Huguenin-Girard

Huguenin-Girard was a maker of balance springs in the 19th century. It was one of the five companies that combined in 1895 to form a cartel to corner the production of these springs, Société des Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies (FSR).

Jules-Henri Huguenin-Girard

François Lassieur, manufacturer of pendants and buckles for watch cases in Geneva, established a depot in La Chaux-de-Fonds with the widow Elise Rochat (née Girard) on September 11, 1845. Jules-Henri Huguenin (1827-1886) married her and took over ownership of this business on June 16, 1852. It is unclear if this is the same Jules Henri Huguenin who died in January 1886 and was president of the committee of the hospital of La Chaux-de-Fonds but it is likely that this was the origin of the Huguenin-Girard watch spring factory.

The firm of Jules-Henri Huguenin-Girard is listed in Indicateur Davoine in 1855 as a depot, with the address at rue de l'Endroit 106. The company was located at Rue St-Pierre 20 by 1860, when it had also added the manufacture of balance springs. In later years Huguenin-Girard would also manufacture other springs, including mainsprings and secrets. Advertisements in the 1930s claim that the firm was founded in 1860 and 1856, neither of which appears to be true.

The firm of J. Huguenin-Girard is included in a survey of businesses in 1883, with Charles Perrin (1851-1888) and Auguste Ali Bourquin, both of Savagnier, as managers. The company was a maker of balance springs, pendants, rings, and crowns and was located at Rue St-Pierre 20 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1884, J. Huguenin-Girard sold a factory at Rue du Parc 41 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. His wife Elise Huguenin (née Girard) likely died at some point previous to this and Jules-Henri Huguenin re-married Laure Montandon (1845-1899). This could be related to a similar business called Montandon et Cie which also manufactured buckles and pendants.

Jules Huguenin-Girard

Jules-Henri Huguenin-Girard died by January 9, 1886, and his widow, Laure Huguenin (née Montandon) inherited the company in 1888. She soon brought his son, also named Jules Huguenin-Girard (1869-1897), into management and he ran the company from that point forward. Jules was married to Julie Du Bois, daughter of Fritz Dubois, maker of gold watch cases in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

In 1895, the firm of Huguenin-Girard became one of the founding members of Société des Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies (FSR), with the young Jules Huguenin becoming a director of the cartel. After this the firm moved away from the manufacture of balance springs to focus on pendants, rings, and crowns for watches.

Jules Huguenin-Girard and his mother-in-law Lucie Dubois (1843-1897) died in a tragic carriage accident in Le Locle in 1897, with his brother Louis Huguenin taking ownership and becoming a director of FSR. He reorganized the firm as L. Huguenin, successor of Vve. de J. Huguenin, as his stepmother was no longer interested in managing the company after the death of her husband in 1886 and her son. She would die as well on January 21, 1899.

Timeline

• 1827 - Jules-Henri Huguenin is born
• 1852 - June 16 - Jules-Henri Huguenin inherits the share of a watch component business started by the deceased husband of his wife, Elise Rochat (née Girard) and Françoise Lassieur of Geneva.
• 1869 - Jules Huguenin-Girard is born
• 1883 - The firm of J. Huguenin-Girard is noted in a survey of existing businesses; the company was run by Jules-Henri Huguenin of Le Locle who lived in La Chaux-de-Fonds, with Charles Perrin and Auguste Ali Bourquin, both of Savagnier, as managers; the company was a maker of balance springs, pendants, rings, and crowns and was located at Rue St-Pierre 20 in La Chaux-de-Fonds
• 1884 - July 7 - A factory at Rue du Parc 41 in La Chaux-de-Fonds is sold by J. Huguenin-Girard
• 1886 - January 7 - Jules-Henri Huguenin-Girard dies at 59
• 1888
  • January 21 - After the death of Jules-Henri Huguenin the firm is reorganized as Veuve de J. Huguenin-Girard under the ownership of his widow Laure Huguenin (née Montandon); Charles Perrin remains in management and the address remains at Rue St-Pierre 20 in La Chaux-de-Fonds
  • November 15 - Charles Perrin dies at 37; he had worked for the Huguenin-Girard factory for 20 yers and had risen to become the manager
• 1895 - Huguenin-Girard is one of the founding members of FSR, with the young Jules Huguenin-Girard joining the board
• 1897
  • September 28 - Jules Huguenin-Girard is killed in a carriage accident in Le Locle
  • October 2 - The authority of Jules Huguenin-Girard is revoked following his death and conferred on his brother Louis Huguenin of Le Locle
  • October 16 - Louis Huguenin takes the place of Jules Huguenin-Girard on the board of FSR
• 1898 - May 5 - The firm is reorganized as L. Huguenin, successor of Vve. de J. Huguenin, with Louis Huguenin as owner; the firm now focuses on manufacture of pendants, rings and crowns at Rue St-Pierre 20 in La Chaux-de-Fonds
• 1899 - January 21 - Laure-Adèle Huguenin (née Montandon) dies
• 1901 - September 23 - Louis Huguenin moves the firm to Rue du Nord 70 (Fabrique Schmid) in La Chaux-de-Fonds
• 1911 - January 6 - The company is reorganized as Huguenin & Cie, former house of J. Huguenin-Girard; it is managed by Louis Huguenin and Louis-Henri Calame of Le Locle and is located at Rue du Parc 8, La Chaux-de-Fonds
• 1925 - August 14 - The firm is reorganized as a Société Anonyme called Huguenin & Cie, maker of pendants, rings and crowns; it is administered by Louis Huguenin and Louis Wille, with Huguenin and Louis Calame managing

See Also

• Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies (FSR)