Albert Guye

Albert Guye (1867-1952) was a watchmaker from Val-de-Travers near Fleurier who partnered with Edmond Mathey-Tissot in his namesake firm and also with Georges Pellaton-Steudler in the Martel Watch Co. He was instrumental in developing complications, including repeating watches and chronographs, and in developing these skills in Les Ponts-de-Martel.

Albert Guye was born in 1867 in Les Verrières in the Val-de-Travers. This small village near the border with France was close to Les Bayards and Fleurier, with La Côte-aux-Fees and Buttes in a neighboring valley. Legal documents place Guye's home in all of these places, so it is likely that he considered the whole Val-de-Travers district to be his home. Still, Les Verrières is most often mentioned.

Albert lived in Ponts-de-Martel by 1896 when he went into business with Edmond Mathey-Tissot, forming the new firm of E. Mathey-Tissot et Cie. He continued to work with the firm after the death of the founder in 1929, partnering with his widow and sons until retiring on March 27, 1933.

When Georges Pellaton-Steudler of Le Locle sought to establish a new factory for complicated watch movements in Ponts-de-Martel in 1914 he brought Albert Guye (along with Bernard Perret-Roulet) in to join the administrative council. Guye continued to serve on the council of the Société Anonyme until his retirement on June 1, 1933.

Guye also served on the Société de Consommation de Ponts-de-Martel, a business group, from 1922 to 1933. He was vice-president of the organization, with Edouard Vuille serving as president, Emile Perrenoud as treasurer, along with Fritz Roulet, Edmond Matthey, Jämes Dubois, and Georges Perrin. Guye left this organization on March 21, 1933.

Another Albert Guye was part of the firm of Guye Frères of Fleurier along with Gustave-Albert Guye, Gustave-Aloïs Guye, Paul-William Guye, and Philippe-Ulysse Guye. He was noted as being "from Fleurier" in 1926 suggesting that this is a different person of the same name, and his known siblings were not part of that firm. This Albert Guye retired in 1930 or 1932 and is noted then as being from Bayards and living in Fleurier.

He is likely related to Paul Guye of Berne, who also served on the boards of many watchmaking companies with Albert. He may also have been related to César Guye, a dealer of fabrics and linens in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and with Esther Müller (née Guye) of Ponts-de-Martel. Albert, Paul, and Esther served on the board of E. Allemand et Cie, the company of Ernest Allemand who took over the business of César Guye in 1915.

Albert Guye died on October 11, 1952 in Bevaix. He was 85 years old and had long suffered from a painful illness. He was survived by Georges Guye-Lambelet and his wife of Les Verrières and his "dedicated nurse" Madeline Favre.