Jules Calame-Robert

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Jules Calame-Robert was a watchmaking company in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the 19th century.

Jules-Edouard Calame-Robert

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.

Jules-Edouard Calame-Robert formed a partnership with watchmaker Numa Girard on July 15, 1847. Known as Calame-Robert and Girard, the company was listed at Rue des Juifs 3, the same location as Fl. Calame-Robert, from 1848 through 1852. Numa Girard was brother of Girard-Perregaux founder Constant Girard, and it is often claimed that they both worked with Calame-Robert at this time. Calame-Robert's son, also named Jules, joined Constant and Numa Girard in the Neuchâtel Revolution in 1848, serving under their father Ami Girard and well-known La Chaux-de-Fonds revolutionary and watchmaker Fritz Courvoisier. Courvoisier's family firm (under his nephews) would take part ownership of the Calame-Robert company in 1892.

Although the company was registered with a period of nine years, the listing changes to J. Calame-Robert in 1853, remaining through 1860. This timeline corresponds to the 1854 founding of the firm that would become Girard-Perregaux by Constant Girard, and suggests that this was the reason for the early cancellation of the partnership of Calame-Robert and Girard.

Jules Calame-Robert was also listed as a civil tribunal judge in this period and ran for municipal and church offices through the 1870s.

Jules Calame-Mathey

Jules Calame-Robert's son, also named Jules Calame, married Caroline Mathey to become Jules Calame-Mathey (1826-1891). He apprenticed as a watchmaker and joined the firm of Charles-Eugene Dubois as a young man. He was very successful, representing the firm at the Leipzig fair and eventually taking over the company.

Calame-Mathey worked for his father's firm, Calame-Robert et Girard, in the 1840s and 1850s before taking over in 1853. He combined this with the Dubois firm, continuing to use his father's name (which was also his own name) for the company. He rapidly developed the company to become a leading producer of watches in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

The firm of Jules Calame-Robert is listed as a watchmaker at Rue du Parc 4 in La Chaux-de-Fonds from 1861 through 1893. The company was located at Calame-Mathey's own home, in the meadows near the city. Due to its healthy business in Russia the house was commonly called "the Kremlin"! It then had two wings and a single floor.

Jules Calame-Mathey also became very involved in local affairs, being part of the Revolution of 1848 though not a politician. He retired around 1880, turning the company over to his sons, Jules and Louis Calame.

Jules and Louis

On January 1, 1881, Jules Calame-Colin and Louis Calame-Colin formed a new company under their father's name. The firm of Jules Calame-Robert was engaged in "the manufacture and trade of watchmaking" with a duration of six years. Oscar Eguet was given power of attorney. This was confirmed in the 1883 survey of businesses, with the added note that the company had a branch in Berlin, Germany and that the firm was located at Rue du Parc 4, the Calame home. The partners were specified as 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.

In 1890 the firm received a silver medal and is noted to specialize in "19 ligne pendant-winding watches, with anchor, straight line, double tray, Breguet spiral, wedge balance, ironed in second, and delivered at relatively low prices, although they are accompanied by the official bulletin of the observatories of Neuchâtel, Geneva and Besançon." The Journal Suisse d'Horlogerie notes that the company "has certainly made serious progress by putting a real chronometer within the reach of small prices. All movements are manufactured according to the interchangeability system."

Louis Calame-Colin was president of the community council but was best remembered as the founder of the tramway in La Chaux-de-Fonds, which continued in operation for over 100 years.

According to a 1936 letter by Paul Ditisheim, the firm of Jules Calame-Robert produced a tourbillon in association with Albert Pellaton-Favre or Auguste Grether which is now in the British Museum. He explained that the firm purchased ebauches from Fontainemelon and others and was well-respected in the industry. Ditisheim's brother Henry purchased the home and workshop from the Calame-Colin brothers when they retired to Corcelles.

Three-Way Split

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).

Failure

In January 1924 the firm of Georges Jules Sandoz was dissolved as it had ceased business. Courvoisier Frères also faced difficulties at this time and soon failed as well. The Breitmeyer family continued for a while, 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.

Family

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