A short history of French watchmaking

News

27.09.2022

In this article dedicated to the history of French watchmaking, dive into the setting that gave birth to this art. Discover all its secrets and how France has slowly made its way to the very best in this field.

Introduction to French watchmaking

As the birthplace of the modern watchmaking industry as it has developed since the 15th century and as we know it today, France has always been a crucial part of the watchmaking industry. In fact, it has been a master in the design and manufacture of timepieces on many occasions. The history of watchmaking is full of discoveries, mysteries and legends. One of them recounts that the first French watchmaker was mentioned in a Parisian collection dating back almost a thousand years: French watchmaking has therefore much to teach us.

Chronology of the French watchmaking industry

12th century - The earliest clocks date back to the Middle Ages, when they were used by clergymen to divide day and night into equal parts, so as to divide work and guard duty. However, only a few of these models remain.

1370 - Henri de Vic, a French clockmaker from Lorraine, had a clock installed on the Palais de la Cité in Paris, under the directives of Charles 5th. This foliot clock, consisting of a wheel and a weight striking each passing hour, is one of the first French public clocks. The king asked that all the clocks in the kingdom be synchronized with this one, in order to impose the prayer hours of the Church.

1492 - Until then, the foliot clock -with its imposing structure, was widespread in almost all monasteries. However, towards the end of the 15th century, the world of French watchmaking was turned upside down by a discovery: the invention of the spring, which in 1492 led to the development of the first watches, formerly known as "wearable clocks".

1518 - Watchmaking techniques have been evolving in a surprising way since the beginning of the 16th century. That year, Julien Coudray, the clockmaker to King François 1st, designed the first hand-held clock for him. This invention became so important that in 1530, the city of Blois, where the king was living, became a real center of French clock-making. Thanks to the techniques of goldsmithing, clockmaking took a new turn: the objective was no longer only to capture time, but also to create real handcrafted jewels. It is with this in mind that King François I was offered, by his watchmaker, two small watches incorporated into daggers.

1582 - The Gregorian calendar, which divides a whole day into two consecutive periods of twelve hours, is adopted. The dials, which until then had not been very faithful to time, become more accurate. From then on, the upper middle class increases its demand for master watchmakers and the first watches with complications appear.

1715 - It is during the Age of Enlightenment, the golden age of the French watchmaking industry, that this art is in full swing. Indeed, great French names such as Jean-Antoine Lépine, Julien Le Roy, and Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais made their mark. Paris became a real center of French watchmaking, where many innovations, such as the marine chronometer, were born. Other cities also witnessed the emergence of the French watchmaking market: Strasbourg, Marseille, Bordeaux and Lyon. More than a market for the Court, watchmaking is now established in more modest homes.

1792 - The French Revolution also marked a turning point in the world of watchmaking. Indeed, the Parisian master watchmakers fled to Besançon, in the Franche-Comté region, in order to continue their art. It was in this very city that the Manufacture d’Horlogerie Française was founded. At the end of the 19th century, the meteoric rise of French craftsmanship in this field made France the world's second leader in watchmaking, just behind Switzerland.

21st century - After a considerable decline of the French watch market due to the First and Second World Wars, France has nevertheless managed to regain its place on the world market by relying on the luxury industry. Today, the French watch, jewelry and jewellery industry employs 12,700 people, an increase of 10% compared to 2020.

French craftmanship and Pierre Lannier

Here at Pierre Lannier, we are proud to offer watches designed and made in France, and proud to keep the French craftsmanship alive. These are the signature values of our brand, and we constantly promote them in our creation and design workshops based in Alsace. Discover our French models right away.

For him For her

Sources :
https://journalduluxe.fr/fr/hbjo/chiffres-horlogerie-joaillerie-france-2021
https://www.maison-bianchi.fr/rubriques/histoire-horlogerie/
https://www.ohselection.com/guides/industrie-horlogere/horlogerie-francaise/