Glycine

Glycine (originally "La Glycine") is a watch brand established in Bienne in 1914. Originally focused on watches for women, Glycine was a pioneer of automatic watches and 24 hour watches.

La Glycine

The firm of Fabrique d'horlogerie La Glycine was formed as a joint-stock company based in Bienne on March 2, 1914. The company was formed for "manufacture and trade in watches" with share capital of 70,000 francs divided into 70 registered shares. The board of directors consisted of Charles Perret, banker for the private bank of Perret & Cie of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Georges Flury from Mümliswil, and Fernand Engel from Eggiwil, both of whom lived and worked in Biel. The company was originally located at Bözingenstrasse 50a, but moved to a new factory at Champagne-weg 1a on September 1.

The company quickly registered the brands "Glycine" and "Piccola" and patented a number of compact movements for these watches. Another brand, "Joffrette", was registered in 1915 following the similar brand "Joffrench". A distinctive crossed flags logo with "L. G." was registered in 1916 and the company was officially renamed "Fabrique d'horlogerie La Glycine, Piccola & Joffrette" that year.

In 1922 the board was reorganized with specific positions, though management remained the same. Charles Perret, now residing in Geneva, was president, Georges Flury, manager, was vice president and Fernand Engel, also manager, was secretary. A stylized design for the brand "GLYCINE" was registered in 1923 along with Clematis and Pansy. The same management group established Manufacture d'horlogerie Pretty SA on December 12, 1924, with the same address. On August 1, 1926, the firm opened an office in Geneva at Rue du Stand 20, Plainpalais.

Glycine Automatic

In 1931, Glycine became the primary licensee of a new automatic watch movement designed by Eugène Meylan. The mechanism consisted of a ring that fit around a Glycine hand-winding movement and featured a central rotor like later automatic watches. This was widely advertised and strongly defended against competitors and similar designs. It is not clear whether Meylan was officially part of Glycine or was an independent licensee of this technology, though the latter appears most likely.

On February 26 and March 20, 1933, Charles Perret and Georges Flury resigned from the boards of La Glycine and Pretto (formerly Pretty). Fernand Engel remained on the board, joined by his sons Fernand, Vital, and Louis Paul. Charles Perret also resigned from the board of Levrette at this time. Albert Kohler joined the board and management on January 7, 1938. The younger Fernand Engel left the company in 1942 and his father was removed from the board in September 1945 following his death, leaving just Vital Robert Engel as director.

Timeline

• 1914, March 2 - A joint-stock company based in Biel is founded under the name Fabrique d'horlogerie La Glycine; which has the manufacture and trade in clocks for the purpose; share capital is 70,000 francs divided into 70 registered shares of 1000 francs each; directors are Charles Perret from Renan, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Georges Flury from Mümliswil, in Biel, and Fernand Engel from Eggiwil, in Biel; business premises: Bözingenstrasse 50a, from September 1, 1914 Champagne-weg 1a
• 1914, May 28 - Fabrique d'horiogerie La Glycine registers two trademarks: GLYCINE and PICCOLA
• 1914, July 18 - La Glycine registers CH21611, covering 13 models of watch movements and bridges
• 1914, October 20 - La Glycine registers CH24814, covering 10 drawings for metal and enamel dial decorations and watch cases
• 1914, November 5 - La Glycine registers the trademark "JOF FRE FRE NCH"
• 1914, November 20 - La Glycine registers the trademark "JOFFRENCH"
• 1915, January 25 - La Glycine registers the trademark "JOFFRETTE"
• 1915, April 23 - La Glycine registers CH25508, covering 5 models of watch movements in all sizes
• 1916, April 17 - La Glycine registers CH26814, covering 3 models of watch movements in all sizes
• 1916, July 22 - La Glycine registers the trademark "LG" with crossed pennants
• 1916, November 2 - The joint-stock company Fabrique d'horlogerie La Glycine changes its name to Fabrique d'horlogerie La Glycine, Piccola & Joffrette (La Glycine, Piccola & Joftrette Watch factory) (Uhrenfabrik La Glycine, Piccola & Joffrette)
• 1917, May 1 - Eugène Meylan from Chienit (Vaud) and La Chaux-de-Fonds, and Henri Jeanneret from Le Locle, Ponts-de-Martel, and La Chaux-du-Milieu, both domiciled in La Chaux-de-Fonds, have constituted in La Chaux-de-Fonds, under the company name Eug. Meylan and H. Jeanneret, a collective company; Manufacture of signée watchmaking; Rue Daniel Jeanrichard 5
• 1921, June 7 - La Glycine registers CH32588, covering 1 model of watch movement
• 1922, January 5 - La Glycine registers CH33255, covering 31 models of watch movements in oval, rectangular, and tonneau shapes
• 1922, June 7 - The board of directors of Fabrique d'horlogerie La Glycine, Piccola & Joffrette specifies its board as President Charles Perret from Renan, Banker in Geneva, Vice-President Georges Flury from Mümliswil, watchmaker in Bienne, and Secretary Ferdinand Engel from Eggiwil, watchmaker in bienne
• 1922, November 22 - La Glycine registers a stylized trademark showing the name GLYCINE
• 1923, April 23 and 24 - La Glycine registers two trademarks: CLEMATIS and PANSY
• 1924, December 12 - Manufacture d'horlogerie Pretty SA (Pretty Watch Co. Ltd.) is founded in Biel; it is a stock corporation, which aims to manufacture and trade in watches; share capital is 3,000 francs, divided into 3 shares of each 1000 francs; Members of the Board of Directors are Charles Perret from Renan, Banker in Geneva, Georges Flury from Mülmswil, watchmaker in Bienne, and Fernand Engel from Eggiwil, watchmaker in Bienne; the company is located at Champagueweg 1a, Biel
• 1926, May - A company in the name of Eugène Meylan, Fabrique de Sertissages "Précis", is established in Geneveys sur Coffrane; the head is Eugène Meylan from Le Chenit (Vaud), in La Chaux-de-Fonds; it is a Manufacture of settings
• 1926, August 1 - A branch of the company Fabrique d'horlogerie La Glycine (La Glycine Watch Factory) (Uhrenfabrik La Glycine) is established in Plainpalais, Geneva; the board of directors is composed of Charles Perret, Georges Flury, and Fernand Engel; the branch office is located at Rue du Stand 20
• 1926, September Eugène Meylan, Fabrique de sertissages Précis, transfers its headquarters from Les Geneveys sur Coffrane to La Chaux-de-Fonds
• 1927, September 29 - La Glycine registers CH41347, covering 2 models of watch movements
• 1927, October - Eugène Meylan, Fabrique de sertissages Précis, adds to its kind of trade "exclusive representation for Switzerland of the electric pendulum Bulle-Clock"
• 1928, April 14 - Association Patronale des Sertisseurs is established in La Chaux-de-Fonds; Eugène Meylan is President, Georges Perret is Secretary, Edgar Nicolet is treasurer; members are Gustave Schneider, Paul Kessi, Fernand Gonseth, and Marcel Schärz; company offices: Rue Jacob Brandt 61
• 1930, October 15 - Eugéne Meylan receives patent CH149137 for a watch movement automatic winding device; He also receives CH119138 for an automatic winding device
• 1930, October 24 - Stock company Chronomuri SA, based in Bern, takes over the electric clock assets of Engène Meylan; the price is 12,500 francs, with Meylan receiving 25 fully released company shares instead of payment, representing 50% of the value of the company; the board of directors consists of Felix Lagutt, merchant, from and in Binningen (Baselland); Sole proxy was granted to Eugéne Neylan, industrialist, by and in La Chaux-de-Fonds; Business premises: Muristrasse 51
• 1931, June 2 and July 10 - A public limited company called Automatic EMSA is created; the registered office is in La Chaux-de-Fonds; it is formed to take over Eugène Meylan's Swiss patents CH77878 and CH77588, as well as any additional patents for automatic winding watches; Meylan is given 65,000 francs to release the patents, all foreign patents relating to the same invention, the exploitation of said patents, as well as all commercial operations resulting from this exploitation; share capital is 20,000 francs, divided into 100 shares of 200 francs each; the administration includes a single administrator, Eugène Meylan, industrialist, from and in La Chaux-de-Fonds; Offices: La Cbaux-de-Fonds, Rue Jacob Brandt 61
• 1932, January 21 - The Court of Neuchâtel Bankruptcy Office opens a bankruptcy judgment for Eugéne Meylan, Fabrique de Sertissages, and exclusive representative of the Electric Bulle-Clock; Meylan is specified to be "son of Jules and Julia née Munger, born on October 17, 1891, from Le Chenit (Vaud)"
• 1932, February 5 - Eugène Meylan, Fabrique de Sertissages Précis is declared bankrupt and deleted from the register
• 1933, March - The public limited company Fabrique d'horiogerie La Glycine revises its statutes; Charles Perret and Georges Flury have resigned from the Board of Directors; the only remaining member is Fernand Engel, father, from Eggiwil, manufacturer, in Biel; procurement was given to Fernand Engel, son, watch technician, Vital Engel, merchant, and Louis Paul Engel, watch technician, all from Eggiwil, in Biel
• 1933, March - The stock corporation Manufacture d'horlogerie Pretto SA announces the resignation of Charles Perret and Georges Flury; Fernand Engel, father, of Eggiwil, manufacturer, in Biel remains the only board member; Fernand Engel, son, watch technician, Vital Engel, merchant, and Louis Paul Engel, watch technician, all from Eggiwil, in Biel are given procuration
• 1933, December 29 - Automatic EMSA reduces its capital shares from 20,000 francs to 1000 francs by reducing the amount of each share from 200 to 10 francs
• 1936, October 15 - The bankruptcy of Eugène Meylan, Fabrique de Sertissages Précis is completed