Edouard Fallet
Edouard Fallet was a watchmaker active in Saint-Imier in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Early Life
Edouard Fallet (about 1833-1897) came from Dombresson but lived in Saint-Imier by the 1883 survey of businesses. He is likely related to Ida Fallet, who married Saint-Imier watchmaker Jämes Favre-Fallet, brother of Zenith founder Georges Favre-Jacot.
Fallet married Marie Gerber and the couple had children and grandchildren.
He became involved in local organizations, including the society to promote business in the town. He represented Saint-Imier on the Société Intercantonale des Industries de Jura along with Ferdinand Bourquin in 1887, served on the central committee of the Fédération Horlogère that year as a patron member under James Perrenoud, along with Louis Muller, David Perret, Charles Reber, Louis Courvoisier, Frossard, and E. Montandon and continued in the position the following year. He was also a member of the Syndicat des Fabricants d'Horlogerie under H. Thalmann and remained a member until his death.
Jeanneret et Fallet
Edouard Fallet operated a watchmaking workshop on Rue du Midi there, started in 1866 according to a 1904 advertisement. It is likely that this refers to the firm of of Jeanneret et Fallet, which he started with watchmaking pioneer Jules-Frédéric Jeanneret. But the partners went their separate ways by 1880, with each continuing as his own namesake firm.
Edouard Fallet
In 1888 Fallet registered a logo for "Riverside Chrono Regulation" and "Riverside Watch Co" showing a castle with an onion dome under a crescent moon.
Fallet is listed as a specialist of pendant winding at Rue du Midi in Saint-Imier 89 in the 1880s, and Midi 14 by 1894. A 1904 ad claims medals at the exposition in Antwerp.
Fallet exhibited at the Geneva National Exposition in 1896, showing his watches for the English market and his patented anchor escapement, receiving a bronze medal. In 1897 Fallet exhibited an 18 ligne antimagnetic watch with a removable anchor escapement.
Death and Legacy
Edouard Fallet died on July 13, 1897 when his business passed to his widow Marie née Gerber. It was operated as Vve. de Edouard Fallet until 1920 when it was deleted following her death as well.
Under Marie the company produced a visible balance watch exploiting the 1902 patent (CH25157) of Edouard and Louis Fallet. The extra-thin 19 ligne watch capitalized on the turn of the century trend started by the Hebdomas 8-day watch with the exposed balance at 6. A 1908 advertisement promises a tourbillon escapement, though it is not clear if this was actually produced for sale.
Louis-Edouard Fallet
Louis-Edouard Fallet established a jewelry and engraving business in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1907 called Louis Fallet Fils house. He was also from Dombresson but lived in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is likely that he was the son or nephew of Edouard Fallet. The firm was located at Rue de la Montagne 38.
A watch model was registered on August 25, 1905, in the name of Louis Fallet and his son Edouard Fallet, both from Saint-Imier.
The company merged with that of Paul Schiffmann of Homberg (Thoune) as Fallet & Schiffmann in 1907. By this time the company had re-focused specifically on watch and jewelry decoration and was located at Rue Léopold Robert 38.
Patents
- CH9396, December 7, 1894 - Correcteur d'échappement à ancre pour montres. (Edouard Fallet)
- CH25157, January 8, 1902 - Montre à balancier visible. (Edouard Fallet and Louis Fallet)
- CH34394, August 25, 1905 - Montre. (Edouard Fallet and Louis Fallet) nullified in April 1908
- FR369039, August 20, 1906 (Édouard Fallet, son, with Louis Fallet)