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 in 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 !
Flückiger made the dials for Mido for the MultiChrono, and I’ve also seen them on Minerva chronographs with the 13-20 movement.
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.
Here is a link and a picture of current Advertising http://nickhacko.blogspot.com/2017/08/so-what-is-your-dream.html
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.
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.
Yeah, it's a fun phrase. But did you have any idea that the Jeanneret dial makers were related to Le Corbusier???
Flückiger and Stern made dials for Hamilton back in the 1920's and 1930's, when the movements and cases were all US made. Here is the dial immediately above: Enjoy, gatorcpa
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.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/louis-jeanneret-silver-dial-vintage-502316670 In Italy we use other stronger exclamations
Really nice silver dial but it clearly needs help - and at 25mm I suspect even Ukrainians may not try the rescue. RIP Louis Jeanneret dial from La Chaux de Fonds.
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.