Couleru-Meuri
Couleru-Meuri was a watchmaker located in La Chaux-de-Fonds from 1880 through the 1920s.
History
Charles Couleru-Meuri located his workshop at 9 Rue Neuve as early as 1880, though some sources date the start of the company to as early as 1848.
Couleru-Meuri received a third-class medal at the International Watch Exhibition at La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1881, the first of many accolades. The company was recognized for its calendar watch movements at Zürich in 1883 and received medals at Antwerp in 1885 and Paris in 1889 and 1893. The company was also recognized at the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893.
Couleru-Meuri was well known for complicated watches, including those with a 24 hour display, with calendar and moon phase indicator, and special watches for the blind and stopwatches. The company was taken over by Hector Lévy in 1901. Couleru-Meuri produced special watches for cycling under the Mascotte brand.
By 1908, Couleru-Meuri was producing 8-day clocks under the Octo brand. These were advertised as non magnétique and featured an opening in the dial with a pointer at 6:00 showing power remaining. The patent No. 28536-37 is listed. The brand was acquired by 1913 by Marc Dubois, who continued production of 8-day clocks "pour automobiles et voitures" under the "Octo" name.
Couleru-Meuri was succeeded by Eug. Couleru by 1916. This firm produced Octo watches for Marc Dubois and was located at 37 Rue de la Charrière. Couleru was still associated with the Octo brand by 1927, having relocated to 19 Tourelles along with Ernest Tolck.
Couleru-Meuri Factory, 1 Montbrillant
In 1894 Couleru-Meuri relocated to a large factory at 18 Boulevard du Petit-Château, next to Léon Breitling's workshop. By 1901, this was listed as 1 Rue(lle) Montbrillant. This large factory was closely associated with the production of complicated pocket watches and 8-day clocks for decades even after Couleru-Meuri moved on.
In 1913, the factory at 1 Ruelle Montbrillant was now listed as the home of Rode Watch Co. This American firm was a mass producer of watches. Rode was replaced by 1920 by Darax and Sonex, with travel clock maker Le Stand joining by 1922.
By 1927, the Montbrillant factory was the home instead of component maker Frêne & Juillard, but became a box factory for Henri Stoeckle in 1932. More space in the factory was used by Les Fabriques d'Assortments Réunies, Atelier de Sertissages in 1937, and by 1938 more space was used as a watch factory, now for Roger Béguelin's Rogelin Watch Co. (which relocated to Grenchen a few years later) and Jules Gubler. Zila Watch relied on the facility as a distributor by 1938. It was the home of Henri Jacot from 1950 through 1955.
This factory remains standing in La Chaux-de-Fonds and is decorated with an original Breitling sign.