Back in the Vallée de Joux, in 1740, Samuel-Olivier Meylan designed and manufactured pocket watches equipped with movements and musical discs, and the passion for movement became a family tradition. More than two centuries later, the Claude Meylan brand still perpetuates this family heritage.
The beginnings
Claude Meylan felt the call of watchmaking resonating in Vallée de Joux very early on. He trained on the benches of the local technical school and obtained his watchmaker-restorer CFC. He honed his skills at Audemars Piguet from 1977 to 1981, then at Les Ambassadeurs in Geneva. In 1988, he launched his eponymous brand, but the beginnings were difficult and in 1994, he left the family brand, which remained in the hands of another great enthusiast, recognized watchmaker, Henri Berney. The latter sold the company in 2010 to Philippe Belais, a watch enthusiast with experience at Emile Pequignet, Dunhill, and then Van Cleef & Arpels, but remains present, at 92 years old!, within the atelier of the Maison.
From Establishing House to Sculptor of Time
At its inception, the Maison Claude Meylan operated as an establishing house, subcontracting some of its complications to independent watchmakers. The independent brand then specialized in a particular, ancestral savoir-faire that became its trademark: the art of skeletonization. The components, revealed in their simplest form, often finely decorated, transform timepieces into true horological sculptures. This is how the nickname Claude Meylan, Sculptor of Time, was born. All their collections embody this unique philosophy. This meticulous work accentuates the sensual curves of the round collections, such as the Lac, Lionne, or more recently Ondine lines. It also highlights the original and timeless elegance of the soft and harmonious lines of their now emblematic collection, Tortue, whether mechanical or automatic, as with the Tortue Lady. It further enhances the traditional watchmaking heritage of the l’Abbaye collection, each component of which is decorated by hand.
New Tradition
Today, the Maison Claude Meylan offers the widest range of skeleton watches in Switzerland with exclusive and innovative calibers. The calibers are crafted in-house using well-known and recognized bases, such as ETA or Unitas, with the addition of complications designed and assembled by the Maison (QP, chronograph, or ultra-thin). But what truly differentiates the brand is undeniably this art of revealing...and its ability to offer it to fine watchmaking enthusiasts at accessible prices. Claude Meylan thus allows a larger audience to discover the beauty and watchmaking tradition. The Meylan ancestors would undoubtedly be proud of how the brand perpetuates and enriches their heritage.
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