Louis-Adolphe Geiser
Louis-Adolphe Geiser was a watchmaker from Langenthal who built the first watch factory in Tavannes.
The earliest mention of Geiser's operation in Tavannes in Indicateur Davoine is the 1868-1869 edition, which lists Ls-Adolphe Geiser along with Fréd. Glück, Auguste Mécheleur, Constant Prêtre, and Albertine Voirol under "Repasseurs et Remonteurs." The 1871 edition shows L.-A. Geiser as a "f. d'horl." in Tavannes along with Jean Aebi. The two are again listed as the only watchmakers in the town in 1873, though Aebi's listing is expanded with "et remontoirs au pend", suggesting that his was the more modern operation. Aebi is no longer listed in 1875, with L.-A. Geiser as the only "fabr. d'horl."
On October 12, 1882, L.-A. Geiser registered an early trademark (number 819) as a fabricant of "fonds de boîtes de montres et mouvements de montres." The mark featured a mountain goat on a peak and the words, "Marque de Fabrique" though not his own name.
The 1879-1880 edition of Indicateur Davoine continues to show L.-A. Geiser as a watchmaker in Tavannes along with Fritz Glück and Jules Jaccard.
In 1880, Geiser built the first watch factory in Tavannes. It was located at the foot of the hill, near the new railroad line on the western side of town. The famous Tavannes Watch Co, funded by the bourgeoisie of the town, was built on the opposite side of town a decade later. The Geiser factory was acquired by Tavannes Watch Co following Geiser's bankruptcy and became "factory number 3" for the company. The building remains standing to this day, decorated with the name "Tavannes Watch Co".
Geiser won a first prize diploma and gold medal at the Universal Expo of Melbourne in 1882. Geiser was recognized at the 1882 Swiss National Exposition in Zürich "for the advantageous manufacture of cheap pendant winding watches." He won a bronze medal at the 1885 Universal Exposition in Antwerp for "montres diverses." Geiser came under fire in 1887 from dial makers as he sought to bring this trade in-house at his factory.
Geiser's factory was suffering and in August 1888 it was announced: "New disaster. - We announce the suspension of payment of the Geiser factory, in Tavannes. According to information that we give on reservation, the liability would be 400,000 fr. and the assets 200,000 fr.; the debacle of the Chodat bank would not be unrelated to this unfortunate event."