Comptoir Général des Ebauches
The Comptoir Général des Ebauches was an organization designed to unify sales of ebauches in response to over-supply and market crisis in the 1890s.
It was a successor organization to the Chambre Syndicale des Ébauches, formed in 1876, and the Syndicat des Fabriques d'Ébauches Suisses et Françaises of 1891.
The organization was established at a meeting in Sonceboz on October 28, 1892.
The following factories were part of the Comptoir Général as of the October 1892 meeting:
- Société d'Horlogerie de Längendorf
- Fabrique d'Ebauches de Sonceboz, Sonceboz
- Bueche, Boillat et Cie, Reconvillier
- Koller et Cie, Malleray
- P. Obrecht et Cie, Granges
- Kocher, Hänni et Künzli, Court et La Chaux-de-Fonds
- Société Industrielle, Moutier
- Parrenin et Marguet, Vilers-le-Lac
- Flury Frères, Bienne
- Japy Frères et Cie, Beaucourt
- Juillard Frères, Cortébert
- A. Girard, Granges
- Société d'Horlogerie, Granges
- Charles Emonot, Sonvillier
- Société Coopérative, Pontenet
- Kuhn et Tièche, Reconvillier
- L.-P. Japy et Cie, Berne
- Bon et Cie, Moutier
- A. Blanchard et Cie, Malleray
- Frêne et Garraux, Reconvillier
- Simon, Burger et Gressot, Porrentruy
- V. Cupillard, Vilers-le-Lac
Timeline
- 1892, September 27-28 - The former members of the Syndicate of Ebauche Makers meet in Bienne to discuss the creation of a Comptoir Général des Ebauches; they plan to start operation on December 1; the group immediately began advertising for applicants to be director, with a November 15 deadline
- 1892, October 7 - FHF writes a letter refusing to join the organization
- 1892, October 28 - The prospective members meet in Sonceboz to finalize an agreement but the Langendorf Watch Company refuses to join without FHF also being a member
- 1894, March 1 - The Comptoir Général des Ebauches is incorporated as a public limited company with headquarters in La Chaux-de-Fonds; the aim of the firm is "centralizing the sale of designs and finishings for pocket watches, by creating a single office responsible for selling the aforementioned production of the shareholder establishments"; the initial duration of the company was set at just one year; share capital was 1.2 million francs; the chairman of the board of directors was Numa Rosselet, vice-president was Urs Heutschy, secretary was Emile Juillard, Deputy Director was Thomas Christoftel; the office was Léopold-Robert 14, La Chaux-de-Fonds
- 1895, February 28 - The board decides to continue the company for an unlimited period
- 1895, June 11 - At the general meeting, the shareholders decide to dissolve the company
- 1902, June - The liquidation of the company is completed