auguste Fiedler, Master of Modernist Watch Advertising

January 27, 2022 By Stephen 1 Comment

Although modern advertising is finely crafted, it can’t compare to the impact of the classics. To my eyes, the greatest watch advertisements came off the press of Auguste Fiedler of La Chaux-de-Fonds between World Wars I and II. His poster style advertisements mixed elements of German Plakatstil and French Art Deco movements, and are just as striking today as they would have been on the avenues of the 1930s.

Filed Under: Commentary, History Tagged With: Advertising, Buren, Cortébert, Cyma, Election, Elgin, Eterna, Excelsior Park, Fiedler, General Watch, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Leonidas, Oris, Revue, Tavannes, Unitas

Investigating the Origins of the Hebdomas 8-Day Watch

August 2, 2021 By Stephen 3 Comments

Last year I published an article on the long and complicated story of Hebdomas, the 8-day watch with the exposed balance wheel. As I discussed then, the watch dates all the way back to 1889 and remains in production to this day, a remarkably long life for a fussy old fashioned design! But I did not then have access to some of the sources of information that inform my research today, and a few readers pointed out some areas I missed. Today I am diving deep into the origins of the Hebdomas, the inventor Irénée Aubry, the watchmaker Arthur Graizely, and the industrialist Otto Schild.

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Arthur Graizely, Hebdomas, Irénée Aubry, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Marvin, Octava, Octo, Otto Schild

Eugène Meylan, Glycine, and the Fight Over the First Automatic Watch

July 19, 2021 By Stephen Leave a Comment

What was the first automatic watch? English inventor John Harwood certainly deserves credit, and his unusual design was produced in some volume by A. Schild, Fortis, and Blancpain starting in 1926. And Leon Leroy produced a few “perpetual” watches a few years earlier. But one watch that stands out among the many self-winding watches released following the expiration of Harwood’s patent in 1931: Eugène Meylan’s automatic winding module, produced in volume by Glycine and Pretto, was the first practical and widely-produced automatic winding mechanism. And the man behind it has a fascinating story of invention, entrepreneurialism, and dedication with a truly heartbreaking ending.

Filed Under: History, The Watch Files Tagged With: Altus, ASUAG, automatic, Bienne, Eugène Meylan, Gigantic, Glycine, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Montbrillant Watch Manufactory, Mulco

How I Uncovered Mulfi, Dulfi, and Henri Müller

June 25, 2021 By Stephen 3 Comments

I hope that this somewhat-pointless research project into Dulfi, Mulfi, and Henri Müller helps illustrate my approach to learning about the history of the watch industry and my reliance on primary sources for information. We can trace the foundation of Henri Müller & Fils with confidence and can definitely know the dates of establishment of Mulfi and Dulfi. We even have some images of ads and watches that came along the way.

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Breitling, Collectors Table, Delba, Dulfi, Europa Star, Fred S. Mandelbaum, Georges Caspari, Gigandet, Henri Müller, Indicateur Davoine, La Chaux-de-Fonds, La Fédération Horlogère, Montbrillant Watch Manufactory, Mulfi

What Does “Montbrillant” Mean to Breitling?

May 5, 2021 By Stephen Leave a Comment

What exactly does “Montbrillant” mean? Although the word has been associated with Breitling for over a century, the answer might surprise you! Montbrillant is not a person or even a place, really. It’s an idea, and represents brilliant marketing a century in the making!

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Breitling, Couleru-Meuri, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Léon Breitling, Octo, Saint-Imier

Hebdomas: The True Story of the 8-Day Pocket Watch

November 29, 2020 By Stephen 9 Comments

Spend some time looking at old watches and you’re bound to stumble across an unusual watch with an off-center dial, fancy exposed balance, and 8-day power reserve. The dial will likely say “Hebdomas” and “8 Jours” and not much more. Is this some exotic high-end watch or a mass-market pretender? That’s the story I’m telling today!

Filed Under: History Tagged With: 8-day, Aerowatch, Arthur Graizely, Baladin, Bienne, Hebdomas, Kolber, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Otto Schild, Schild & Co, Vincent Calabrese, Xantia

My Visit to the Swiss Jura, Home of Watchmaking

October 24, 2014 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Like many watch fans, I was enticed by the concept of visiting the picturesque mountains of French-speaking northwest Switzerland, the Jura region, home of so many of my timepieces. But I was not entirely clear on what this visit would entail. Most of the articles about such visits focus on special arrangements by manufacturers or general overviews of the towns in the cantons of Neuchâtel and Geneva. I would be traveling alone and unannounced, however. What would await me in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, Bienne-Biel, Le Sentier, and the rest?

Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: Geneva, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Jura triangle, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, Switzerland, Val-de-Travers, Vallée de Joux

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