Camille Flotron
Camille Flotron (1886-1941) was head of a mainspring factory called Resist SA and was active in many watchmaking organizations, including UBAH and ASUAG, where he was a founding board member. He died in a motor vehicle accident with Robert Guye on May 7, 1941.
Biography
Camille-Adrien Flotron was born in Saint-Imier in 1886. He was educated in business in Bienne, Geneva, and London and returned to work in the watchmaking industry in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Flotron was first employed by the Ulysse Sandoz-Robert mainspring factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds. A promising manager, he took over the firm in 1911. Flotron married Maria Elisa Perrenoud of Neuchâtel in 1915, making him a nephew of the late Paul Perret, originator of Invar balance springs. Flotron remained close to Perret's widow, Amélie Perret née Perrenoud, who was his wife's aunt.
In 1916 Flotron was made managing director of Verreries Nationales Suisses, a glass-making factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds. He retained ownership of the mainspring factory, however, and was better known for this work. He also served as vice chairman of the board for Girard-Perregaux from 1918.
Flotron's management of the leading balance spring workshop earned him a seat on the board of the Soclété Suisse des Fabricants de Ressorts, and he was president of the group from 1930 until his death.
He was well-known throughout the watchmaking region, both as an industrialist and merchant. He was head of a watch spring factory called Resist SA and a watchmaking supply business, and was also President of the Union of Horological Auxiliary Branches (UBAH), a position he held without interruption from 1933 until his death.
Flotron was active in the preliminary work that led to the establishment of UBAH in 1929 and supported the group during the first years of its existence. He became president of UBAH in 1933.
When ASUAG was formed in 1931 Camille Flotron represented spring makers on the board.
Robert Guye and Camille Flotron were killed when their car was hit by a train in La Chaux-de-Fonds on May 7, 1941. They were returning home after a UBAH meeting.
Obituary
Camille Flotron (1886-1941) was a Swiss businessman and military officer known for his exceptional leadership qualities and commitment to the horology industry. After receiving a solid commercial education in Bienne, Geneva, and London, Flotron became an employee at the Ulysse Sandoz-Robert spring factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1911, he took over the company and soon became actively involved in the horology industry.
Flotron was a member of the local committee of the Swiss Association of Spring Manufacturers and later joined the central committee of the Union of Allied Branches of Horology (UBAH). He eventually became the president of UBAH in 1933 and worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this important organization. Flotron was also an effective representative of UBAH within the Swiss Watch Industry Holding Company (Superholding).
Despite his successful business career, Flotron was also a passionate military officer. He was already a young officer in the previous war and later became a captain in World War II. In this role, he was responsible for the soldiers' well-being, including sports, leisure, and social activities. Flotron's leadership and dedication to his duties were evident throughout his military career.
Tragically, Flotron's life was cut short in 1941 when he died suddenly in a car accident. He was returning from a TUBAH meeting when the taxi he was in was hit at a railroad crossing in Corcelles. Flotron's death was a great loss to the horology industry, the military, and his friends and colleagues.
Despite his short life, Camille Flotron left behind a legacy of leadership, dedication, and hard work. His friends and colleagues remembered him as a lively and good-natured person who always spread joy wherever he went.