Cellier Clocks
There is much evidence of Cellier as clock makers and watchmakers (horloger) in the XVIII and early XIX century:
An empire vase style clock (A) was offered at auction in September and December 2006, and again in 2010, in Zurich.
References: http://www.kollerauktionen.ch/en/asp/cataloguesearch_special.asp?
http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/vasenuhr-16-p-bf131a2955
A Swiss bracket clock (B) was offered at auction in October 2002 in Walnut Creek, California.
Reference: http://www.sell.com/2BN37
A rather similar Swiss bracket clock with green tone (C) was offered in 2005 in Zurich.
Reference: http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/vasenuhr,-empire-und-spater,-das-zifferblatt-sig.-1-p-t1q3ulqwfe
All of these clocks are signed on the face “Ballif et Cellier - a Basle”.
(On the genealogy pages herein, we document Victor and Sophie Marie Elisabeth (Ballif) Cellier, whose children were born in Basel in 1804 and 1810).
These clocks are pictured here (click for larger photo):
(A) Empire vase clock /
(B) Swiss bracket clock /
(B) Swiss bracket clock face /
(C) Swiss bracket clock /
The documentaliste at Centre d’études - Institut l'Homme et le Temps - Musée international d'horlogerie tells us :
We find in our dictionaries this information on the Cellier company :
- 1801, Victor Cellier in Bâle (Suisse), origin from Neuchâtel (Suisse). He is the partner of the Watchmaker F. Baillif in Bâles.
- 1803 in Neuchâtel (Suisse)
- 1806 in Paris, in Rue du Bourg l'Abbé
- 1814 on the name Mestral et Scheffer in Paris
Cellier clockmakers of La Neuveville are described in the journal, "La Federation HORLOGÈRE SUISSE", in an article published in the edition of 06 April 1938.
The 12 MB pdf file
is at bibliothèque numérique RERO DOC; the history begins at the bottom of page 2. An English translation of relevant excerpts is included herein:
Ballif et Cellier, Horlogers de La Neuveville
Our genealogical diggings (Thank you, François!) have shown that there were many more Cellier family members engaged in watch- and clock-making - please view the family tree of Victor Cellier, his brothers and father. Also, the relations in the Gagnebin and Ballif families.
The Horological Foundation, http://www.antique-horology.org/, includes Cellier and Ballif of La Neuveville among the earliest Cellier named
in listings of "former makers and names":
Cellier — Neuenstadt — 1801 — horloger
Ballif, F. — Neuenstadt and Basle — 1801 — horloger
Cellier, Victor — Basel — ca.1801 — horloger
Cellier — Paris — 1806, 1814 — horloger
Lellier (Cellier) Freres & Mestral — Geneva — ca.1810 — horloger
Cellier Frères et Scheffer — Paris — 1813 — horloger
Cellier, Mestral et Scheffer — Paris — 1814 — horloger
Cellier Frères, Mestral et Scheffer — Paris — 1815 — horloger
Cellier-Deleizette — Geneva — ca. 1831 — horloger
Lecoultre-Cellier Eug. — Geneva — ca.1862 — horloger
The 2006 book, Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World by G. H. Baillie, lists (in German):
1. CELLIER — Neuenstadt. 1801
(This refers to the Swiss La Neuveville, not to the German town of Neuenstadt am Kocher)
2. CELLIER Freres et SCHEFFER. Paris. 1813. MESTRAL et SCHEFFER. Paris. 1814. Successors.
Other references to Cellier as horloger include:
www.worldtempus.com/encyclopedie/horlogers-celebres/
1. CELLIER Frères, MESTRAL et SCHEFFER. Horlogers. Vers 1815. En 1806, les frères Cellier employaient 60 ouvriers et
ouvrières, mais pas de travailleurs à domicile. Leur manufacture fut sollicitée pour exposer leurs produits au concours que l'Empereur
organisait à Paris en mai 1807, et ils cédèrent après avoir une première fois décliné cet honneur.
(In 1806, the Cellier brothers employed 60 workers and workers, but no workers at home.
Their manufacture was asked to expose their products to the competition that the Emperor organized in Paris in May 1807,
and they yielded after first declining the honor.)
2. CELLIER Freres & MESTRAL. Horlogers. Début du XIXe siècle. Montres à répétition et à automates.
3. OLIVIER-CELLIER. Horloger genevois, Montres fantaisie. Présent à l'Exposition de Genève en 1828.
4. CELLIER-DELEIZETTE. Fabricants et marchands d'horlogerie. Mentionné à Genève en 1831.
5. LECOULTRE-CELLIER Eug. Fabricants et marchands d'horlogerie. Mentionné à Genève en 1862.
Almanach des 25000 adresses des principaux habitans de Paris, 1817 :
http://books.google.com/books?id=PHoDAAAAYAAJ&lpg=RA2-PA154&ots=EbioPkgKAh&dq=%22CELLIER%20Freres%22&pg=RA2-PA154&output=text
Cellier frères, Mestrael et Scheffer, dépôt d'horlogerie et bijouterie de Genève, quai Pelletier. 6
I wonder if the Parisian brothers are related to my ancestors ...
I eagerly await any comments or information regarding Cellier clocks.