====== Montbrillant Watch Manufactory ======

{{wst>author|[[Foskett, Stephen|Stephen Foskett]] ([[https://grail-watch.com/|Grail Watch]])}}

**Montbrillant Watch Manufactory** was the name given by [[Breitling]] to a row of buildings in [[La Chaux-de-Fonds]] numbered 1 and 3 Ruelle Montbrillant (formerly 17 and 18 Boulevard de Petit-Château). Breitling based its manufacturing in Montbrillant 3 from [[1893]] through the 1970s.

===== History =====
Boulevard de Petit-Chãteau was a short road in the hills above [[La Chaux-de-Fonds]] connecting the namesake house and grounds to Rue du Haut-des-Combes and the mountain village of la Grebille. Many small watchmakers had located along the quiet Boulevard since the 1850s, and the area was redeveloped and incorporated into the city by [[1890]]. In [[1889]], La Société d'Embellissement ("the Beautification Society") purchased a portion of the woods to become a public park in [[1891]], as new roads and buildings were added to the area.

A new factory was built and by [[1893]] part of the building was occupied by [[Léon Breitling]], who relocated from [[Saint-Imier]] on April 23, [[1892]]. It was a highly visible location, high on a hill with tall gables topped with spears, and was in a fashionable and growing area of town. In [[1894]], the established La Chaux-de-Fonds firm of [[Couleru-Meuri|Charles Couleru-Meuri]] relocated to the building, with Breitling's address being number 17 and Couleru-Meuri being number 18. Both companies featured the entire factory building in their advertisements, with Breitling showing a large roof-mounted sign missing in the Couleru-Meuri images.

By [[1900]], a new road was built behind the factory connecting to Rue du Haut-des-Combes and Rue du Balancier. This was named Ruelle Montbrillant, evoking the name of an 18th century summer palace in Hanover. The street numbers were reversed, reflecting the direction of travel, so the Eastern half (formerly Rue du Petit-Château 18) was now Montbrillant 1 while Breitling's Western half (formerly number 17) was now Montbrillant 3.

[[Breitling]] would embrace this new name, referring to the building as Montbrillant Watch Manufactory by [[1920]] and continuing to use that name for decades to come. Indeed, the official name of the company after Gaston Breitling took over was G.-Léon Breitling S.A. Montbrillant Watch Manufactory. To this day, Breitling uses the Montbrillant name for special and historic models, even though the company vacated the factory after [[1969]].

This factory remains standing in [[La Chaux-de-Fonds]] and is decorated with an original [[Breitling]] sign, though it is no longer associated with the horology industry.

===== Building Tenants =====
The factory was shared between Breitling and many other companies from the very beginning 

  * Montbrillant 1 (Boulevard du Petit-Château 18 through 1898)
    * [[Couleru-Meuri|Charles Couleru-Meuri]] (1894-1908)
    * [[Election]] (1904)
    * [[Lugrin|A. Lugrin et Cie.]] (1906-1907)
    * [[Rode|Rode Watch Co.]] (1909-1918)
    * [[Sonex]] (1919-1924)
    * [[Darax]] (1920-1924)
    * [[Le Stand]] (1922-1924)
    * [[Inca|Inca SA]] (1923)
    * [[Frêne & Juillard]] (1926-1927)
    * [[Jules Frêne]] (1928-1929)
  * Montbrillant 3 (Boulevard du Petit-Château 17 through 1898)
    * [[Breitling|Léon Breitling]] (1894-1914)
    * [[Breitling|G.-Léon Breitling]] (1916-1979)
    * [[Jeanneret-Hüninger & Cie]] (1899)
    * [[Huguenin|Lucie Huguenin]] (1905-1909)
    * [[I. et J. Meylan]] (1900-1903)
    * [[J. Schneider]] (1900-1903)
    * [[H. Müller & Fils]] (1926-1928)

The Eastern building (Boulevard du Petit-Château 18 or Montbrillant 1) was occupied by a series of companies after Couleru-Meuri. [[Election]] was founded there in [[1904]]. In [[1909]], the factory was now listed as the home of [[Rode|Rode Watch Co.]] This American firm was a mass producer of watches. Rode was replaced in [[1919]] by [[Darax]] and [[Sonex]], with travel clock maker [[Le Stand]] joining by [[1922]]. By [[1926]], 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 [[Spiraux|Les Fabriques d'Assortments Réunies, Atelier de Sertissages]] in [[1937]], and by [[1938]] more space was used as a watch factory, now for [[Rogelin|Roger Béguelin's Rogelin Watch Co.]] (which relocated to [[Grenchen]] a few years later) and [[Gubler|Jules Gubler]]. [[Zila|Zila Watch]] relied on the facility as a distributor by [[1938]]. It was the home of [[Henri Jacot]] from [[1950]] through [[1955]]. By [[1963]], it was home again to H. Stoeckle's packaging company.

The Western side was used by Breitling through [[1969]] but was also used by others Watchmaker James Schneider was located at the same address as Breitling in [[1899]], [[Nicely|Nicely S.A.]] was there from [[1950]] through [[1953]], and it was the home to [[Brémon|Brémon SA]] from [[1963]] through [[1969]]. Breitling claims that they continued to use the factory through [[1979]], when [[Schneider, Ernest|Ernest Schneider]] purchased the firm.


{{tag>Watch_brands_Switzerland La_Chaux-de-Fonds Breitling Montbrillant_Watch_Manufactory}}