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Swiss dial manufactures of the 1930s-1940s

  1. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Jul 24, 2018

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    Greetings everyone,

    for those who like watches from the 1930s-1940s, I've been wondering if there was anywhere a list of Swiss dial manufactures. An admittedly cursory search o the internet did not find one. So here's a start.
    Please feel free to update.

    Stern Frères -Genève used on:
    Longines -
    -certain Chronographs?-
    -certain Patek?
    -History: Purchased by Richemont in 2000
    https://www.lesechos.fr/28/06/2000/...mont-achete-le-fabricant-de-cadrans-stern.htm

    Flückiger & Fils - Saint-Imier- used on:
    -Longines
    -Mido Multi-Chrono (info @w154)
    - some Minerva chronos 13-20 (info @w154)
    -certain Patek?
    History: In "partnership" with Patek Philippe since 2004: became Cadrans Flückiger SA.
    http://www.fhs.swiss/fre/2004-11-08_345.html

    Lemrich - used on:
    Omegas (info @Tire-comedon) -
    -at least one US market Longines (mine - please supply if additional info).

    Louis Jeanneret - La Chaux de Fonds
    Tavannes (info @bubba48)

    Found the following indications on line which I previously had no idea about:

    Jean Singer -still in existence from 100 years ago (Swiss industry web portal and @STANDY)
    -Rolex, Omega, Heuer (info @Foo2rama)

    Cadrans Design SA i
    n La Chaux-de-Fonds (acquired by Bulgari in 2005 according to a Bulgari article - no idea whether it already existed in the interwar).

    Please contribute if you'd like !
     
    Edited Jul 24, 2018
    nitediver, Duracuir1, aprax and 17 others like this.
  2. w154 Jul 24, 2018

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    Flückiger made the dials for Mido for the MultiChrono, and I’ve also seen them on Minerva chronographs with the 13-20 movement.
     
    Edited Jul 24, 2018
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  3. STANDY schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector Jul 24, 2018

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    Jean Singer brand is still alive as I know a certain Australian watchmaker that visited their factories only last year to enquirer about having dials made.

    I am subscribed to Nick Hacko,s newsletter and he had a article about the visit.
     
    Syrte likes this.
  4. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Jul 24, 2018

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    Thanks gents, keep the info coming. I will keep updating.
     
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  5. STANDY schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector Jul 24, 2018

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  6. bubba48 Jul 24, 2018

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  7. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Jul 24, 2018

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    What a lovely watch! Thank you Bubba48.
    Here’s my Lemrich dial from a US market 1940s Longines. Those were delivered dial+movement to be cased in the US IIRC.
     
    24769241-DC51-4E43-89ED-76D30E5DF1BD.jpeg 103C848B-BDF6-4333-B958-57E4F09DF7A9.jpeg EF4439E0-D732-44F7-AD4A-3F0945004D00.jpeg
    Edited Jul 24, 2018
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  8. Foo2rama Keeps his worms in a ball instead of a can. Jul 24, 2018

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    Singer made for Rolex, Omega, Heuer.... to many to list.
     
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  9. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Jul 24, 2018

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    Holy macaroni @bubba48, as I'm googling away I am finding that Georges Edouard Jeanneret-Gris (1855-1926), a dial maker in La Chaux de Fond, is the father of none other than the architect Le Corbusier (Charles Edouard Jeanneret), who was born in La Chaux de Fonds.
    Le Corbusier built there for his parents a house called Villa Jeanneret.
    Here's from a book called "Le Corbusier, Choix de Lettres".
    https://books.google.fr/books?id=SOKNzunERUwC&pg=PA523&lpg=PA523&dq=louis jeanneret cadrans&source=bl&ots=E9n13telNN&sig=hgsYnk2tGydeGSaqrg9XR-kFWgU&hl=fr&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjuzq2Z2bjcAhVSecAKHR9IABgQ6AEIWjAM#v=onepage&q=louis jeanneret cadrans&f=false

    And according to Wikipedia, Le Corbusier as a young man first started studying engraving - and his first work was an artistic engraving on a watch case kept in the Beaux-Arts Museum in La Chaux de Fonds. :eek:
     
    Edited Jul 24, 2018
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  10. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Jul 24, 2018

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    Thank you !!
     
  11. bubba48 Jul 24, 2018

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    "Holy macaroni"??? ::confused2:: Je n'avais jamais entendu celui-ci... but I love it :thumbsup::thumbsup:
     
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  12. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Jul 24, 2018

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    Yeah, it's a fun phrase. But did you have any idea that the Jeanneret dial makers were related to Le Corbusier???
     
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  13. Dan S Jul 24, 2018

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    They don't say "holy macaroni" in Italy?
     
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  14. merchandiser Jul 24, 2018

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    How about holy guacamole?
     
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  15. gatorcpa ΩF InvestiGator Staff Member Jul 24, 2018

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    Flückiger and Stern made dials for Hamilton back in the 1920's and 1930's, when the movements and cases were all US made.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Here is the dial immediately above:

    [​IMG]

    Enjoy,
    gatorcpa
     
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  16. noelekal Home For Wayward Watches Jul 24, 2018

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    Hah! To think that I'd assumed that Singer dials were produced by the sewing machine people!

    Thanks Syrte for a real nugget of learning here.

    Thanks to you Gatorcpa for showing the Hamilton, both dial and drawing.
     
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  17. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Jul 24, 2018

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    Lovely! :thumbsup:
     
    Als 27 likes this.
  18. bubba48 Jul 25, 2018

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  19. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Jul 27, 2018

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  20. Fialetti Jul 27, 2018

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    He also built the Villa Schwob for Anatole Schwob, whose father had co-founded Cyma. Unfortunately the project went over budget and Schwob sued for damages, inducing Corb to leave for Paris. The rest is history.

    P.S He also built the Villa Favre-Jacot for the founder of Zenith.
     
    Edited Jul 27, 2018
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