Excelsior Park
Excelsior Park was a watch movement company active from 1916 through 1983.
History
A watchmaking businesses was set up in Saint-Imier by members of the Jeanneret watchmaking family around 1866, and this would be the predecessor to Excelsior Park.
The original business appears to be Jules-Frédéric Jeanneret. He is listed as a finisseur in the village of Reprises in 1866, but was bankrupt by 1868.
Jeanneret appears to have moved to Rue de la Malatte in Saint-Imier in partnership soon after. The firm is known as Jeanneret et Fallet starting in 1869, and relocated after 1871 to 34a Rue de Tramelan. Feanneret et Fallet is listed there from 1873 through 1882, but the firm is called Jeanneret et Fils from 1883 through 1886. It appears that Jules-Fréderic took over the workshop at 34a Rue de Tramelan when his brother Albert moved the family firm to Rue du Pont to access the steam power there. By 1890, advertisements list Jules-Fréd as a specialist watchmaker focused on interchangeable components and chronographs. By this time, Jeanneret had registered the Pigeon brand and had won a silver medal at the Anvers exposition in 1885.
Alb. Jeanneret & Frères is specifically listed as successor to Jeanneret et Fils, also founded in 1866. This firm is located at 296 Rue du Pont advertised that it used the local steam plant to power its production machines, with the slogan "usine (a vapeur) du parc." This firm also boasts of winning the 1885 silver medal, but advertises that it relies on the Colombe and Diana brands.
Both Jeanneret firms of Saint-Imier advertise in Indicateur Davoine from 1890 through 1892.
Jeanneret-Brehm was the successor to Jeanneret Frères by 1902. Located in Saint-Imier on Usine du Parc, it claimed "fondée en 1866" in a 1902 advertisement in Indicateur Davoine.
By 1902, Jeanneret had registered the Excelsior name for 18 and 19 ligne chronograph movements, and noted in advertisements that these were intended for "Italie et Portugal" watches. Excelsior also produced "Compteurs de sport", 30-minute stopwatches.
Founded by Henri Jeanneret-Brehm, a member of the Jeanneret watchmaker family, who purchased the Magnenat-LeCoultre factory in Saint-Imier in 1911 with financial assistance from the Gallet company. He had previously registered the Excelsior name but added the English "Park" at the suggestion of Gallet to make their products more accessible to English-speaking buyers.
From 1918 through 1983, Excelsior Park manufactured a range of stopwatches, branded watches, and watch movements for Gallet, Girard Perregaux, and Zenith. The company focused on timing movements, including stopwatches and chronographs, and was quite successful in the post-war period. Their chief competitor (especially for business with Zenith) was Martel and their close partner, Universal.
After the quartz crisis, Excelsior Park was unable to continue operations. Gallet purchased the remaining stock to service their customers and the name went to Flume Company of Germany who were unable to revive it.
Movements
- EP 1 - 44 mm "Compteur"
- EP 11 - "Compteur-rattrapante"
- EP 2 - 43 mm "Compteur"
- EP 20 - Compteur avec compteur d'heures
- EP 22 - Distance entre les deux aiguilles compteur-rattrapante
- EP 222 - Distance entre les deux aiguilles compteur-rattrapante
- EP 42 - Ovoid 27.1x29.4 mm chronograph (formerly called "Excelsior Park 12/13")
- EP 4 - 31.6 mm chronograph based on EP 42, also with "mise à l'heure de la seconde"
- EP 40 - chronograph with hour counter based on EP 4
- EP 5 - 23.5 or 26 mm
- EP 51
- EP 6 - 40.6 mm "Compteur-football"
- EP 7 - 36 or 42 mm Rèveil
- EP 15 - 42 mm chronograph
- EP 16 - 42 mm, 4.5 mm
- EP 17 - 42 mm, 5 mm