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A SHORT HISTORY OF MARTEL WATCH CO and ZENITH CHRONOGRAPHS

130K views 171 replies 31 participants last post by  Hartmut Richter 
#1 · (Edited)

Martel watch co
was founded in 1911 in Les Ponts-de-Martel by
Georges Pellaton-Steudler.
(see http://www.antiquewatchworld.com/watch/html/watch_co.html)

1911 was also the year that Georges Favre retired and changed his company name from "Georges Favre-Jacot" to "Zenith" (see Roessler, p.11-12).

Note that Zenith and Universal were both in le Locle, at approx. 10 km from Martel.

Around 1918 Martel is seen supplying Universal with chronograph movements (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Genève#1930s-1949:_The_Chronograph_and_.22Watch_Couturier.22_er a).

Universal Geneve claims on their website that in 1917 they launched the world's first wristwatch chronograph (see http://www.universal.ch/newsletter/en/details/didyouknow.htm).

Combining this information we can conclude that "the world's first wristwatch chronograph, launched by Universal", probably used a movement made by Martel.

From this advertisement (ca. 1927?) we can see what those early Martel wristwatch chronographs looked like :
Font


Next thing we know around 1932 Universal launched the world's first wristwatch chronograph with two pushers.

The wristwatch chronograph with two pushers as we still know it today, was born!

And it will become clear from the watches produced during the 1930's that the movement had been created by Martel.


The next year in 1933 Universal launched the world's first two pusher chronograph with three counters. (other sources say it was 1934).

The chronograph with three subdials, another important and exciting improvement which remains a classic until today!


Thus the two chronograph movements were born which Martel was going to make for 37 years (1932-1969).

These two could easily be made in different sizes : of 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 lignes.
Zenith named them according to their size cal. 122, 136, 146, 156, 166. They are all basically the same, different in size only. Each can be made with two or three counters: cal. 136 D and cal. 136 H, and so on.

Universal used the same movements and of course their own caliber codes, caliber 281 and so on.

It should remain clear that Universal had the initiative. Zenith perhaps got in the project thanks to its investment power in those days. Exactly at which date Zenith got in the project, we don't know, but it was probably quite early.

In 1933 Raoul Perret, the son of Georges Perret (the co-founder of Universal Watches in 1894), came in charge of Universal. The same Raoul Perret can be found in 1935 on the board of administration of Zenith :

Text Font Document Paper Illustration


Through Raoul Perret the Universal and Zenith Watch companies could easily cooperate in the field of the new wristwatch chronographs with two pushers.

Thanks to this cooperation Zenith from the beginning around 1932 had the same first wristwatch chronographs with two pushers available, as Universal had.

Take a look at this 1930's advertisement for Zenith chronographs:

Watch Text Font Fashion accessory Brand


This probably dates to around 1932-35. It could be the first known advertisement for a two pusher chronograph. The title is : "A new chronograph caliber with two pushers".

The text mentions that it is one and the same caliber for different sizes, with as a result the ease of interchangeable parts : a characteristic of Martel calibers.
Zenith praised the extraordinary quality of the movement and the reasonable price.

The advertisement also mentions that the chronograph dials could easily be exchanged. This is interesting, because it is possible that changing the dial was about the only thing that Zenith had to do in the making of these chronographs. There is a plausible theory that in this period not only the movements were made by Martel, but the chronographs were then also cased by Universal, before they were delivered as complete chronographs to Zenith.

In any case since Martel was making the movements, all there was left for either Universal or Zenith was adding the dials, hands, and cases to the movements, with the company names and numbers.


An example of the gold watch in the advertisement, an early 1930's Zenith chronograph with two pushers and Martel movement (Zenith caliber 136), can be seen in this thread :
https://www.watchuseek.com/f27/my-grandfathers-zenith-596561.html

In Roessler's book about Zenith, we can also see several examples of early Zenith chronographs with two pushers, made in the 1930's (p. 216-218).

Around 1936 Universal then introduced the "Compur" and "Compax" names for chronographs with two or three subdials. Zenith used these names as well.

Roessler shows some Zenith chronographs from this period with 'Compur' on the dials (p. 219-220).

From advertisements we also know that there was a direct and open collaboration between Universal and Zenith, both using the Compur and Compax name. This advertisement for the Compur must date to ca. 1936 :

Poster Illustration Art


Here is another one :
Watch Font Material property Fashion accessory Clock


And here is an advertisement from the same period (ca. 1936), where we find Zenith (and Universal is mentioned as well) advertising the Zenith Compax :



Next we should mention the renaming of Universal as Universal Genève in 1937. (Again I found some uncertainty about the exact date: some sources cite 1934, but 1937 is more likely to be the correct date).

Due to the succes of the chronographs in 1941 Universal Geneve had to build a new, ultramodern production line for chronographs (see for instance : http://www.montreshorlogerie.com/histoire-montres-universa-geneve.html ).

From this follows an example of a mistake which originates from one site, and is then copied by others. The opening of a new production line for chronographs in 1941 was misinterpreted by somebody as the founding date of Martel. This mistake has since spread to more sites, who copied the wrong information. As a result, some people have started believing that Martel was only founded in 1941. Please note that Martel was not founded in 1941 by Universal, as it had already been founded in 1911 by Georges Pellaton-Steudler.

Around 1942 the Martel/Universal Geneve/Zenith collaboration then led to the first wristwatch chronograph with date. (see for instance Page Modèles)

A Zenith example of the first chronograph with date can be seen in Roessler on p. 217.
It is estimated by Roessler as "1930"(s), this should probably be "1940"(s). Interestingly the movement is signed with two caliber codes : "287" and "146" (a Universal Geneve and a Zenith caliber code for the same movement).


But this chronograph with date
was only the last step before Martel came to make the star product, the first wristwatch chronograph with full calendar and moonphase in 1944.

And
Zenith also got it: an example of the Zenith "Tricompax" can be seen in Roessler p. 221.

Then towards the 1950s it seems that Universal Geneve shifted its attention more and more to that other novelty of those years : the automatic wristwatches. This eventually led to the Universal Geneve Polerouter, which (starting in 1954) became another success for Universal Geneve.

Zenith in the meantime started using the Excelsior Park chronograph movements as well. During the 1940's, starting ca. 1942, a movement was made by Excelsior Park which was then used by Gallet, Girard-Perregaux and Zenith for their chronographs (see Page Modèles).

Still at the same time Zenith remained faithful to the Martel chronographs as well.

Thus for a period of ca. 10 years (1946-1956) Zenith used both Excelsior Park and Martel chronographs.


We then find Martel ca. 1956 happily, independently and optimistically doing business.

Martel all the time had continued to supply Zenith and Universal Geneve with chronograph movements during the 1940's and '50's.

But now they also had watches under their own brand name.

Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Jewellery

An interesting non-chronograph with full calendar and moonphase.

Around 1956 they can be seen advertising for their own new automatic watch with date.
Watch Pocket watch Compass Vehicle Fashion accessory

Advertising



Note how this ad mentions that the watch was made in the best Martel tradition of precision and that Martel already had more than 40 years experience at that time :

"...precision workmanship and impeccable quality guaranteed by Martel's 40 year reputation for dependability and outstanding service to the watch trade."

This funny ad dates to ca. 1957 :

Poster Text Vintage advertisement Font Paper


Shortly afterwards, around 1958, Zenith bought the entire Martel Watch co.
Usually 1960 is cited as the date of the acquisition (for instance by Roessler). Elsewhere I read 1959. But in Roessler's movements and calibers' list (p. 32) 1958 is indicated as the date when they effectively started with the Martel 25x2 movements.

Not only was Martel the supplier of excellent chronograph movements for Zenith since (at least) the early 1930's, by 1956 they also had developed a modern automatic watch (with rotor), with date, and the same Martel precision. Zenith could use a modern automatic movement. Until then Zenith only had bumper automatics.


The Zenith Martel cal. 25x2 could also be used for handwound watches. It became the main Zenith movement line during the 1960's and '70s (until 1975). It was further developed and updated by Zenith almost every year during the 1960's, until ca. 1975.


At the same time the Zenith Martel chronographs could be continued and developed further, now also by bringing all the new technologies together : wristwatch - chronograph ; automatic - with date; with the addition of a very high frequency (a novelty from the 1960's).

As a result, in 1969 the Zenith El Primero was born.

Martel had made the worlds' first automatic wristwatch chronograph movement.

And not only that : they made it straight away with chronometer precision; with three counters; with date (and quickset); they made it ultra-thin; with a very high frequency (36000 bph); and yet very solid and stable, durable and reliable.

In 1971 followed the worlds' first automatic wristwatch chronograph with full calendar and moonphase (Zenith Espada).

Unfortunately for Zenith and the mechanical watch industry in general, at the same time during the '60s other people had been experimenting with electronic and quartz watches.

As a result Bulova, owner of an electronic watch movement, was able to buy Universal Geneve in 1967.

And in 1972 a Zenith radio (and television) company was able to buy Zenith watches.


In 1975 the Zenith radio company ordered Zenith watches in Switzerland to stop the production of mechanical movements altogether, including the chronograph production in Martel and selling the Martel building and destroying all their tools.

Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

Martel was 64 years old, when it was not needed any more.


Fortunately Charles Vermot (who for 40 years was chef of ébauches production at Zenith), at that time went against the foreign orders and saved many tools, machines as well as know-how from the Martel building, which all proved to be very valuable for Zenith ten years later in 1985 when the El Primero was revived. Charles Vermot was a visionary and saved the finest tools and machines from the Martel plant in Ponts-de Martel.

You can see a moving interview with Charles Vermot on the Zenith site :
http://www.zenith-watches.com/en/#/manufacture/saga/el-primero/saving-el-primero/movie

A golden age came to an end, however soon to be revived.

In the early 1980's a few business men bought up the old stocks of Zenith's Martel chronograph movements (both automatic as well as handwound chronograph movements), cased them, and sold them with a profit.

Soon orders for new movements followed and around 1985 the El Primero was resurrected.

The rest is history.


Through the El Primero, which is now more alive than ever, the legacy of the small Martel Watch Company from Les Ponts-de-Martel also lives on.

But it also lives on in the many fine watches from the past, such as most Zenith chronographs starting from around 1932 and many Zenith watches from the 1960's (until 1975).


In memory of the Martel watch company, founded a hundred and one years ago (in 1911) in Les Ponts-de-Martel by Georges Pellaton-Steudler. Among its accomplishments are the world's first wristwatch chronograph with two pushers (1932), with three registers (1934) with date (1942) and with full calendar and moonphase (1944); and the world's first automatic wristwatch chronograph (with three registers, date, high frequency and ultra-thin) (1969) and with full calendar and moonphase (1971).
 
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11
#2 ·
Bravissimo ! ;-)


...Around 1936 Universal then introduced the "Compur" and "Compax" names for chronographs with two or three subdials. Zenith used them as well.
...

... But this chronograph with date was only the last step before Martel came to make the star product, the first wristwatch chronograph with full calendar and moonphase in 1944....

And
Zenith also got it: an example of the Zenith "Tricompax" can be seen in Roessler p. 221....
Rassegna di
 
#3 · (Edited)
Thank you Nicola ! And credits should go to you for providing some of the most essential information and illustrations which I could find (for instance concerning the role of Raoul Perret and the Universal Geneve/Zenith joint advertisements).
b-)

edit : I've added three more old advertisements, found on the page for which you gave the link (Rassegna di) and I should mention that it also contains many interesting pictures of actual watches, early Zenith chronographs, Compur's and Compax and so on.

Thank you !
 
#4 ·
Great job summarizing the intertwined histories of Martel, UG and Zenith. Thank you for putting this together, it should definitely be a sticky!
 
#6 · (Edited)
Wow, what an impressive compendium! Your radically revisionist recitation certainly raises several interesting points, and if it turns out to be accurate, is revolutionary. Many a chronograph collector will be surprised to learn that all of the mechanical achievements of the vaunted UG brand are actually those of Martel, a company that until about the 1950s did not produce a wristwatch with its name on it. It raises several questions as well, and leaves me somewhat confused.For the sake of clarification and a little critical evaluation, let me present a few points and express some reservations
Around 1918 Martel is seen supplying Universal with chronograph movements (see Universal Genève - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia a).
On further examination, this statement appears to be unsupported. Your source is wikipedia, and their source is no less an horological authority than a reporter for the Singapore Business Times, whose article states only that Martel bought Zenith in 1960 - nothing about Martel supplying UG. Check it yourself: http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/supplement/story/0,4574,453681,00.html?You have pointed out elsewhere that statements can become fact by simple repetition on the internet - we see here an example of how. On the italian site, Nicola extracts an apparently supporting statement from inevneitetfecit.com (Rassegna di). However, again tracking back to the source, we see that this is in reference to the Datocompax, known to be manufactured at the UG facility at Ponts-de Martel after 1941. Unfortunately, this unsupported assumption about Martel being the source of UG movements proves rather key in all that follows, as here
we can conclude that the world's first wristwatch chronograph, launched by Universal around 1917-18, probably used a movement made by Martel.
In Universal Watch Geneve, Pietro Giuliano Sala has written an horological history that more lavishly documented from primary sources than all but a few others. He has stated thatn in 1933, upon his accession to the management of UG with the death of his father, Raoul Perret concentrated all manufacturing operations in Geneva, which would seem to preclude Martel being a source of movements.
"A new chronograph caliber with two pushers".The text mentions that it is one and the same caliber for different sizes, with as a result the ease of interchangeable parts : this is a characteristic of Martel calibers.
...and of UG calibers, which the advertisement is in fact talking about.
In any case since Martel was making the movements, all there was left for either Universal or Zenith was adding the dials, hands, and cases to the movements, with the company names and numbers.
Wouldn't it be odd for UG to have bought ebauches from Martel, and the sold them - as ebauches - to Eberhard, Jaeger LeCoultre and Vacheron & Constantin, all well documented in Sala, as if those firms did not know Martel's telephone number themselves? Now, there is no doubt the Swiss watchmaking industry works in mysterious ways, with all sorts of collective agreements that do not jibe with expectations of competitive corporate culture, but that seems curiously complicated and improbable to me.
Then it is reported by some that due to the succes of the chronographs by 1941 Universal Geneve had to open a new, ultramodern production line for chronographs
This piece of information is not "reported by some." It is documented. I will quote Sala at length "This latest chain of events (Zenith's demand for UG ebauches - my note) convinced the partners to build a new plant in Pont-de-Martel in record time, where they began manufacturing chronographs and timekeepers for military and industrial purposes...the new factory was opened on 31 January 1941....It was in this facility that, among others, the new chronograph presented on 6 November 1940 was built: the Aerocompax...in the following year, production of a new totalizing chronograph fro aviation commenced, along with other watches and chronographs for purely military purposes which dominated the period." Along with this, Sala offers two pictures of the plant itself with "UNIVERSAL" across the front of the building. This last suggests strongly that you are right that the establishment of this plant is different from the establishment of Martel, the point of confusion being the place name. It also raises the possibility that the identity of Martel watch and UG's Pont de Martel facility have been conflated in other ways, namely that many of the achievements of the UG works have been ascribed to Martel Watch company when in fact the two are different. Here is a good example of that:
Around 1942 the Martel/Universal Geneve/Zenith collaboration then led to the first wristwatch chronograph with date. (see for instance Page Modèles)

The DatoCompax is plainly a UG product, made at the Pont-de-Martel works. That, as you have showed, is not the same as a Martel product. The author of invenitetfecit (your source) regards the two as synonymous, it now seems to me erroneously. Very confusing...



only the last step before Martel came to make the star product, the first wristwatch chronograph with full calendar and moonphase in 1944.

That will surprise many people! Again Sala, shortly after discussing the Tri-Compax introduction for UG's 50th anniversary, "All chronographs produced (Unicompax, Compax, Medico-Compax, Dato-Compax, Aero-Compax, and Tri-Compax) along with more simple pieces, were equipped with movements designed and manufactured entirely in-house."

So, I'm skeptical - to say the least - of your casting Martel as the "little man behind the curtain" to Universal Geneve's Wizard of Oz, and assigning all of UG's accomplishments to little Martel. Nevertheless, there remain many ambiguities. Left to explain is the Martel-UG shared, near-identical triple-calendar moonphase with the cal 291, the cal 146 which entered into Zenith's posession as well as the 'Victorious' product line, similarly in Zenith's portfolio. From where did each originate?

It seems to me that four elements clearly existed and must be accounted for
1. Martel watch company established in 1911
2. a wholly-owned UG facility at Pont de Martel
3. an independent Martel watch company functioning in the 1950's with self-branded products, some of which are shared with UG
4. an entity named 'Martel' which Zenith bought 1958-1960, and which brought a new time-only watch movement (never used by UG), and UG-derived chronograph movement, and the 'Victorious' product line into the Zenith portfolio

To me, the 1911 Martel seems unrelated to anything else. The only statement that relates it to UG is an unsupported Wikipedia item. As a footnote, I should mention that "Martel" does not enter Sala's history until the plant is build there in 1941. The UG facility and the independent 1950s Martel are linked by the cal 291 triple-calendar moonphase watch. The independant Martel and Zenith are linked by teh 25x2 series calibers and the 'Victorious.' The UG facility and Zenith may be linked by the cal 146 - I know of no Martel-branded chronograph at all.

From this, my hypothesis: 1911 Martel died or was absorbed at some undetermined point in the past. UG built a chronograph works at Pont de Martel in 1941, and spun it off as a separate brand, perhaps wholly independent, perhaps not, in the 1950s, using a name from the past that had fallen into disuse, as many companies have done recently. That company developed the 25x2 series of calibers to support a time-only watch line as a main product. That brand and the physical facility in Pont de Martel was acquired by Zenith, looking for a rotor automatic and an in-house chronograph. UG's accomplishments belong to UG and no one else, and UG was the parent of 1950s Martel, sold to Zenith.

 
#7 · (Edited)
but dear Lou, Whatever the fans of Universal Geneve or Zenith may think or say about the UG or Zenith chronographs being made wholly "in-house", you should see through all that.

Tell me, what movements did Universal Geneve use when it started, in the 1930's? Everybody knows that these were identical to the Zenith calibers, they were Martel made movements.

The Zenith advertisement from ca. 1932-1935 for the two new chronograph caliber with two pushers is not about Universal Geneve calibers, it is about Zenith chronographs with Zenith cal. 122 and 136.

But whether called Universal cal. 281 or Zenith cal. 122, the movement was the same, and it was designed and made by Martel.

Take a look also at the advertisement for the Martel single pusher wristwatch chronograph from ca. 1927, another addition thanks to Nicola.

Nicola has studied the thing more and we seem to agree on this short history being correct!

Take your time to study the movements.

Thanks
 
#12 · (Edited)
Great thread, and high time we tried to hash this out.

but dear Lou, Whatever the fans of Universal Geneve or Zenith may think or say about the UG or Zenith chronographs being made wholly "in-house", you should see through all that.
I see through this as well as the Martel fans see through the Martel origin of the movements ;-)

Take your time to study the movements.

Thanks
I would love to, but I can't find any Martel movements to study. None in the Ranfft database, none in Lang & Meis's Chronograph Wristwatches, no mention of any in Ghidoni & Ribolini's Il Cronografo Interpretato, no mention of any in Salm's Armband Chronographen. At the same time, Lang & Meis has 7 Universal Geneve movements and Ranfft has 16. Further, neither existing UG monograph - Bonifacio & Rivolta's Universal Geneve, and Sala's Universal Watch Geneve - make any mention of Martel movements, and of course there are no Martel monographs. Nor do I find any mention of Martel in Antiquorum's storied Universal Geneve sale of 9 April 1994. The tracks of Martel are so well covered that the story begins to ask for a conspiracy theory.

Tell me, what movements did Universal Geneve use when it started, in the 1930's? Everybody knows that these were identical to the Zenith calibers, they were Martel made movements.
Universal started making wrist chronographs in 1917 from 17 ligne pocket watch ebauches (Sala), ebauches presumably Universal's own. This does give some room to speculate on the source of the ebauches, but certainly stops well short of affirming an outside source, much less Martel. As for 'identical to Zenith calibers,' one need hardly bend over backwards to arrive at an explanation - Zenith was supplied by UG, as amply documented by Sala using UG archives. He actually has photographs of records of the Zenith watches from UG archives, entered before they left the UG works to go to Zenith.

The Zenith advertisement from ca. 1932-1935 for the two new chronograph caliber with two pushers is not about Universal Geneve calibers, it is about Zenith chronographs with Zenith cal. 126 and 136.

But whether called Universal cal. 281 or Zenith cal. 126, the movement was the same, and it was designed and made by Martel.
Nothing in this supports a Martel origin.

Take a look also at the advertisement for the Martel single pusher wristwatch chronograph from ca. 1927, another addition thanks to Nicola.

Nicola has studied the thing more and we seem to agree on this short history being correct!
Again, the advertisement proves nothing at all other than Martel was producing wrist chronographs that could be mistaken for those of a dozen other manufacturers by that date. Martel could just as easily have outsourced its movements from UG, or from another supplier. I have read Nicola's valuable posts as best I can with the help of Mr. Google, and I do see that he suggests that UG was obtaining movements from Martel before 1941 (In merito a Universal.....). Here, though, I believe he makes the error of conflating the UG works in Pont-de-Martel with the company Martel (Bonifacio & Rivolta suggest there was a UG facility there which was demolished to make way for the new 1941 factory).

Here's a photo of the new factory of 1941 - clearly not a Martel Watch Co. Facility


Back we come to the central issue - how was 1911 Martel related to the Universal Geneve works in Pont-de-Martel? Did 1911 Martel die and was the UG works a totally separate entity? Was it bought by UG and demolished, the Pont de Martel works representing its descendant? And if it was bought, what intellectual property came with it? Was UG producing 1911 Martel hardware, or did it simply use the real estate to augment production of its own from Geneva?

If UG received ebauches from Martel, the absence of traces from the historical record are hard to explain. Has any other movement supplier been as thoroughly buried?
 
#9 ·
Thanks you, sempervivens, for the write up and LouS for the additional comments. My only contribution at this stage is two corrections:

1. The Zenith Cal. 126 was not a chronograph movement, not was it made by Martel. It is the in house cousin of the Cal. 106 (HW, sub second but 12''' instead of 10'''). You are thinking of the (Martel chronograph) Cal. 122.

2. Prior to using the 25xx P(C) series, Zenith had only one automatic movement (Cal. 133) and derivatives (Cals.133.8 and 71) but these were in house. Zenith did not obtain external automatic movements at that stage.

Hartmut Richter
 
#10 · (Edited)
SV, thank you so much for your intrepid and valuable research. This issue has long interested me (ever since I read in a JLC book that UG had subcontracted chronograph manufacture to Martel in order to keep up with demand in the late '40s), and it is all so hard to pin down! Fascinating to learn that UG's Raoul Perret was on the board of Zenith! I have to admit that information I have seen (admittedly not as much as you have seen!) has always indicated that UG developed and manufactured its chronograph movements in-house in the '20s, '30s and '40s, being, with Lemania, one of the only houses to do so outside of the ebauche-makers, Ebauches S.A., Venus and Valjoux. It is so interesting to see the connections in those days between Universal, Zenith and Martel!

Your conclusion "that the world's first wristwatch chronograph, launched by Universal around 1917-18, probably used a movement made by Martel" seems rather thinly supported to me. Lang and Meis, "Chronograph Wristwatches, To Stop Time" (1993) credit the Moeris firm with the first small (13''') chronograph movements marketed as wristwatche around 1910. Frustratingly, they barely mention Martel except to note a 1937 patent concerning the hour register wheel drive.

Incidentally, you have repeated what I have read elsewhere that Zenith ceased mechanical manufacture in 1975 on the orders of its parent Zenith Radio Corporation, deviously undermined by the sainted Charles Vermot. It is clear, however, that Zenith Le Locle continued to produce the El Primero 01.0200.415 "Fernseher" (TV set) (and no other) right up to 1978 when the last 50 were produced in black (see how our purchases guide our research; see also Roessler, p. 241). My assumption has been that this continued production was tolerated by ZRC because it used up existing parts and connected in to the TV set image - they were advertised under ZRC's slogan "The quality goes in before the name goes on." But I have never seen an authoritative explanation for this limited continued mechanical production from 1975-1978. Anyone?

SV, thanks again!

Chris
 
#11 · (Edited)
Thank You Chris.

I agree that there is not much documentation concerning the chronograph which Universal claims they launched around 1917, 'the world's first wristwatch chronograph'. It is possible that Moeris had one before Universal, or both arrived at the same time. Difficult to tell. The only point being made here is that the one which was launched by Universal around 1917, was possibly designed by Martel and then maybe looked like one of those which can be seen in the Martel advertisement from ca. 1920's.

There is the mention on the Universal Geneve Wikipedia page that Universal started using Martel movements as early as 1918: I couldn't verify the source for that. But anyway it is general knowledge that Martel supplied chronograph movements to Universal.

Concerning the ending of the production in 1975 and the production of 'TV' El Primero's after that (until 1978) : it is my understanding that in 1975 the production of movements was halted. But Zenith had plenty of stock movements and cases to continue producing some more TV Primero's during the next years. To produce the black TV Primero in 1978 they only had to order 50 more black dials from the company that supplied their dials.

@ Hartmut : thank you for the comments and corrections ! I've edited the text with your corrections.

Strange that Zenith called the 12 lignes version caliber 122 and all the others with a 6 : cal. 136, 146, 156, 166 : that got me confused.
 
#20 · (Edited)

Originally Posted by sempervivens
Note that the Martel building in Les Ponts-de-Martel can still be seen in the video with Charles Vermot (around minute 4)."

"Yes, I saw that - it was converted into something ignominious like a dry goods warehouse or something similar....can you be sure it is the same building? To me, it looks like the same building with two rows of large set-back windows and two floors below. I ask because that would at least help us determine that it was Universal plant that Zenith bought."(LouS)

Being a detail kind of guy, I reviewed the Charles Vermot video carefully and compared the shot of the Martel manufacture with Lou's photo of the 'new' Universal factory in Les Ponts de Martel. There is no doubt whatever in my mind that they are one and the same building (the details of # of panes of glass in outlying windows as compared to central windows, etc. are a dead giveaway). The question remains, how did that factory come to change hands? Did Universal build it to expand its chronograph production, then decide it was too much capital, sell it to Martel and sub-contract its chronograph production? Or was it always a Martel facility that bore the Universal name until its production ceased being almost entirely for Universal? (Just as the Aegler facility in Biel bore the name Rolex long before it was owned by Rolex.) Over to youse guys!

Chris
 
#21 · (Edited)

Being a detail kind of guy, I reviewed the Charles Vermot video carefully and compared the shot of the Martel manufacture with Lou's photo of the 'new' Universal factory in Les Ponts de Martel. There is no doubt whatever in my mind that they are one and the same building (the details of # of panes of glass in outlying windows as compared to central windows, etc. are a dead giveaway). The question remains, how did that factory come to change hands? Did Universal build it to expand its chronograph production, then decide it was too much capital, sell it to Martel and sub-contract its chronograph production? Or was it always a Martel facility that bore the Universal name until its production ceased being almost entirely for Universal? (Just as the Aegler facility in Biel bore the name Rolex long before it was owned by Rolex.) Over to youse guys!

Chris
Yes I also see it now, it is the same building. That is also more logical than a big additional building. That must have been in the Rue de l'Industrie then.

I would conclude that the older Martel facility was replaced by a new building in 1941, which then got the name of Universal on the facade. Probably Universal owned a part of the Martel stock and chose to have their own name on the building for promotional reasons. Apparently later Martel became wholly independent again and had its own name placed on the building.

Zenith then bought the entire stock of Martel ca. 1958. The independent stock corporation Martel Watch co S.A. ceased to exist.

Still Zenith never had the Martel name removed from the building in Les-Ponts-de-Martel, although it was their property and it was the place where they produced all the chronographs, including the El Primero. So Zenith did the opposite from what Universal had done : although in 1941 Martel was still a separate entity, Universal put their name on the building; Zenith on the contrary, although they fully owned Martel, let the name Martel be there.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Next you'll ask us to prove that the sun also rises :-d. Seriously, I don't see the need for further proof. The only thing torturous I see here is you trying to reconcile the fact that it was Martel who made the chronographs, with your previous belief that it was Universal who made the chronographs themselves. Apparently Sala held that information back from you.

It's not clear to me why you understand Zenith to have participated in the initial investment.
I didn't suggest Zenith participated in the initial investment before 1932. It is possible, but I wouldn't presume that. But starting around 1932, Zenith paid to get the chronographs and thus helped in the investments. Zenith also shared the costs of advertising the new chronographs with Universal. Zenith helped to launch the new product. Because making a new product requires investments; but launching it on the market still requires more investments.

Presumably Universal had 30 % in Martel from ca. 1929 until ca. 1954. When you say that 30 % of the stock of a company is not a controlling participation, do you speak as an expert in stock corporations or do you at least have some knowledge about them? Because I seem to remember that 30 % of the stock of a company can give you a lot of powers in a stock corporation (for instance "veto rights").

Martel seems to have replaced Universal as the primary tenant in that building at some point. Because some Martel intellectual property was shared with UG (cal 285, 291), it seems likely there was an association prior to that. But what was it? Who had the control, and for our interest, who had the design and creative initiative? Unresolved
Martel was always the only tenant /owner of the building in Les Ponts-de-Martel since 1911. They were there in 1911 and they were still there in 1958. Universal never owned Martel nor the building. Why is that so difficult to understand? Universal only helped in financing Martel, including their new, modernised building in 1941.
The design and creative work to make the chronographs, was entirely Martel's.
Universal helped to finance Martel, presumably since 1929. In exchange Universal got exclusivity.
It was a partnership which lasted twenty years (ca. 1930-1950).
Universal during this period had some control over Martel, presumably by holding 30 % of the stock of Martel (which can be seen as an insurance in exchange for their investments in Martel).

The address of Martel in the rue de l'Industrie is mentioned in the 1914 document (from the swiss fédération horlogère).

Why ask for patents ? It is clear that Martel held the intellectual rights for the chronograph movement. Otherwise those rights could not have been included in the 1959 acquisition of the Martel company by Zenith.
Of course additional documentation is always welcome, but it is not necessary.

At this point, I'm only wondering about what you say : that Universal still made the Tricompax in the 1960's. Did Universal obtain the intellectual rights for the Tricompax from Martel ? or could it have been that Universal Geneve in the 1960's simply used up an old stock of Tricompax movements?
 
#33 · (Edited)
Amazing collection of documentation by nicola, thank you! But, it still seems like it hasn't been conclusively proven that Martel was the "invisible" hand developing/supplying movements to UG between 1917-1941 like you guys (Lou and SV) have been back-and-forthing.

I must say though that the discussion has been great, and I've learned a lot in the past few days.
 
#39 ·
Nicola,

this gets better and better. I am tremendously impressed at your ability to find exactly he most revealing material. The US Patent office document is crystal clear.

Is it possible to find the Martel patent for their simple two-pusher chronograph model?
 
#41 ·
Nicola,

this gets better and better. I am tremendously impressed at your ability to find exactly he most revealing material. The US Patent office document is crystal clear.

Is it possible to find the Martel patent for their simple two-pusher chronograph model?
I apologize, but with this photo I have exhausted my resources. :-(
I hope of to have helped you. ;-)

Text Font Document Paper

Text Line art Font
 
#40 ·
Incredible. Where do you find it Nicola ?
A Universal patent for a Martel invention. An indication that the inventions from the 1940's - the first chronograph with date and the Tricompax - may also have been Universal patents and intellectual property.

Now we know of at least four Pellatons behind the Martel watch co, Georges Pellaton-Steudler, the founder, and his sons Georges Pellaton-Perrelet, René-Philippe Pellaton and (here) the inventor Raoul Pellaton.
 
#43 · (Edited)
Well, it has been a remarkable thread, so it deserves a serious effort at summary, so here goes. Jump in if I get it wrong.

The matter of the thread is the relationship between Martel, UG and Zenith. It is contended that Martel was the supplier of chronograph movements to UG, and via UG to Zenith.

Martel was established in Ponts de Martel in 1911, not far from Le Locle, were Zenith and at that time Universal have already been in business for a few decades. Various documentations demonstrate that Martel produced chronographs under its own name in the 1920s and remained in operation through the 1920s and 1930s. In the early 1930s, Zenith and Universal began to jointly promote a two pusher chronograph, the first of its type. Raoul Perret, the director of Universal - headquartered in Geneva by this time, was also on the board of directors of Zenith, offering evidence of some shared management between the two firms. It is hypothesized that Martel provided the movement for this and later chronographs produced by the two firms. Although no direct documentary evidence exists of this particular fact, the close relationship between Martel and Universal is clear from later patent records. Archival evidence from UG, as well as Zenith pieces sporting case numbers and reference numbers in UG format rather than Zenith format, suggests that Zenith obtained its watches complete from UG rather than simply ebauches.

In 1941, UG built a new state of the art production facility in Ponts de Martel for the manufacture of chronographs. The capital investment appears to have been made in large part because of the sizeable and reliable demand from Zenith. Patent records from the US indicate that the Aero-Compax movement, introduced at this time and manufactured at the PdM facility, was a Martel design, assigned by that firm to UG. It is now clear that Martel is producing movements for UG, very probably in the factory built in PdM.

Advertising evidence reveals that sometime in the late 1940s or early 1950s, Martel began to produce watches under its own trademark, namely an automatic time-only watch called the Victorious and a Triple calendar moonphase which is also produced under the UG trademark, powered by the caliber known as the 291 in the UG movement roster.

In 1958 or 1959, Zenith acquired Martel, bringing the cal 146 (Martel 749/UG 285), as well as the 25x2 automatic movements and the "Vicrorious" name into its portfolio. From the Charles Vermot video on the Zenith website, it is clear that it acquires the former UG building in PdM, apparently the Martel physical plant, in the deal. Around this same time, UG begins to use Valjoux 72s in its simple chronographs, suggesting that with the acquisition of Martel by Zenith, it lost access to their own movements for these pieces. However, it does continue to produce Tri-Compaxes to the very late 1960s-early 1970s with its own cal 281 movement from the same family as the 285. It is not entirely clear how UG retains the use of this movement - possibilities include continued production by UG, acquisition under licence from Zenith, or use of movements already stockpiled.

Thus, to summarize the summary, UG appears to have had a very close and apparently exclusive relationship with Martel, to the extent of holding patents for that firm's innovations, acquiring their output, and probably housing Martel personnel and production on its premises by 1941 and possibly before. Martel appears to have preserved some independent identity however, even as it served as the source of "in-house" chronograph movements for UG. Zenith appears to have obtained much of its early chronograph volume from UG, and the two firms co-marketed for a time. At some point in the late 1940s-1950s, Martel began to operate independently out of the former UG facility in Ponts de Martel, but was acquired by Zenith in 1959 or so, at which time UG evidently had to turn to other sources for chronograph ebauches.

Howzat?
 
#44 · (Edited)
Slowly you're getting there ;-) Most importantly, we now agree that the chronographs were Martel's creations.

But I could criticize several points here. And I should, since you've also been critical.

in 1911, ... Universal [had] already been in business for a few decades.
Universal was founded in 1894, only 17 years before Martel, not exactly 'decades'.

Zenith pieces sporting case numbers and reference numbers in UG format rather than Zenith format
Well put. This is a theory, but has not been proven. Could be interesting to explore.

In 1941, UG built a new state of the art production facility in Ponts de Martel for the manufacture of chronographs. The capital investment appears to have been made in large part because of the sizeable and reliable demand from Zenith.
Why do you say the demand was coming mainly from Zenith ? In part there must have been demand from Zenith, but more chronographs in this period may have been made under the Universal name.

And above all, why do you think that UG owned the building in les Ponts-de-Martel ? Because Sala says it was theirs ? But Sala apparently doesn't mention Martel at all: too complicated to tell the whole story and therefore Sala simplified it to 'Universal made their chronographs in a separate production facility in les Ponts-de-Martel', without mentioning that it was actually a different company (Martel) who made the chronographs.

It seems more likely that Martel owned their own building. Martel must have had its own premises somewhere, from 1911 until 1958. We know that Martel owned the building around 1958 when they were sold to Zenith. So it is likely that Martel always owned that building. Otherwise we have to invent a theory that "at a certain point Martel sold their own building to Universal, who later constructed a new building on the same site in 1941, which they later sold back to Martel ". Why make it so difficult ? Can't it be much simpler : Martel owned a building since 1911. In 1941 Universal paid (or helped to pay) a new building for Martel on the same site. Universal in exchange didn't get ownership of the building - which would have been of no use to them - but it got something much more valuable in exchange : the intellectual rights, the patents. We have seen it documented that in the 1940's Universal got patents for Martel's inventions.

This could also have included the patent for the Tricompax. This would explain why UG could still make the Tricompax in the 1960's (and also why Zenith didn't make any Tricompax in the 1960's).

Martel may have sold the patent for the Tricompax to Universal : it is not 100 % proven but at this point I find it likely.

Advertising evidence reveals that sometime in the late 1940s or early 1950s, Martel began to produce watches under its own trademark
The advertisements I know of date to 1956, which is second half of the 1950's, not exactly 'late 1940's or early 1950's.'

Martel appears to have preserved some independent identity
That is an understatement. Martel always remained an independent stock corporation, separate from Universal, and led by different people.

UG... probably housing Martel personnel and production on its premises by 1941 and possibly before.
Again you suggest that the Martel building in les Ponts-de-Martel was owned by Universal, and Martel was Universal's tenant. But there is no proof for that. Martel and Universal were separate companies. Martel had its company seat in Les Ponts-de-Martel and Universal had its seat in Geneva. I think the building in les Ponts-de-Martel remained Martel property all the time. In that theory Universal only helped financing the construction of a new building for Martel in Les Ponts-de-Martel in 1941. For promotional reasons Universal had their name on the new building (for some time), but it remained Martel's property. UG was rewarded with patent rights for Martel's new chronograph inventions in the 1940's. There is no proof for this theory either. But it is this or 'Universal bought the premises from Martel and Martel became the tenant of Universal Geneve until later they bought the building back from Universal'.

Another suggestion : if Universal owned a participation in the stock of Martel (before I have suggested they maybe owned 30 % since 1929), it seems this is already enough to be considered a holding company. If it owned enough voting stock, it could be considered a parent company.
 
#45 · (Edited)
I still think Martel always owned the PdM building(s), and popped "UNIVERSAL" on the new one because they had a contract from UG for the manufacture of movements for UG, and that's what the building was for.

Later, Martel changed its name to Mattel and began making toys in the USA. Everyone knows this! :-d
 
#46 ·
a very good read:-! thanks for sharing everyone
 
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