Swiss open faced lever pocket watch with masonic dial Circa 1925

Back
Kenmerk
AS1887
Diameter
46 mm
Estimate
€ 3.000 - 6.000
Price sold
€ 3.200

Gold and enamel pocket watch by Charles Henri Meylan 
–
A Swiss 18 carat yellow gold and enamel pocket watch with a masonic open face dial, retailed by Tiffany & Co., circa 1925. The timepiece features a mechanical movement with 21 jewels and a lever escapement. It has a silvered dial with masonic indexes for the radial hours, a subsidiary dial for the constant seconds, and Breguet-style hands. The 18 carat yellow gold and enamel case has a monogrammed snap-on case back, and an inner case back personally inscribed. Both the dial and case are signed by Tiffany & Co., while the movement is signed by Charles Henri Meylan. It comes with a Tiffany & Co. box.
–
Diameter: 46 mm
–
Signed: Tiffany & Co./C.H. Meylan
–
The case is in overall good condition, with surface scratches throughout. There are some areas of loss to the enamel and more visible surface scuffing on the snap-on case back. The inner case back is engraved with “Maurice London, In recognition of ten years of able and loyal service, Lagerloff Trading Co., Inc., 1919–1929” and custom signatures. The crystal has some scuffing. The dial is in overall good condition, with some small surface marks throughout. There are some inconsistencies in the sixty-second track and indexes on the outer track. The movement is running.
–
Charles Henri Meylan, a Swiss watchmaker, was born on April 21, 1842, in Le Sentier. There is some discrepancy about his parentage, with some sources stating that he was born to Charles Napoléon Meylan and Louise Bonard, while others claim that his parents were David Samuel Meylan and Marianne Octavie Meylan. 
–
After completing primary school, Meylan underwent training as a watchmaker. He began his career in 1864 at Nicole & Capt in London, showcasing his talent in watchmaking. In 1868, he returned to Geneva and later emigrated to the USA in 1871, settling in New York. He received his first US patent in 1874, indicating his residency in New York. Subsequent patents from 1889 mention that he resided temporarily in Le Brassus as well as in New York. It is unclear whether Meylan also worked as an independent watchmaker in addition to importing local watches. Around 1880, he established the Ch.H. Meylan Watch Co. in Le Brassus, which later became Ch. H. Meylan & Co. 
–
Charles Henri Meylan married Marie Elise Clerc around 1865, and they had seven children, including his successor, Max Meylan, who was born on March 1, 1881, in Le Sentier. In 1894, Charles Henri Meylan was one of the founders of the watchmaking school in Le Sentier. He passed away on October 13, 1916, at the age of 74 or 78 in Le Brassus.
–
The Meylan family is part of one of the oldest watchmaking dynasties in Switzerland, with records of their origins dating back to the 17th century in Le Lieu, where ancestors Moise Meylan, Abraham Meylan, and David Meylan are mentioned.

Signed: Tiffany & Co./C.H. Meylan

Share this page:

Technical record

Data sheet

Explore the specifications, materials and identifying details recorded for this watch.

To top