jÄmes cesar pellaton - english

Jämes César-Pellaton 1873 – 1954Tradition, Precision and Passion

Watchmaker since 1895Chronometer-maker, specialist of tourbillons.

Director of the watchmaking school of Le Locle, born in Le Locle 1873-1954.

Jämes-César Pellaton 1873 - 1954Tradition, Precision and Passion

HIS FAMILY

His Father Frédéric - Albert (1832-1914), specialist watchmaker in tourbillons, operating under the company name: “A. Pellaton-Favre” Le Locle. His workshop is going to deliver about eighty two tourbillons. Since 1890, Frédéric-Albert is member of the commission of the watchmaking School. Hewill be there very active.

Chronometer with tourbillon, silver, enamel, brass, steel.Diameter: 53 mm. Thickness: 17 mm. Engraved movement: ALBERT PELLATON-FAVRE LE LOCLE N° 71

Toward 1900 Inv. I 251

Case of work made of silver, provided with two glasses.

The dial made of white enamel is painted of Arabian numbers for the hours. Small dial of the seconds returned.

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The movement with bridges, to rewinding to the counterpart, is characteristic of the production of Albert Pellaton-Favre (1834-1914). It has a toothed barrel, a crown and a ratchet of “teeth of wolf", two gold settings who maintains the cage of the tourbillon and the wheel of the minutes. The tourbillon of which the lower pivot of the cage made of polite steel carries the hand of the seconds does six jumps per second (21600 alternances/hour). It includes a detent-spring escapement, a wheel of fifteen gold teeth, a compensatory balance with screw of regulation in platinum and a spiral Breguet in blued steel. The gold settings sector is fixed on the double arm of the cage.Albert Pellaton-Favre constructed more than 82 chronometers with tourbillon, all equipped with a detent-spring escapement.

Historic: Entered to the MIH in 1930. Exhibition: 1996 MIH, p 14, repr. Bibliography: MIH, 1961, p. 57, repr. ; 1974, p. 87, repr. Meis, 1990, p. 161, repr.

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Watchmaker toward 1895. Replaced Théophile Gaspard, Léopold Defossez (1878 - ?), in 1926, at the direction of the watchmaking school of Le Locle.

Member in 1905 of the commission of the museum at the time of the Technicum ; Vice - president in 1919; president of 1926 - 1950 NRN.

He is going to stamp its own imprint on the Le Locle watchmaking world. Let's present it from 4 keys aspects: 1 - The man 2 - The teaching3 - The manufacture of tourbillon4 - The watchmaking museum

From his marriage he has 1 son and 2 daughters.

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THE MAN



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In his youth he is instructor of the Sunday school in the college of the Saignotte. He knows everybody there. Thereafter, in memory of this occupation, it goes up every year at Christmas, the college where students are singing his favourite melody:

"LE MINUIT CHRÉTIEN"

He associates with his tenor voice. At the end of the evening he distributes some chocolates to all present children.

One of the leisure he love so much is his card game with three friends at least once a month. They meet up in the Gillotes over a tasty rabbit.

Other important leisure: the presidency of the music society of Le Locle.

It aims to facilitate the cultural life by inviting artists more or less known.

After a concert where Ernest Ansermet was invited, Jämes-César Pellaton, with his dry sens of humour, offered him a packing of cherries in Kirsch and asked him:

"Did you know the difference between a tuning fork and the Klaus factory?”

Without answer of Ansermet, Jämes-César Pellaton gives the solution:

"The tuning fork sets the tone to the shock. The Klaus factory gives the shock to the la.” (Shok to the la = “Choc au la” = “Chocolat” in french, Klaus is a french chocolat factory near Le Locle)

As a teacher, he was extremely strict and demanding. A slap in the face can happen very quickly. To an important visitor to whom he shows the quality of his parts made of polite steel, the visitor answered: what plating beautiful!!! He takes the parts, puts them back it in his case without answering anything.

Sometimes, at a friendly meeting he gave a speech in kitchen German the tone and the gestures were eloquent that at the end of the speech the listeners applauded except the Switzerland German.

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THE TEACHER



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August 1st, 1903

He is hired as master of teaching of escapements. It was work his job at Ulysse Nardin. He is chosen over other candidates.

1908He is given the responsibility, in addition to the escapements, the teaching of the watchmaking theory.

1912He gives evening classes in his specialty. His courses are very popular. This year, there are 29 people. The interest is growing until 1918 ; it is necessary to split the courses. This course is recognized by the award of a certificate.

1914 – 1918Replacement of mobilized teachers in addition to his lessons.

1917He plans to change of position, more attractive offers having been made to him. After discussion and revalorization of his remuneration conditions, he decided to stay in school.

July 6, 1918 Appointment as deputy director after having served for three months as interim director. This promotion does not allow him to fulfill its educational function at 100% ; the job is split.

1921He writes a book on the theory of escapements. The quality of it is such that it becomes compulsory in all schools of Switzerland except in La Chaux-de-Fonds that use the book written P. Berner. This book is also used to the school of Besançon in France and is translated in German. This book has been republished five times. Note on the cover page, the following mentions :

In 1921 Jämes-César Pellaton deputy director of the watchmaking school.In 1928 Jämes-César leading Pellaton director of the watchmaking school.In 1945 and following Jämes-César Pellaton former director of the watchmaking school and Dr Honoris Causa.

1924Appointed to the office of the control by the mark of quality of the watches.

April 1st, 1926Appointment as director. He replaces Mr. P. Defossey. Technical office tasks and educationare entrusted to Mr. R. Lavest, former technical director of Zenith.

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1929Rumours in the public suggest that our school trains too much foreign students. Jämes-César Pellaton, after checking, said that the school of Le Locle has trained, on average, a foreign student per year.To cut short the controversy hiring a foreign student is subject to the Swiss Chamber of Watchmaking.

1932Release of the book “Cours de réglage pour la régleuse”. It is the work of Jämes-César Pellaton and Léopold Defossey.

Years of crisis / unemploymentThe problems related to this situation require the watchmaking schools of Le Locle and LaChaux-de-Fonds (and the other) to better distribute material taught in both schools. This will be done without laying people off.

One the other hand, the school must develop training for the unemployed. This disposition is mandatory for the unemployed under 25 years.

1936Creation of pre-apprenticeship classes in order to improve professional training.

1937The school appears again complete. Jämes-César Pellaton is invited in Finland to the exhibition of the Finnish watchmakers. His book on the escapements has been translated into the language of the country. He is then decorated by the Company of the Finnish Watchmakers of the White Rose of Finland. It is the first time such an award is given to a stranger.

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1938Jämes-César Pellaton is delegated of the Technicum to the foundations of the French Society of chronometry.

November 1st, 1938The university of Neuchâtel is celebrating its centenary. On this occasion, it awarded two Dr Honoris Causa to Jämes-César Pellaton and Mr. Paul Berner.

1939Jämes-César Pellaton retired, he was replaced by Mr. R. Lavest. This is the time to appoint him as President of the Commission of the Watchmaking School and member of the Committee of Technicum.

1939 – 1945Replacement of mobilized teachers.

1948He is technical advisor for the watchmaking exhibition held in Neuchâtel June 30 to July 18. The same year he received at the Congress of the Swedish watchmakers the Gold Medal Schwender.

Throughout the period of his teaching he directed an orchestra of students and a mixed choir during graduation ceremonies. He was honoured with the title of Honorary Presidentof several companies.

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THE TOURBILLONS MANUFACTURING



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He is going to promote to the school, for the best students, the manufacturing of tourbillons. In 1909, the 2nd tourbillon of a student is finished when the 1st tourbillon is in observation in the Observatoire de Neuchâtel, where he obtained a first prize.

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At the National Exhibition in Bern in 1914, the school exposes some tourbillons among other parts.

During the period where he taught, students will make twenty-three tourbillons.

For those that he is going to make personally, he will dedicate his free time, the ends of weeks and the holidays. He delivers thirty-five cages to Patek-Philippe and some others to Girard-Perregaux. He also delivers some movements to Ulysse Nardin and some to Zénith.

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Upon his retirement he is going to deliver some tourbillons on order to private customers.Some of these are at the Musée du Château des Monts (Le Locle).

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In 1951, he finishes a tourbillon made by his father on 19''' S calibre for the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH, La Chaux-de-Fonds). He also makes a tourbillon of demonstration, Benoît system, diameter 83 mm for the museum.

Inv. IV-86

Jämes-César Pellaton Le Locle

Tourbillon of demonstration, system Benoît of. Golden brass, steel. D: 83 mm

Engraved turntable: made especially for the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH, La Chaux-de-Fonds) by Jämes-César Pellaton DR H.C. Le Locle 1951 JCP/5 and number 6759

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Jämes-César Pellaton Le Locle

Mounted on an ebauche of a Ulysse Nardin marine chronometer, Benoît's tourbillon includes a Guillaume balance with brass weights, also called “full balance”, and a cylindricbalance-spring in palladium. There is no cage of tourbillon in Benoît's tourbillon, device invented by Achille Benoît toward 1855. The balance is positioned on top of the the wheel of escapement and receives its impulse directly from the balance-spring, that is placed upside-down, and whose piton is fixed on a bound arm of the superior pivot of the wheel. The piton is thus rotated by the wheel, and this movement is transmitted by the balance-spring to the balance. The escapement is particular to ensure the release and rest during the arc of oscillation of the balance.

Bibliography : MIH, 1965, p. 94, repr.

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In 1926 he makes the smallest tourbillon of the world on a 10 1/2"' caliber. He is putting the finishing touches in the evening of the New Year's Eve, December 31, 1926. On that occasion, he claims: “The one that will make a smallest tourbillon is not yet born."

No-one is a prophet in his own school because the challenge was taken up by one of his master Mr. Fritz Robert-Charrue, that finishes in 1945 a tourbillon on a 8 1/2"’ watch. This time, it is the smallest!

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THE WATCHMAKING MUSEUM

The museum is created July 14, 1849. It will be part of the industrial school.

In 1905 Jämes-César Pellaton was appointed to the commission of the museum.He became vice-president in 1919 and president in 1926 and he remained until 1950.

In 1938, the museum is in the room 44. As the need of extension of the school arises, it frees space by putting parts of the museum in boxes. These boxes are frequently moved.

In 1951, Jämes-César Pellaton, after a rehearsal voice accompanied by Mrs. Zepf (future wife of Mr. E. Jobin), it offers to hire her future husband as the museum curator. She accepts and the future husband follows!!!

TO THE READER

This short biography of Jämes- César of Pellaton fills a void felt by all who wants to improve the radiance of the city of Le Locle. It cannot be exhaustive, but most has been said.

September 18, 2007,

Ch.- A. Breguet

Michel Dawalibi

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Annual reports of the Le Locle watchmaking school, years 1902 to 1940.

Brochure of the 50th and 100th anniversary of watchmaking school.

R. Meis Le Tourbillon.

Jean-Paul Bourdin, les fabricants d’horlogerie Loclois 1785 - 1985.

Directory of Le Locle watchmakers XVII - XX centuries.

Jämes-César Pellaton, Cours d’échappement 1er à 6e éditions.

Jämes-César Pellaton, “Le tourbillon”, in the “annals françaises de chronométrie”, 1951.

Jämes-César Pellaton, “La montre à tourbillon”, extracted from “Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie et de Bijouterie N°3-4 », 1941, dédicated to Mr. Henri Chabloz.

M.I.H., Le Tourbillon, published for the exhibition on this subject of June 07 at September29 1996.

Special thanks to Mr. Ephrem Jobin who mentioned most of the anecdotes, the other being to childhood memories of Mrs Betty Bedert-Pellaton.

Albert Pellaton-Favre

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He/it is born the 24.12.1873 in the Locle and died the 14.01.1954 in the Locle. Addresses in the Locle Swamp 20 and white Path 3. Original amiss. His/her/its father was Frédéric-Albert Pellaton and his/her/its mother Louise-Joséphine Favre-Bubble born. His/her/its paternal ayeux was: Henri-Sylvain and Adele-Uranie Pellaton. His/her/its maternal ayeux was: Friend-Louis-Favre-Bubble Joséphine and Dubois born. His/her/its wife was Laure-Amélie Othenin-Girard born the 25.01.1876, deceased the 04.04.1947. To his/her/its birth two uncles watchmakers in the Locle are mentioned like witnesses: Fritz Favre-Bubble and Augustus Pellaton. Widower of Laure-Amélie Othenin-Girard born He/it had eight brothers He/it learns the profession of watchmaker at his/her/its father. He/it also practises the profession of chronométrier. Committed Odysseus-Nardin at. Between in 1903 to the school of clockmaking of the Locle, where he/it stays 36 years. Director of this School of 1926 to 1939. Knight 1st class of the order of the white Pink Finland of. His/her/its children Louise-Jeanne Marguerite born the 28.03.1900 deceased the 24.oct. 1956.Born Jeanne-René the 27.02.1903 Married to the files of fund. Born Jämes-Wilfred deceased May 1906 30 the 27.02.1954. two enfants : Jean-Pierre born Wilfred Nov. 05 1931.Jeanine-Nadège 01.Sept. 1934.

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jÄmes cesar pellaton - english

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