Girard-Perregaux, Juillard-Morel, Robert-Maret | pocket watches

girard-perregaux

Their “Genre Espagne” Pocket Watches

From Constant Othenin-Girard to Girard-Perregaux: Matrimonial Alliance and Brand Identity

The Girard-Perregaux manufacture rests upon a deep and solid technical foundation rooted in family lineage: the figure of Henri Perregaux, a renowned master watchmaker from Le Locle. Active and highly respected during the inaugural trials at the Cantonal Observatory—where the institution itself adopted chronometers of his manufacture featuring complex inverse compensation systems for its laboratory metrology—Henri Perregaux contributed the substance and heritage of fine precision timekeeping that the following generation would inherit.

The definitive bridge was built following the 1854 marriage between the watchmaker Constant Othenin-Girard (1825–1903) and Marie Perregaux (1831–1912), daughter of Henry. By uniting the two families, the new manufacture—which chose the name Girard-Perregaux—did not merely combine their surnames, but also assumed the continuity and tradition of the Le Locle workshop.

The firm’s expansion relied heavily on its family network by integrating Marie’s brothers: François Perregaux successfully introduced the brand to the Asian market, while Henri and Jules managed strategic distribution across the Americas.

Girard-Perregaux double-face complete calendar pocket watch, circa 1872. 18K yellow gold hunter case (savonnette), engine-turned and hand-engraved, No. 65467-16716. The textured gold dials were designed for the Latin American market, featuring Roman numerals. Lever escapement, Breguet balance spring. Victorian "genre Espagne" silver dial with gilded micro-reliefs and stamped dots for the minute divisions. Fitted with fancy hands. The ground is delicately hand-chiseled with a graver, including within the inter-hour spaces. Features an additional dial displaying a full calendar with moon phases, day, month, and date. Photo courtesy of © https://www.cliniquehorlogere.ch.

The Specialty of Double-Dial (Double-Face) Timepieces

Within the manufacture’s output during the final third of the 19th century, a variant of high technical complexity and lavishness stands out: double-face pocket watches featuring richly crafted dials. These timepieces, typically housed in precious 18K gold three-lid hunter cases (savonnettes), finely hand-chiseled and engraved with floral motifs and engine-turned patterns, organize horological information across two dials: the main dial displays the time, while the rear dial houses a supplementary complication mechanism on an added dial dedicated to the complete calendar, featuring indications for the date, day of the week, month, and moon phases—explicitly labeled in Spanish (such as ENE, FEB, MAR or DOM, LUN, MAR), leaving no doubt as to their intended destination market.

This ultra-luxurious typology combined external ornamental richness with the high precision of calibers equipped with compensated balance wheels, Breguet or spherical balance springs, and lever or detent escapements, representing the ultimate standard of prestige for the manufacture.

Girard-Perregaux pocket watch No. 62220, circa 1871. A remarkably fine decorative men's double-face pocket watch. Case: 18K gold, engine-turned bezels, engine-turned case-band, à goutte profile. Dial: Front side — silvered, engraved with floral motifs, applied gold floral ornaments, inlaid radial Roman numerals, small seconds, blued-steel pear hands (poire). Reverse side — silvered, applied gold floral ornaments, outer ring for the date indication, subsidiary dials for the day and month, aperture for the moon phases featuring a cobalt blue enamelled disk with inlaid gold moon and stars, blued-steel hands. Movement: Bridge-type, rhodium-plated, decorated with "fausses côtes" (Geneva stripes), signed, compensated balance wheel with gold timing screws, counterpoised lever escapement. Photo courtesy and © Auktionen Dr. Crott

The Development of the Three Parallel Bridges Caliber and Chronometric Certification

It is characteristic of the manufacture to have reconfigured movement architecture by unifying the structural support function with a linear, symmetrical geometry for its calibers. Designed around 1860, this caliber arranges the wheel train along a strict vertical axis linking the mainspring barrel—positioned at the top—to the regulating organ located at the bottom. The components are secured by means of three independent parallel bridges, featuring an elongated hexagonal or arrow-shaped profile.

Regarding the regulating organ, the tourbillon cage abandoned the conventional three-arm structure in favor of a design featuring two opposing lateral horns. The production of these mechanisms required the collaboration of specialized timing adjusters (régleurs); historical archives record examples around 1875 fitted with regulating components executed by the master artisan Ernest Guinand.

The performance and accuracy of these calibers were systematically evaluated at the chronometry competitions of the Neuchâtel Observatory beginning in the mid-1860s. Notably, in 1867, an entry from the firm awarded a first-class prize.

In 1883, at the Zurich National Exhibition, the firm displayed three showcases highlighting the structural simplicity of its calibers and the inclusion of tourbillon escapements, described as a tour de force of regional watchmaking mechanics. During this exhibition, twelve official rate certificates (bulletins de marche) issued by the Neuchâtel Observatory were presented, attesting to extreme daily variations starting from 0.13 seconds, with an overall average of 0.377 seconds for the set, including a 14-ligne tourbillon.

The firm’s trajectory in international competitions includes the first medal at the La Chaux-de-Fonds Exhibition (1881), the bronze medal in Paris (1867), the Neuchâtel Competition Prize (1886), and the gold medal in Paris (1889) for the famous “La Esmeralda” model.

In December 1883, Girard-Perregaux filed a design patent in the United States detailing the technical layout and geometric arrangement of the three arrow-shaped bridges, securing their legal protection. This patent, granted under number D-14919, listed Ariste Guinand and Jules Perret among its witnesses.

To cover different market segments, Girard-Perregaux developed a series of trademarks such as El Águila de Oro, Comet, Anchor, Empress, Sport, Stella, Dolphin, Cosmos, Fleurette, and Monte-Cristo, which, without sacrificing the firm’s horological essence, were aimed at a broader clientele.

Left: Girard-Perregaux, Chaux-de-Fonds, Movement No. 47308, Case No. 47308, 53 mm, 137 g, circa 1868. A remarkable and decorative precision hunter case pocket watch (savonnette). Case: 18K gold, engine-turned, fluted case-band, engine-turned and hand-engraved gold cuvette, signed “Cronometro, Exposition Universelle, Paris 1867” and “Girard Perregaux, Chaux de Fonds”, direct keyless winding and hand-setting system, composed of two circular pieces with hinged rings that lift up for use and fold flat, casemaker’s mark “PMAF”, interior lids richly engine-turned. Dial: silvered, applied gold floral ornaments, chiseled, radial Roman hours, small seconds, blued-steel Fleur-de-Lys hands. Movement: bridge-type, rhodium-plated, decorated with stripes, blued spherical balance spring without regulator (freesprung), chronometer balance with 4 screws and 2 gold elliptical weights, counterpoised lever, diamond endstone in chaton for the balance wheel, lever, and escape wheel.

Right: Girard-Perregaux pocket watch No. 40114, 54 mm, 145 g, circa 1867. Pivoted detent escapement. Case: 18K gold, casemaker’s mark “FN”. Silvered dial, engraved with floral motifs, radial Roman hours, small seconds, blued-steel tulip hands. Movement: 3/4 plate, key-wound, nickel-plated, decorated, fusee and chain, screwed gold chatons, bimetallic chronometer balance with 2 screws and 2 weights, blued spherical balance spring, diamond endstone for the balance wheel.

International Recognition, the 1906 Absorption, and the Contemporary Era

The firm’s flawless trajectory and well-established institutional renown enabled the manufacture’s management to reach the highest spheres of international representation. At the Paris Universal Exposition in 1900, the firm participated hors concours, with Constant Girard-Gallet—son of founders Constant Othenin-Girard and Marie Perregaux—serving as a member of the international jury, having previously held similar roles by appointment of the Swiss Federal Council at the Amsterdam Exposition, as well as serving as President of the Jury at the Liège Exposition in 1905.

In 1906, Girard-Perregaux & Cie, then under the leadership of Constant Girard-Gallet, acquired and absorbed the prestigious historical Geneva house J.F. Bautte & Cie—which had formerly been taken over by J. Rossel Fils and was then in the hands of his friend and relative Juan Hecht.

This commitment to chronometric precision and the linear architecture of its movements has distinguished the manufacture through to the present day.

Girard-Perregaux hunter case pocket watch No. 62204, housing a manufacture caliber, circa 1872. Its exceptional 20-lignes movement embodies the pinnacle of late 19th-century Neuchâtel horology, magnified by the manufacture's celebrated architecture of three parallel rectilinear arrow-headed bridges, with the central bridge bearing the finely engraved cursive signature Girard Perregaux / Chaux-de-Fonds. Its surfaces feature a lavish damaskeened decoration with a geometric grid pattern, enhanced by meticulously hand-beveled and polished chamfers. The train of gears features a prestigious gold wheel train, pivoting on 20 high-grade jewels set in gold chatons held by tiny polished screws, while the ratchet wheel and crown winding wheel are each secured by three polished screws. The regulating organ, suspended beneath a balance bridge whose endpiece is centered by a diamond endstone serving as a counter-pivot, consists of a calibrated straight-line lever escapement. It is paired with a bimetallic two-arm compensation balance, equipped with gold timing screws and two sliding ogival gold weights for precise thermal regulation, controlling the oscillations of an extremely rare and spectacular blued-steel free-sprung spherical balance spring, featuring a dual winding and hand-setting system operable either by key or via the pendant crown (the latter with hand-setting via a lateral pull-out lever). On the front side, its Victorian-era dial, characteristic of the prestigious "genre Espagne", is crafted on a solid silver ground and distinguished by the richness of its gilded micro-reliefs. The center of the layout features a sumptuous applied gold floral cartouche composed of small stamped shapes standing out against a delicate hand-engraved ground, all surmounted by the manufacture signature GIRARD PERREGAUX CHAUX-DE-FONDS painted in black in a curved arc. The hour ring presents a circular track finely engine-turned with concentric circles and black Roman numerals, creating a striking contrast with the ornamental density of the central pattern and the peripheral garland of applied and stamped gold bordering the assembly, while the outer minute track is marked by stamped dots. At 6 o'clock, the small seconds dial is decorated with a azuré concentric circular pattern swept by its small seconds hand. Time is indicated by remarkable blued-steel Fancy hands, integrating harmoniously into this hunter case (savonnette) where the winding and hand-setting pendant is positioned at 3 o'clock. Photo courtesy and © https://www.antiquorum.swiss/

A list of select Girard-Perregaux pocket chronometers entered in the Neuchâtel Cantonal Observatory competitions during the 19th century, enabling their production and chronology to be traced via their serial numbers. These records, regulations, and technical specifications offer a detailed insight into the evolution of precision watchmaking during that era.

Year	Serial number	Brief technical description

1865	35121	Tourbillon-bascule-Breguet. Variation 0,32″. 4e Observatoire Cantonal
1870	50000	Estimation
1872	57548	Bascule-Tourbillon-Sphérique-Clé. Variation 0,50″. 57e.
1872	57550	Bascule-Sphérique-Clé. Variation 0,56″. 74e.
1872	59932	Bascule-Tourbillon-Plat-Remontoir. Variation -0,35″. 60e. Quantième, perpétuel et phases de lune.
1873	70000	Estimation
1875	74684	Ancre-Sphérique. Réglé par Jacot. 17e
1875	74686	Bascule-Sphérique. 16e
1876	76579	Premier prix.
1875	80643	Tourbillon à ressort. Spiral plat Phillips. Remontoir. 0,17″. 5e Prix
1876	80647	Tourbillon à bascule. Spiral Breguet. Remontoir. 0,17″. 8e Prix
1876	80648	Troisième prix. Tourbillon à bascule. Spiral plat Phillips.
1876	80957	Chronomètre à tourbillon. Premier prix. E. Guinand
1876	81022	Bascule. Cylindre. 19e. Réglé par Jacot
1878	87321	Tourbillon à bascule. Spiral plat Phillips. 8e Prix. Réglé par Jacot
1879	87312	Ancre-Spiral plat à deux courbes Phillips. 3e prix. 110 fr.
1882	85446	Ancre-Cylindre à deux courbes Phillips. 27e. J. Jacot
1882	100948	Ancre-Plat Phillips. Avec chronographe
1883	87319	Ancre-Spiral Phillips à deux courbes. 7e prix. Réglé Paul Perret
1883	105304	Ancre-Plat Phillips. J. Jacot
1885	87316	Ancre-Spiral Phillips. 6e prix. Réglé Paul Perret
1885	79993	Bascule-cylindre. 8e. Réglé Borgstedt
1885	111543	Ancre-Plat Phillips. Réglé Borgstedt
1885	119404	Ancre-Plat Phillips. 20e. Réglé Borgstedt
1888	119407	Ancre-Plat Phillips. 36e. Réglé Borgstedt
1885	119408	Ancre-Plat Phillips. 1er prix. Réglé Borgstedt
1886	109964	Prix Concours Neuchâtel 1886
1888	119411	Ancre-Plat Phillips. 9e. Réglé Borgstedt
1888	119415	Ancre-Plat Phillips. 1er prix. 120 fr. Réglé Borgstedt
1888	163319	Bascule-Cylindre. À fusée
1888	165841	Ancre-Breguet. Triple quantième, phases de lune, répétition à minutes et chronographe.
1889	168230	Échappement à tourbillon. Spiral plat Phillips. 2e prix.
1890	140891	Ancre-Spiral plat à deux courbes Phillips. 29e. Réglé Wehrli
1890	140893	Ancre-Spiral plat à deux courbes Phillips. 20e. Réglé Wehrli
1890	168418	Tourbillon-Plat Phillips. 64e. Réglé Borgstedt
1890	187648	Ancre-Breguet. Réglé Z. Plantillon. Répétition à minutes, quantième et chronographe
1891	189117	Tourbillon-Plat Phillips. 6e. Réglé Wehrli
1891	189119	Tourbillon-Plat Phillips. 1er prix. Réglé Borgstedt. Présenté à nouveau au concours en 1900, réglé Wehrli.
1891	197183	Ancre-Breguet. 12e. Réglé Wehrli
1892	189120	Tourbillon-Spiral plat à deux courbes Phillips. 2e.
1892	197186	Ancre-Spiral plat à deux courbes Phillips. 9e. Réglé Borgstedt
1892	197187	Ancre-Spiral plat à deux courbes Phillips. 15e. Réglé Borgstedt
1892	213053	Ancre-Spiral plat à deux courbes Phillips. 20e. Réglé Borgstedt
1892	213875	Bascule-Spiral plat à deux courbes Phillips. 11e. Réglé Borgstedt
1897	257864	Ancre-Spiral plat Phillips. 51e. Réglé Wehrli
1897	267622	Ancre-Spiral cylindrique à deux courbes Phillips. 1er prix. Réglé Wehrli
1899	235996	Fabriqué pour Paul Sandoz et Cie. Ancre-Spiral plat à deux courbes Phillips.
1899	273164	Ancre-Spiral plat Phillips. Réglé Wehrli
1899	273165	Ancre-Spiral plat Phillips. Réglé Wehrli
1899	274749	Ancre-Spiral plat Phillips. Réglé Wehrli
1900	274750	Ancre-Spiral plat Phillips. Réglé Wehrli
1900	276832	Ancre-Spiral plat Phillips. Réglé Wehrli
1900	278829	Ancre-Spiral plat Phillips. Réglé Wehrli
1900	278830	Ancre-Spiral plat Phillips. Réglé Wehrli

18K gold hunter case pocket watch (savonnette), Girard-Perregaux No. 85163, circa 1880. Triple calendar and moon phases. Keyless stem-winding via the pendant crown, with hand-setting via the crown combined with pulling out the setting lever (tirette) at 4 o'clock. The wheel train pivots on jewel bearings with pierced single stones, and endstones on the balance and escape wheel arbors, all secured in chatons. Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement. The regulating organ is paired with a cut bimetallic compensation balance equipped with timing and temperature screws, regulating the oscillations of a blued-steel free-sprung cylindrical balance spring adjusted via a regulator index mechanism (raquette). Silvered dial characteristic of the "genre Espagne". Presence of the hallmark "FEDC" on the reverse of the dial, identified on other timepieces of this typology. The center of the composition features small gilded shapes in varied colors and textures, stamped in micro-relief to form a floral pattern that stands out against a silver ground delicately stippled with a graver. The circular hour ring displays hand-painted lampblack Roman numerals. The inter-hour spaces between the numerals are likewise embellished with gilded micro-relief motifs. The periphery is bordered by a row of regular concave beads marking the minute track. The auxiliary calendar dial—with its day and month indications hand-painted in Spanish—features gilded stampings, as does the moon phase disk. Blued-steel feather (plume) style hands complete the piece. Photo courtesy and © https://www.cliniquehorlogere.ch

ALBERT JUILLARD-MOREL

His “Genre Espagne” Pocket Watches

The Cortébert Saga: Family Tradition and Innovation

The House of Cortébert occupies a unique position in horological history, marked by its longevity and uninterrupted family continuity within the Juillard dynasty since the end of the 18th century. It all began with Adam-Louis Juillard, the founder of this lineage, who in 1790 opened a modest watchmaking dealership (comptoir d’horlogerie) in Sonvilier, a small town in the Saint-Imier valley. This village, located about ten kilometers from La Chaux-de-Fonds, was one of the earliest centers of watch manufacturing in the Neuchâtel Jura.

An archival document mentions Adam-Louis Juillard as early as 1784, the year he married the daughter of the notary Jean-Henri Juillard. A complete watchmaker, he worked at the bench himself, employed workers both at home and in his comptoir, and sold his watches, even undertaking the long journey to Paris by stagecoach. Archives preserve one of his creations dated 1804: a verge escapement watch housed in a solid silver case.

Expansion and Innovation

In 1830, Lucien Juillard, son of Adam-Louis, took over the business and relocated it to Saint-Imier, then the industrial capital of the valley. He served as its mayor for several years. In 1848, at the Swiss Industrial Exhibition in Bern, he presented six timepieces, including a gold hunter case watch (savonnette), which earned a favorable mention from the jury.

In 1850, his son, Albert Juillard-Morel (1828–1909), took the reins of the firm alongside his brother Édouard (1829–1878). Together, they inherited the family comptoir based in Saint-Imier. In the early 1860s, they purchased the premises of a former spinning mill in Marin, near Neuchâtel, to mechanically manufacture keyless winding watches. Albert did not remain there long, leaving the business to Édouard.

In 1864, Albert partnered with several regional watch manufacturers, including Pierre-Henri Raiguel-Chopard (1809–1898), to establish an ébauche factory under the trade name “Raiguel Juillard & Cie”, better known as the Cortébert Watch Co. That same year, he founded an ébauche manufacture in Cortébert, taking advantage of favorable conditions and the hydraulic power of the Suze river. In 1865, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art infrastructure, transforming traditional établissage into an industrial manufacture and gaining a decisive head start of over a decade on the sector. This building became a symbol of progress for the village.

Juillard-Morel pocket watch movement fitted with a Victorian-era silvered dial characteristic of the "genre Espagne". The center of the composition features small gilded shapes in varied colors and textures, stamped in micro-relief to form a floral pattern that stands out against a silver ground delicately stippled with a graver. The circular hour ring displays hand-painted lampblack Roman numerals. The inter-hour spaces located between the numerals are entirely hand-engraved with a graver featuring foliage and volutes. The periphery is bordered by a floral garland of gilded shapes in varied colors and textures, composed in micro-relief to harmonize with the central pattern. Finally, the dial features a network of radial striations stamped on its peripheral border, as well as regular concave beads marking the minutes. Blackened steel "Stuart pear" (poire Stuart) style hands complete this exceptional piece, combining elegance and technical precision. The 19-ligne caliber movement features three separate bridges, along with a ratchet bridge to ensure the stability of the mainspring arbor. The winding mechanism operates via a pendant stem-winding system, while hand-setting is executed via a slide lever (tragette) under the bezel at 4 o'clock. The gear train and escape wheel pivot on pierced stone bearings set in chatons. The balance arbor is equipped with counter-pivot endstones. The escapement is a straight-line lever type with visible pallets, featuring counterpoised ruby pallets known as "à moustache" (mustache lever). The regulating organ is paired with a cut bimetallic compensation balance—compensating for temperature variations—fitted with regulation screws to adjust the rate and positions. It regulates the oscillations of a Breguet balance spring, adjusted via a regulator index system (raquette).

Under the direction of Albert, Cortébert underwent a major vertical integration: he unified the production of calibers to guarantee independence and quality. After 75 years of existence as an établissage, the house of Juillard became a manufacture thanks to this integration, marking a significant advancement in horological development.

In 1887, disagreements with his partners prompted Albert to save the business in extremis by taking it over with his sons Henri (1853–1911) and Émile (1864–1907), under the trade name “Juillard Frères”. From then on, the Cortébert Watch Co. perpetuated a reputation that had become international. Furthermore, Albert, drawn to public education matters, became president of the schools in the Saint-Imier valley (Vallon de Saint-Imier).

The Legacy of Albert Juillard-Morel

Albert Juillard-Morel is also linked to the founding of the earliest Longines entities: Raiguel Jeune & Cie (1833–1838), followed by Agassiz & Cie (1838–1846), and finally Auguste Agassiz (1846–1850), alongside Florian Morel and Pierre-Henri Raiguel-Chopard.

In 1887, his sons Henri and Émile took over the enterprise, which became one of the flagship houses of Jura horology. In 1940, Cortébert celebrated its 75th anniversary as a manufacture. The fifth-generation successors—Ernest, Émile, Charles, Albert, and Henri—perpetuated this legacy.

Production under the Juillard Morel Brand

The legacy of Albert Juillard-Morel is inseparable from the house of Cortébert, but certain timepieces also bear the Juillard Morel signature. In the 1850s, production was signed Juillard Frères Morel, testifying to the close collaboration with his in-laws and his brother Édouard. Later, the Juillard Morel marking identified the production carried out by Albert, in keeping with family tradition. The “genre Espagne” watch presented here is a concrete example of this.

From Peak to Industrial Transformation

Following Albert’s passing, his heirs continued to expand the prestige of the house. In the 20th century, Cortébert had to adapt to major industrial shifts:

In 1927, it was integrated into Ébauches S.A.
In 1962, it was acquired by the SSIH-Omega group.

Despite its excellence in precision chronometers and railway watches, the quartz crisis of the 1970s brought an end to production under the Cortébert brand. The facilities closed permanently in 1984.

This historical success rested on exemplary solidarity: watchmaking technique demands close collaboration and mutual trust between leadership and workforce—a harmonious relationship that endured for a century and a half. It is this foundation of honesty and conscientiousness, embedded in every Cortébert watch, that built its universal reputation.

Possessing a timepiece from this manufacture today means preserving the tangible testimony of a lineage that, for nearly two centuries, combined technical mastery, industrial foresight, and devotion to the “common work.”

Louis-Philippe Robert-Maret

His “Genre Espagne” Pocket Watches

De l’établissement horloger neuchâtelois aux pionniers de la pendule électrique secondaire.

Louis-Philippe Robert-Maret, born Robert-Charrue on May 15, 1843, in Les Ponts-de-Martel (Neuchâtel). Coming from a family of watch manufacturers (établisseurs) led by his father, Philippe Henri (1795–1864), and allied through his mother to the Breguet family, he grew up immersed in the industrial fabric of the Neuchâtel mountains.

On October 21, 1874, his union with Elisabeth Marie Maret—daughter of the merchant and watch manufacturer Edouard François Maret—sealed much more than a marital alliance: by crossing the threshold of his father-in-law’s workshop, located at No. 5 Rue de l’Industrie in Neuchâtel, he transferred his art and life there. This physical and professional relocation to the paternal home marked the true anchoring of his Neuchâtel destiny. This vital turning point led him to adopt the trademark and commercial name of Robert-Maret. Firmly established in Neuchâtel, his business associated high watchmaking with singular commercial initiatives, such as the direct sale of Málaga wines announced in late 1879. On a personal level, the family became fully integrated into the Neuchâtel bourgeoisie.

Robert-Maret three-cover hunter case watch (savonnette) with a dust cover (cuvette). Circa 1890. 18-karat gold case featuring a finely textured background, symmetrical scrolls and rinceaux winding upwards, incorporating stylized plant elements and clusters of small spheres. In the center, a main oval cartouche is suspended by an ornamental structure shaped like loops and "C" scrolls. This central medallion features a field finely guilloche-engraved with diagonal lines and, at its heart, a hand-engraved monogram. Main silvered dial in the "genre Espagne" style. The center of the composition is occupied by small gilded motifs in varied hues and textures, stamped in micro-relief, forming a floral decoration highlighted against a silver ground finely engraved and stippled with a graver. The hour circle is composed of hand-painted Roman numerals, interspersed with burin-engraved floral decoration; to mark the minutes, small circular silver openings are arranged circumferentially beneath the garlands. The spaces between the numerals are adorned with burin-engraved motifs. The periphery is embellished with a floral garland of gilded elements with varied textures in micro-relief, which complements the central motif. The subsidiary seconds sub-dial, featuring hand-painted numerals, is star-guilloched, finished with burin stippling at the center of the seconds hand axis. Above this sub-dial appears the inscription "Robert-Maret. Neuchâtel". Blued-steel "Stuart pear" (poire Stuart) style hands complete this piece. The rear dial consists solely of a white enamel border on a metal plate adorned with the watchmaker's inscription. The 31 days of the month are displayed in black enamel along the perimeter, and the days of the week, in Spanish, also in black enamel, are arranged along the inner perimeter. Two gilded hands complete the dial: a straight one indicating the date and a shorter one with a crescent-shaped tip indicating the day of the week. Finally, the movement is visible in the center of the rear frame. Lacking a main plate, it is composed of a round caliber, featuring a cut bimetallic compensation balance regulated by a straight-line lever escapement with visible pallets and a regulator index for fast-slow adjustment.

On February 24, 1883, the registers reaffirmed his position as head of the Louis Philippe Robert house. That same year, his technical mastery reached an official peak at the Neuchâtel Observatory competitions with watch No. 8151 (pivoted detent escapement and cylindrical balance spring with two curves, regulated by Kaurup).

Beyond his activity as a manufacturer, Louis-Philippe Robert-Maret became actively involved in institutional life and the transmission of watchmaking knowledge in Neuchâtel. In 1884, shortly before facing the mourning of his father-in-law, Edouard Maret, his professional authority was officially recognized by his appointment to the Commission of the Watchmaking School (École d’horlogerie). He sat there alongside major figures of regional science and industry, notably Dr. Adolphe Hirsch, electric horology pioneer Mathias Hipp, as well as prominent industry actors such as David Perret, Alfred Perregaux, Paul Humbert, Charles Matthey, and Jules Sandoz. This direct contribution to technical training and the prestige of the institution fully illustrates his commitment to the heart of the Neuchâtel watchmaking elite.

Movement No. 11218 Robert-Maret, Neuchâtel, circa 1885. Caliber with separate bridges featuring a mainplate decorated with Côtes de Genève. The pendant winding and hand-setting system operate via a push-piece on the case band at 4 o'clock. It is equipped with a winding train featuring a robust and substantial bridge secured by three screws, ensuring perfect transmission. The pivots are protected by pierced jewels, complemented by a counter-pivot for the balance arbor. Straight-line lever escapement with visible pallets featuring ruby stones. The regulating organ is paired with a cut bimetallic compensation balance with gilded timing screws, regulating the oscillations of a blued-steel balance spring adjusted via a regulator index system. Silvered dial characteristic of the "genre Espagne" style. The center of the composition is occupied by small gilded motifs in varied hues and textures, stamped in micro-relief, forming a basket with floral decoration and two small silver flowers against a circular guilloche background. The hour circle features hand-painted lampblack Roman numerals. The inter-hour spaces located between the numerals are stipple-engraved with a graver. Regular concave beads represent the minute track. The periphery is bordered by a floral garland of gilded shapes in varied colors and textures, composed in micro-relief. The subsidiary seconds sub-dial, featuring hand-painted numerals, presents circular guilloching centered on the pivot of the seconds hand. Pear-shaped (poire) hands complete the dial. Author's collection.

On October 27, 1886, the house granted formal power of attorney to his wife, while also establishing her as the sole head of the house. Contemporary guides linked it to the Spanish and Italian-style markets. On March 12, 1887, the civil court of Neuchâtel summoned his creditors to homologate a composition (concordat) in the face of financial difficulties. Having overcome the economic downturn, the workshop was operating once again by 1889 on the third floor of Rue de l’Industrie, actively seeking highly skilled labor.

In 1891, the brand ranked among the elite manufacturers of Neuchâtel and shone at the Observatory with watch No. 21228 (lever escapement and plain Phillips balance spring, regulated by A. Schilt-Bolle). It was also in that year that he filed patent No. 3893 for an “improved long-lever escapement” (Échappement à longue bascule perfectionné), an innovation combining the rocker arm of a safety arm for stopping the gear train, and a roller table with a semi-cylindrical impulse pin. In 1892, his advertising highlighted a specialty of 19- to 21-ligne movements (chronometers, lever-detents (bascules), lever escapements with or without bulletins), consolidated in the 1893 directories.

18k gold Robert-Maret hunter case pocket watch. Chiseled case measuring 54 mm in diameter (number 11847). Main silvered dial in the "genre Espagne" style. The center of the composition is occupied by the moon phase disc; above this lunar disc appears the inscription "Robert Maret. Neuchâtel", beneath which are small gilded motifs in varied hues and textures, stamped in micro-relief, forming a decoration of flowers and ribbons. The hour circle is composed of hand-painted Roman numerals, interspersed with burin-engraved floral decoration; the inter-hour spaces located between the numerals are entirely stipple-engraved with a graver featuring opposing scroll shapes. Regular concave beads represent the minute track. The periphery is adorned with a floral garland of gilded elements with varied textures in micro-relief, which complements the central motif. The subsidiary seconds sub-dial features star guilloching. Blued-steel "Stuart pear" (poire Stuart) hands. The rear dial consists of a white enamel border on a metal plate adorned with the watchmaker's inscription. The 31 days of the month are displayed in black enamel along the perimeter, and the days of the week are arranged along the inner perimeter. Two gilded hands complete the dial: one indicates the date and a shorter one with a crescent-shaped tip indicates the day of the week. Photo courtesy and © Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas, Madrid.

Louis-Philippe’s name disappeared from the directories in 1894, and his official cancellation (radiation) was published on January 10, 1895. During this long apparent silence, his wife maintained active operations at 5 Rue de l’Industrie: hospitality, language lessons, textile depots, and transnational family networks.

Far from constituting absolute inactivity, this silence documented in traditional circuits likely conceals a laborious retreat into research and development. It is reasonable to assume that Louis-Philippe devoted himself to solving the complex challenges of electrical synchronization and the miniaturization of striking mechanisms. Future research in unedited patent archives will undoubtedly lift the final veil on the laboratories where this technical transition was forged.

Louis-Philippe Robert-Maret reappeared on the technical scene in 1903 by commercializing movement systems applied to secondary electric minute clocks with striking mechanisms (hours and halves), protected by Patent 30281 (and the associated motor device under No. 26707). These robust mechanisms adapted to any type of cabinet and were signed under the name of L.-Ph. ROBERT-MARET in Neuchâtel.

Patent CH26707A, filed by Louis-Philippe Robert-Maret and published on October 15, 1903, under the title “Motor device for a striking mechanism in a secondary electric minute clock” (Dispositif moteur d’un mécanisme de sonnerie dans une horloge électrique secondaire à minutes), marks a decisive milestone in the evolution of electric horology. This patent, completing his earlier system, not only consolidated his reputation as a pioneer of secondary electric clocks, but also inspired numerous subsequent innovations. Subsequent citations bear witness to the lasting influence of his work on striking mechanisms, motor devices, and even mounting and adjustment systems in horology, thereby proving that his contributions laid the foundations for major technical developments in this field.

Following the death of his mother-in-law in 1907, the Robert-Maret young ladies welcomed young boarding girls into their home starting in 1908. On July 25, 1916, Louis-Philippe Robert-Maret passed away in Neuchâtel at the age of 74. His obituary mentions his children established in England, Fleurier, and Neuchâtel, sealing the journey of a pioneer caught between mechanical tradition and electrical modernity.