====== Claude Meylan ======

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**Claude Meylan** is a watchmaker and brand active from [[1988]].

Watchmaker Claude Meylan began his career as an independent in [[1988]], acquiring the firm [[Georges Gay|Georges Gay SA]], maker of the [[Desotos]] brand in [[Les Bioux]]. He had previously worked for [[Audemars Piguet]] in [[Le Brassus]], and his family had long roots in watchmaking in the [[Vallée de Joux]].

In [[1992]], Meylan presented a new collection at [[BaselWorld]] featuring his name on the dial. The high-end [[automatic]] [[perpetual calendar]] watch with [[moon phase indicator]] was competitive with brands such as [[Blancpain]] and [[Breguet]]. Each watch was individually numbered and came with a signed lithograph as a certificate of authenticity.

By [[1993]], Meylan had relocated to [[Le Sentier]] and was offering a column wheel chronograph watch. This watch featured a [[double barrel]] movement and [[Breguet hairspring]] and formed the basis for the "Classic Line". The "Sportster" line was a thin chronograph offering.

The brand continued and by [[2011]] had been purchased by [[Belais, Philippe|Philippe Belais]], formerly of the [[Dunhill|Alfred Dunhill France]], [[Van Cleef & Arpels]], and [[Bertolucci]] brands. The new Claude Meylan brand was offering a [[skeleton]] dial model called the Eclipse. It featured an oped movement based on the [[Unitas 6497]] and came in a black case. Another offering named Dentalle ("Lace") featured a skeletonized [[ETA 2892]], and a [[minute repeater]] was also offered. A barrel-shaped Tortue skeletonized model was also offered by [[2015]]. These later models were priced in the $5,000 to $10,000 range.


{{tag>Watch_brands Watch_brands_Switzerland Biographies Le_Locle}}