Gallet

Gallet

Gallet is a historic Swiss manufacturer of high-end timepieces for professional, military, sports, racing, and aviation use. Gallet is the world's oldest watch and clock making house with history dating back to Humbertus Gallet, a clock maker who became a citizen of Genève in 1466. The Gallet & Cie name was officially registered by Julien Gallet (1806–1849) in 1826, who moved the family business from Geneva to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Gallet is best known during the 20th century for its line of MultiChron chronograph wristwatches. Produced primarily for military, industrial, auto racing, and other professional applications, Gallet's MultiChron watches often incorporated a number of advanced timekeeping innovations.

A Gallet timepiece of particular renown was the Flight Officer time zone chronograph. Commissioned by Senator Harry S. Truman in 1939 for pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, the Flight Officer (a.k.a. Flying Officer) had a rotating 12-hour bezel and the names of 23 major world cities printed on the periphery of the dial. These features made it possible to calculate changes in the time as an aviator flew across lines of longitude. Besides being the first time zone calculating wristwatch based upon a 12-hour system (24 hour world time wristwatches were produced by Patek Philippe in 1937),[8] the Flight Officer was the first wristwatch with a rotating bezel and one of the world's first wrist chronographs to be housed in a water-resistant case. Truman wore a Gallet Flight Officer during his terms as 33rd president (1945–1953).

History

Gallet watches were recognized as pioneers in 1895 as they were the world's first producer of wrist watches for both men and women. In 1916, Gallet was the world's first supplier of true wrist chronographs to the British Army. During the Second World War, it supplied watches to the armies of the Great Britain, Canada and the USA.

Among the Gallet's professional timekeeping innovations are

• The first wristwatch with a center-originating sweep second hand for heart rate calculation (1912)
• The first timepiece designed specifically for yacht racing (Gallet Yachting Timer, 1915)
• The first wristwatch with a faster 28,800 BPH escapement (Racine Quick-Train, 1928)
• The first wrist chronograph with a waterproof case (Gallet MultiChron Clamshell, 1936)[6][10]
• The first chronograph wristwatch with multiple time zone calculator (Gallet Flight Officer, 1939)[5]
• The first wristwatch with rotating bezel (Philippe Weiss, inventor) (Gallet Flight Officer, 1939)[5]
• The first miniature chronograph wristwatch for professional women (Gallet MultiChron Petite, 1939)
• The first 45-minute recording wrist chronograph (Gallet MultiChron 45, 1942)
• The first stopwatch with a built-in spare parts compartment for quick repairs (1943)
• The first chronograph wristwatch with additional 24-hour GMT hand (Gallet MultiChron Navigator, 1945)[28]
• The first "waterproof" stopwatch (Gallet Yachting Timer, 1945)
• The first 24-hour reading wrist chronograph (Gallet MultiChron 24HR, 1947)

Gallet Trade Names

Gallet brands/trademarks (pre-1940s)

• Continental Watch Company pocket chronograph (c. 1881), manufactured by Gallet during the 19th century for export to the American market
• Breadfort Watch Co. (reg. pre-1898, pocket watches)
• Bridgeport Watch Co. (reg. 17 Dec 1886, pocket watches)
• Chancellor Watch (reg. pre-1898, pocket watches)
• Chief (reg. 28 Aug 1889, pocket watches)
• Commodore (reg. 7 May 1889, pocket watches)
• Continental Watch Co. (reg. 12 Aug 1879, high-grade and complicated pocket watches for US market)
• Courvoisier (founded in the 1700s) historic manufacturer of complicated clocks and watches, controlled by the Courvoisier and Gallet families during the late 19th and early 20th century
• Defender (reg. pre-1895, pocket watches)
• Director Watch Co. (reg. pre-1895, pocket watches)
• Duchess (reg. pre-1898, woman's pocket watches)
• Electa & Cie. (extra high-grade & complicated pocket watches))
• Enterprise (reg. pre-1898, pocket watches)
• Eureka Time Keeper / Eureka Watch Co. (reg. 14 Jan 1884, pocket watches w/ Agassiz and Longines movements for American market)
• Favorite (reg. 16 Feb 1884, pocket watches)
• Galco (reg. 14 Mar 1925, Excelsior Park stopwatches)
• Gipsy (reg. pre-1895, woman's pocket watches)
• Governor (reg. pre-1898, rail road style pocket watches)
• Harlem Watch Co. (reg. pre-1898, pocket watches)
• Interocean (reg. 3 Jun 1910, Canadian Rail Road pocket watches)
• Jerome Park Watch Co. (reg. pre-1924, high grade pocket chronographs with Excelsior Park and Minerva movements)[12]
• Jarco Watch (reg. pre-1898, pocket watches)
• Lady Racine (reg. 12 Aug 1879, lady's pocket watches)
• Lifetime Series (reg. 19 Oct 1914, high grade watches, produced in the Electa workshop for Macy's, New York)
• Lily (reg. 17 Jan 1881, lady's pocket watches)
• Majesty (reg. pre-1897, lady's pocket watches)
• Marathon (reg. 19 Oct 1915, pocket watches, wrist chronographs with Excelsior Park movements, wristwatches for United States and Canadian military)

   Mars (reg. pre-1900, pocket watches and wristlets for British market, later changed to Mars MultiChron)[12]
   National Park (reg. 13 Jan 1891, high-grade stopwatches & horse timers w/ Excelsior Park Alfred Lugrin patent #359 movements)[26]
   Park Watch Company (reg. 21 Sep 1929, Excelsior Park powered stopwatches)
   Patriot Watch (reg. 16 Apr 1889, pocket watches)[29]
   Profundus (first diver's wristwatch with integral depth gauge, 1966)[29]
   QuickTrain (earliest commercially produced wrist watch with faster beat movement)[12]
   Racine (watches sold in North America)[12]
   Racine Royale (watches sold in North America)[12]
   Railroad Watch (reg. 12 Aug 1879)[26]
   Richmond (reg. 29 Aug 1889, pocket watches)[12]
   Security (Excelsior Park powered stopwatches)[12]
   Select (reg. pre-1898, Excelsior Park stopwatches)[12]
   Speedway Watch Co. (reg. 1918, stopwatches and other timing devices for auto racing )[12]
   Success (reg. 13 Jan 1891, pocket watches)[26]
   The Sun (reg. 1901, Excelsior Park powered stopwatches, manufactured by Gallet for Louis Goering of La Chaux-de-Fonds, used by the Wright brothers in 1903)[12]
   The Wonder (reg. 11 Jul 1892, pocket watches)[12]
   Trilby Watch (reg. pre-1895, pocket watches)[12]
   Trotter (reg. pre-1897, Excelsior Park powered stopwatches & horse timers)[12]
   Union Square (reg. 2 Oct 1883, pocket watches)[12]
   Warrior Watch (reg. pre-1898, pocket watches)[12]

Notable Gallet Models

• Gallet Flight Officer
• Gallet MultiChron

Links

• Switzerland
• Main Page
• History of Watches
• Diving Watches