Léon Gallet
Encyclopedia
Léon L. Gallet was the eldest son of Julien Gallet (1806–1849), founder of the Gallet & Co.
watch manufactory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. During his time as family patriarch, Léon L. Gallet was responsible for the creation of numerous Swiss and American watch brands including National Park, Continental, Jerome Park, Bridgeport, Union Square, and Chancellor. While the appearance and function of these timepieces were tailored to the American taste, all watches were manufactured within Gallet's La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland workshops.
Léon Gallet played a philanthropic role in the business, cultural, and social life of his native home. As well as his prominent position as a member of both the legislature of Neuchâtel and the Council of La Chaux-de-Fonds, he was for many years, the president of the Société des Amis des Arts (Fine Arts Society) and Grand Master of the Free Masons. Together with Louis & Jules Courvoisier, Ernest Francillon of Longines, and Constant Girard-Perregaux, Léon Gallet founded the Société Intercantonale des Industries du Jura (Intercantonal Society for the Industries of the Jura Area) in 1876. The purpose of this organization was to assist in the promotion and distribution of products from Switzerland's Watch Valley while addressing the growing threat of competition in European markets from American watch manufacturers.
Upon his death in 1899, Léon Gallet bequeathed a sum of 43,000 Swiss Francs (today equivalent to 1,000,000 Swiss Francs or approx. 1,000,000 US dollars) to his hometown of La Chaux-de-Fonds, of which 25,000 Swiss Francs were earmarked to build the Musée International d'Horlogerie (International Watch Making Museum). Donated by Léon Gallet’s son Georges, the museum’s collection was started with a body of over 100 of Gallet's most complicated and valuable timepieces, including the world's first wristwatch produced for mass consumption in 1895. The balance of the bequeathed funds was used to construct the Musée des beaux-arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds (Beaux Arts Museum of La-Chaux-de-Fonds), designed by renown painter Charles l’Eplattenier
and architect René Chapallaz, Le Corbusier
's architecture teacher.
Prior to his passing, Léon Gallet commissioned René Chapallaz, to design "Villa Gallet". Situated in "Parc Gallet" in the southern part of La Chaux-de-Fonds, "Villa Gallet" still retains its original name and is considered as an important historic contribution to the Swiss Art Nouveau
movement of the late 19th century.
’s “Watch Valley” is not complete without mentioning the role of watchmaker and entrepreneur, Léon L. Gallet.
In the years following America’s Civil War
, a powerful shift of that country’s concentration moved from agriculture to industry. With this shift came great advancements in manufacturing as centrally located factories replaced small workshops, and large scale production of items with interchangeable parts quickly displaced less efficient hand-crafting. An immediate beneficiary of this progress was America’s watch and clock industry, as northern coal powered factories began turning out hundreds of high quality timepieces per day. On the horizon for these newly empowered companies was the inevitable expansion beyond domestic borders to embark in direct competition with the Swiss watchmaking industry.
Léon L. Gallet and Ernest Francillon
of Longines
, two Swiss watchmakers who were actively selling their wares in North America, saw the writing on the wall. Recognizing the only way that the small workshops of Switzerland’s “Watch Valley
” could compete against the growing threat posed by larger American manufacturers was to unite. At the prompting of Gallet and Francillon, a new organization was created. The Société Intercantonale des Industries du Jura (Intercantonal Society of the Jura Industries
) was formed to bring together the individual strengths of the region’s numerous independent watchmaking houses as a powerful cooperative entity.
Yet, in spite of the formation of this new organization, the warnings of Gallet and Francillon were met with skepticism by the other members of the group. Decades of success as the world’s primary supplier of fine timepieces had resulted in a self-assured complacency within [Switzerland]]’s watchmaking industry.
Then on the 10th of May, 1876, the great Philadelphia International Exhibition
, created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of America’s Declaration of Independence
, opened to the public. Among the many displays was the indisputable evidence of the manufacturing superiority of such American companies as Waltham
and Elgin, each capable of finishing many hundred watches per day.
Jacques David, Swiss watchmaker and machine designer, was dispatched to America by Ernest Francillon to witness the exhibitions first-hand, and report his findings back to the Intercanonal Society. Léon L. Gallet followed shortly behind, arriving in Philadelphia the next month. What both men witnessed at the exhibition further confirmed the concerns of Gallet and Francillon.
On his return to Switzerland in November, Jacques David wrote a long detailed report on the men’s findings to the Intercantonal Society of the Jura Industries. While David’s report helped to wake the Swiss watchmaking industry from its comfortable complacency, increased revenues were needed for the Society’s members to initiate the developments required to meet these new challenges.
By the time that the Philadelphia Exposition opened to the public in 1876, Léon L. Gallet had already established sales offices in both New York
and Chicago
, going back over 10 years. He had personally suffered a number of long ocean voyages to deliver his wares and to conduct business. Besides his acute knowledge of the growing threat posed by worldwide competition from US manufactures, Gallet understood the tastes of the American consumer and the opportunities the new world also held for the Jura watchmakers.
With the now available joint resources from fellow manufacturing members of the Intercantonal Society, Gallet decides to take the competitive battle directly to the enemy. Not only could the rapidly expanding base of American consumers provide opportunities for increased sales of Swiss watches, these sales could provide the needed revenues to meet the expected competitive challenges in Europe.
Utilizing his own movements, as well as components by such friends as Auguste Agassiz
, Ernest Francillon, Constant Girard-Perregaux
, Jules Jeanneret, and Louis and Jules Courvoisier, Gallet begins production of 30 new watch brands, most designed specifically to appeal to the taste of the America consumer.
Within a short period, exports of Swiss watches to America rapidly increased, greatly expanding the reach of watchmakers whose previous market was limited only to the local economies. As a result, Leon L. Gallet’s American marketing activities helped to provide the needed capital for the watchmakers of the Jura region to industrialize, and successfully meet one of the greatest challenges in Swiss timekeeping’s history.
Gallet & Co.
Gallet is a historical Swiss manufacturer of high-end timepieces for professional use.Gallet is the world’s oldest watch and clock making house with history dating back to Humbertus Gallet, a clock maker who became a citizen of Geneva in 1466...
watch manufactory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. During his time as family patriarch, Léon L. Gallet was responsible for the creation of numerous Swiss and American watch brands including National Park, Continental, Jerome Park, Bridgeport, Union Square, and Chancellor. While the appearance and function of these timepieces were tailored to the American taste, all watches were manufactured within Gallet's La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland workshops.
Léon Gallet played a philanthropic role in the business, cultural, and social life of his native home. As well as his prominent position as a member of both the legislature of Neuchâtel and the Council of La Chaux-de-Fonds, he was for many years, the president of the Société des Amis des Arts (Fine Arts Society) and Grand Master of the Free Masons. Together with Louis & Jules Courvoisier, Ernest Francillon of Longines, and Constant Girard-Perregaux, Léon Gallet founded the Société Intercantonale des Industries du Jura (Intercantonal Society for the Industries of the Jura Area) in 1876. The purpose of this organization was to assist in the promotion and distribution of products from Switzerland's Watch Valley while addressing the growing threat of competition in European markets from American watch manufacturers.
Upon his death in 1899, Léon Gallet bequeathed a sum of 43,000 Swiss Francs (today equivalent to 1,000,000 Swiss Francs or approx. 1,000,000 US dollars) to his hometown of La Chaux-de-Fonds, of which 25,000 Swiss Francs were earmarked to build the Musée International d'Horlogerie (International Watch Making Museum). Donated by Léon Gallet’s son Georges, the museum’s collection was started with a body of over 100 of Gallet's most complicated and valuable timepieces, including the world's first wristwatch produced for mass consumption in 1895. The balance of the bequeathed funds was used to construct the Musée des beaux-arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds (Beaux Arts Museum of La-Chaux-de-Fonds), designed by renown painter Charles l’Eplattenier
Charles l’Eplattenier
Charles L'Eplattenier was a Swiss painter and architect.A contemporary and associate of René Chapallaz, Léon Gallet, and Le Corbusier, L'Eplattenier is considered one of the foremost exponents of Swiss Art Nouveau despite working almost exclusively in the town of La Chaux de Fonds, where from 1897...
and architect René Chapallaz, Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
's architecture teacher.
Prior to his passing, Léon Gallet commissioned René Chapallaz, to design "Villa Gallet". Situated in "Parc Gallet" in the southern part of La Chaux-de-Fonds, "Villa Gallet" still retains its original name and is considered as an important historic contribution to the Swiss Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
movement of the late 19th century.
Léon L. Gallet & The Industrialization of the Swiss Watch Industry
Any study of the 19th century industrialization of SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
’s “Watch Valley” is not complete without mentioning the role of watchmaker and entrepreneur, Léon L. Gallet.
In the years following America’s Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a powerful shift of that country’s concentration moved from agriculture to industry. With this shift came great advancements in manufacturing as centrally located factories replaced small workshops, and large scale production of items with interchangeable parts quickly displaced less efficient hand-crafting. An immediate beneficiary of this progress was America’s watch and clock industry, as northern coal powered factories began turning out hundreds of high quality timepieces per day. On the horizon for these newly empowered companies was the inevitable expansion beyond domestic borders to embark in direct competition with the Swiss watchmaking industry.
Léon L. Gallet and Ernest Francillon
Ernest Francillon
Ernest Francillon, born 10 July 1834 in Lausanne,was the Swiss manager of Longines watches and an entrepreneur. He was the nephew of Auguste Agassiz. He died on 3 April 1900 in Saint-Imier, where he founded the factory. A monument to has memory was erected on 13 October 1907....
of Longines
Longines
Longines is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. The company was originally founded by Auguste Agassiz in 1832 and it currently holds the oldest registered logo for a watch company . Longines is currently owned by the Swatch Group.Longines is known for its 'Aviators' watches...
, two Swiss watchmakers who were actively selling their wares in North America, saw the writing on the wall. Recognizing the only way that the small workshops of Switzerland’s “Watch Valley
Watch Valley
The "Watch Valley" covers all the Swiss Jurassic Arc, from Geneva to Basel, and is the primary location of the Swiss watch-making industry.Beginning initially in 15th century Geneva, the cradle of the European time keeping industry, and spreading north east through the Jura Mountains, the great...
” could compete against the growing threat posed by larger American manufacturers was to unite. At the prompting of Gallet and Francillon, a new organization was created. The Société Intercantonale des Industries du Jura (Intercantonal Society of the Jura Industries
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
) was formed to bring together the individual strengths of the region’s numerous independent watchmaking houses as a powerful cooperative entity.
Yet, in spite of the formation of this new organization, the warnings of Gallet and Francillon were met with skepticism by the other members of the group. Decades of success as the world’s primary supplier of fine timepieces had resulted in a self-assured complacency within [Switzerland]]’s watchmaking industry.
Then on the 10th of May, 1876, the great Philadelphia International Exhibition
Centennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. It was officially...
, created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of America’s Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
, opened to the public. Among the many displays was the indisputable evidence of the manufacturing superiority of such American companies as Waltham
Waltham Watch Company
The Waltham Watch Company, also known as the American Waltham Watch Co. and the American Watch Co., produced about 40 million high quality watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, time fuses and other precision instruments between 1850 and 1957...
and Elgin, each capable of finishing many hundred watches per day.
Jacques David, Swiss watchmaker and machine designer, was dispatched to America by Ernest Francillon to witness the exhibitions first-hand, and report his findings back to the Intercanonal Society. Léon L. Gallet followed shortly behind, arriving in Philadelphia the next month. What both men witnessed at the exhibition further confirmed the concerns of Gallet and Francillon.
On his return to Switzerland in November, Jacques David wrote a long detailed report on the men’s findings to the Intercantonal Society of the Jura Industries. While David’s report helped to wake the Swiss watchmaking industry from its comfortable complacency, increased revenues were needed for the Society’s members to initiate the developments required to meet these new challenges.
By the time that the Philadelphia Exposition opened to the public in 1876, Léon L. Gallet had already established sales offices in both New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, going back over 10 years. He had personally suffered a number of long ocean voyages to deliver his wares and to conduct business. Besides his acute knowledge of the growing threat posed by worldwide competition from US manufactures, Gallet understood the tastes of the American consumer and the opportunities the new world also held for the Jura watchmakers.
With the now available joint resources from fellow manufacturing members of the Intercantonal Society, Gallet decides to take the competitive battle directly to the enemy. Not only could the rapidly expanding base of American consumers provide opportunities for increased sales of Swiss watches, these sales could provide the needed revenues to meet the expected competitive challenges in Europe.
Utilizing his own movements, as well as components by such friends as Auguste Agassiz
Agassiz family
The Agassiz Family is a family of Swiss origin, hailing from the small village of Agiez near Lake Neuchatel. The family has included a number of high profile members, such as the scientists Louis and Alexander Agassiz, as well as the founder of the Longines watch firm, Auguste Agassiz.-Family...
, Ernest Francillon, Constant Girard-Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux is a high-end Swiss watch manufacture with its origins dating back to 1791. It is situated in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland and is a part of the Sowind group, a subsidiary of PPR.- History :...
, Jules Jeanneret, and Louis and Jules Courvoisier, Gallet begins production of 30 new watch brands, most designed specifically to appeal to the taste of the America consumer.
Within a short period, exports of Swiss watches to America rapidly increased, greatly expanding the reach of watchmakers whose previous market was limited only to the local economies. As a result, Leon L. Gallet’s American marketing activities helped to provide the needed capital for the watchmakers of the Jura region to industrialize, and successfully meet one of the greatest challenges in Swiss timekeeping’s history.