Emile Meyer

Emile Meyer (1859-1935) was a businessman involved in watchmaking, chiefly in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the late 19th and early 20th century. His watchmaking and sales business, Blum & Frères Meyer, was a major force around the turn of the century and Meyer made his mark as representative, and later secretary, of the Société Suisse des Spiraux.

Emile Meyer was born on January 18, 1859, in Canton Neuchâtel. His legal birth address was La Chaux-de-Fonds, but as a jew he was forced to live in Les Eplatures, just to the west. He married Sara-Désirée Bloch, also from the area, and remained married to her through his death.

Together with his brother Nepthali Meyer, Emile Meyer formed Frères Meyer as a watchmaking and selling company as young men in 1864. A business called Meyer Frères had existed at Rue Léopold-Robert 40 since at least 1864, and is listed as "dès la St-Georges no 30" in the 1860s. The firm is listed at number 30 in 1867, then Serre 36 in 1873, and finally Léopold-Robert 39 from 1875.

The company was reorganized as Blum & Frères Meyer on July 23, 1883, with Louis Blum of Combes joining. The company remained at Rue Léopold-Robert 39 in La Chaux-de-Fonds through the 1900s.

By 1913, a new company called Blum Frères was established by the sons of Louis Blum, one of whom married Juliette Meyer. This company used the brand Rythmos and located at Rue du Parc 107. The company was now mass-producing watches with interchangeable components.

Emile Meyer died on August 3, 1935, in Les Eplatures, La Chaux-de-Fonds. He was survived by his widow and children, Roger, Pierre, and Jean-Jacques. Pierre and Jean-Jacques were already involved in the business and took it over as Les Fils de Emile Meyer in 1936.