Jules Calame-Robert
Jules Calame-Robert was a watchmaking company in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the 19th century.
The earliest Calame-Robert listed in Indicateur Davoine is Fl. Calame-Robert at Rue des Juifs 2 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. He was a merchant not necessarily involved in watchmaking and continued to be listed through that decade, including as Calame-Robert et Girard from 1848 through 1852. This listing changes to J. Calame-Robert from 1853 through 1860 and he was also listed as a civil tribunal judge in this period.
Jules Calame-Robert is listed as a watchmaker at Rue du Parc 4 in La Chaux-de-Fonds from 1861 through 1893.
In the 1883 survey of businesses, the firm of Js. Calame Robert is listed as being a partnership incorporated on January 1, 1881 in La Chaux-de-Fonds with a branch in Berlin, Germany. The watchmaking and trading firm was located at Rue du Parc 4. The partners were Jules-Auguste Calame-Colin and Louis-Edouard Calame-Colin, both born in Le Locle but then living in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Power of attorney was assigned to Oscar Eguet from Corgémont, who also lived in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
The firm of Jules Calame-Robert formed a joint venture with Fritz Thalmann and Jules-Frédéric Jeanneret in 1883. Thalmann Jeanneret & Cie was well-funded by Thalmann and focused on manufacturing ebauches at the Jeanneret workshop in Saint-Imier. The firm was ultimately unsuccessful and was dissolved in October 1886. Jules Calame-Robert de-registered the Berlin branch that same year.
On February 15, 1892, the firm was dissolved and divided into three separate entities:
- Hanhardt & Cie - Jules-Armand Hanhardt of Dijon, France, Charles Dürr of Oberwinterthur, and Fréderic Stucki of Wimmis in Canton Bern formed a new firm officially called Hanhart & Cie, successeurs de Js Calame-Robert on February 15, 1892. This company took over part of Calame-Robert's company and was focused on watchmaking and trading from offices at Rue du Parc 2 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
- Sandoz & Breitmeyer - Georges Sandoz of Le Locle and Jules Breitmeyer of La Chaux-de-Fonds formed a firm officially called Sandoz & Breitmeyer, successeurs de Js Calame-Robert to take over another part of Calame-Robert's business. This company also focused on watchmaking and trading and was also located at Rue du Parc 2. Paul-Lucien Matile of La Sagne was given power of attorney.
- Courvoisier Frères - The existing firm of Courvoisier Frères took over the remainder of Calame-Robert's business as Courvoisier Frères, successeurs de Js Calame-Robert.
All three firms were given access to the Calame-Robert name and trademarks, including the JC and JCR marks, the clover, and the Revolver brand.
Hanhardt & Cie was dissolved on January 1, 1893 and taken over by Sandoz & Breitmeyer, re-unifying 2/3 of Calame-Robert less than a year after the split. Jules-Armand Hanhardt formed his own separate company at the same time.
Sandoz & Breitmeyer split on March 31, 1902. Georges Jules Sandoz and J. C. Breitmeyer also split the former business and trademark rights of the former firm (and thus of Hanhardt & Cie as well).
In January 1924 the firm of Georges Jules Sandoz was dissolved as it had ceased business. The Breitmeyer family continued, renaming the firm Breitmeyer et Fils in August 1924 and Breitmeyer-Robert et Co in 1929 following the death of Jules-Charles Breitmeyer. The firm was closed in 1932.