Syndicat Patronal des Producteurs de la Montre à La Chaux-de-Fonds

The Syndicat Patronal des Producteurs de la Montre à La Chaux-de-Fonds was an industrial organization in La Chaux-de-Fonds to promote the interests of watchmakers. It was founded in 1917 and lasted through the 1990s.

Establishment

The Syndicat Patronal des Producteurs de la Montre à La Chaux-de-Fonds was established on December 21, 1917, effectively replacing the previous Société des Fabricants d'horlogerie de La Chaux-de-Fonds. The organization was formed to defend the interests of its members and employers as well as the general interests of the watchmaking industry in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It aimed to regulate relations between members, their employees, and unions following a general strike that crippled production in the city. It also represented these companies to the local and cantonal authorities, the Chambre Cantonale Neuchâteloise du Commerce, de l'Industrie et du Travail, and to the Chambre Suisse de l'Horlogerie. Finally the organization studied and shared information on customs issues and treaties of commerce, the application of federal laws on the control of gold, silver and platinum, and other laws concerning work in factories, accident insurance, consular representation abroad, and so on.

Membership was open to any person in the commercial register producing watches in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It also allowed members who were producers of watch components, watch merchants, bankers, and suppliers. The offices of the Syndicat were at Rue Léopold Robert 66.

The initial committee was composed of:

• President Arnold Braunschweig
• Treasurer Charles-A. Delimoge
• Vice-presidents Georges Eberhard and Iidore Ditesheim
• Assessors Jules-C. Breitmeyer, Louis Courvoisier (the younger), Paul Ditisheim, Alphonse Gogler, Abram Jeanneret, Albert Mosimann, Otto Schild, Raphaël Schwob, banker Raoul Goetschmann
• Secretary General: Gustave Bubloz, union secretary

History

1922

The Syndicat was refreshed on March 29, 1922 as the industry faced the downturn following over-production in World War I. The new organization was composed of:

• President Abram Jeanneret
• Treasurer Charles-A. Delimoge
• Vice-presidents Lucien Braunschweig and Raoul Goetschmann
• Members Georges Blum, Paul Borle, Gaston Breitling, René Didisheim, Isidore Ditesheim, Paul Hermann, Louis Hêche, Marc Nicolet, Georges Reuche, Théophile Rubeli, Louis Courvoisier (the younger), Paul Ditisheim, Alphonse Gogler, Albert Mosimann, Raphaël Schwob
• Removed members Arnold Braunschweig (deceased in 1918)
• Alternates Jean-Victor Degoumois, Emile Dreyfus, Léopold Vittori, Julien Levaillant
• Secretary General: Gustave Bubloz, union secretary

1925

The Syndicat was refreshed on March 23, 1925. The new organization was composed of:

• President Lucien Braunschweig
• Treasurer Charles-A. Delimoge
• Vice-presidents Louis Hêche and Paul Hermann
• Members Gaston Breitling, Louis Courvoisier, René Didisheim, Isidore Ditesheim, Alphonse Gogler, Albert Mosimann, Marc Nicolet, Théophile Rubeli, Louis Cornu, Georges Breitmeyer, Raoul Goetschmann, Félix Hirsch, Abram Jeanneret, Adrien Schwob
• Removed members Paul Borle, Paul Ditisheim, Georges Reuche, Georges Blum, Raphaël Schwob
• Secretary General: Gustave Bubloz, union secretary

1927

The Syndicat was refreshed on March 21, 1927. The new organization was composed of:

• President Paul Hermann
• Treasurer Charles-A. Delimoge
• Vice-presidents Georges Breitmeyer and René Didisheim
• New members Georges Ditesheim, Maurice Dubois, Julien Ducommun
• Removed members Louis Hêche, Isidore Ditesheim, Gaston Breitling
• Secretary General: Gustave Bubloz, union secretary

1931

The Syndicat was refreshed in May, 1931. The new organization was composed of:

• New members André Eigeldinger, Jean-Victor Dégoumois, Robert Schaub, Jämes Schneider, Willy Graef
• Removed members Julien Ducommun, Abram Jeanneret, Louis Courvoisier, Lucien Braunschweig, Georges Eberhard

1932

The Syndicat was refreshed on April 14, 1932. The new organization was composed of:

• President Jean-Victor Dégoumois
• Treasurer Charles-A. Delimoge
• Vice-presidents Robert Ditisheim and Maurice Dubois
• New members Hermann Sandoz, Charles Juillard, Georges Blum
• Removed members Jean-Louis Bloch, Raoul Goetschmann, Georges Breitmeyer

1934

The Syndicat was refreshed on June 27, 1934. The new organization was composed of:

• President Jean-Victor Dégoumois
• Treasurer Charles-A. Delimoge?
• Vice-presidents Robert Ditisheim? and Willy Graef
• New members Ernest Hoeter, Philippe Weiss
• Removed members André Eigeldinger, Théophile Rubeli, Gustave Bubloz (deceased)
• Secretary general Jacques Cornu

1938

The Syndicat was refreshed on April 15, 1938. The new organization was composed of:

• President Willy Graef
• Vice-presidents Georges Blum and Georges Ditesheim
• New members Maurice Eberhard, Henri Brandt, Armand Schwob, Paul-Roger Huguenin
• Removed members Jean-Victor Degoumois, Robert Schaub, Adrien Schwob, Albert Mosimann (deceased)

1940

The Syndicat was refreshed at a meeting on February 20, 1940. The new organization was composed of:

• New members Arthur Imhof, Jean-Louis Borel

1942

The Syndicat was refreshed at meetings on May 9, May 28, and July 3, 1942. The new organization was composed of:

• President Georges Blum
• Vice-presidents Maurice Eberhard and Charles Juillard

1943

The Syndicat was refreshed at a meeting May 25, 1943. The new organization was composed of:

• Treasurer Charles-André Delimoge remains and gains signing authority

1947

The Syndicat was refreshed in 1947. The new organization was composed of:

• President Maurice Eberhard
• Vice presidents Charles Juillard, Philippe Weiss
• Treasurer André Delimoge
• New members Charles Virchaux (the younger), Paul Vermot
• Removed members Ernest Hoter, Alphonse Gogler (deceased), Charles-André Delimoge