he Meylan name has deep roots in the Vallée de Joux, tied to a long lineage of watchmakers. By 1776, eight watchmakers in the region bore this surname.

In 1988, Claude Meylan established his own brand, focusing on creative watchmaking and restoration. He sold it to Henri Berney in 2002, who in turn sold it to Philippe Belais in 2010. Under Belais’s leadership, the brand has upheld its signature expertise in skeletonisation, while offering watches adorned with intricate engravings and 3D sculptures, earning the title “sculptor of time”.

Tortue Lady

In 2021, Belais tasked Pia de Chefdebien, his sales manager, with developing a ladies’ watch powered by an automatic movement in response to customer requests. Women had expressed a desire for more than men’s models modified with quartz movements and diamond settings. The resulting Tortue Lady model has since become one of Claude Meylan’s bestsellers.

The new Ondine ladies’ watch

Building on this success, the brand recently launched the Ondine model, priced between CHF 6,200 and CHF 7,800. This jewellery watch features a bracelet of hollowed-out round links, which can be customised with hard or precious stones, making it ideal for women seeking unique, made-to-order timepieces. Here is our interview.

Philippe Belais, owner and CEO of Claude Meylan

Europa Star: How did the idea for the Ondine model come about?

Philippe Belais: The Ondine was inspired by the Lionne, the river that flows past our workshops into Lac de Joux. The bracelet design recalls childhood memories of skipping stones across the water. Sometimes, the lake is still like a mirror. Seeing the connection between the Lionne and the lake, we wanted to create a wristwatch that unites the expertise of jewellery and watchmaking. The Ondine has a very pure, round case, and we extended this shape to its bracelet: a chain of interconnected circles that leans more towards jewellery than traditional watchmaking.

Where did you have this jewellery bracelet made?

In a jewellery workshop in Geneva, while adhering to watchmaking standards of durability, particularly in the fitting of links and the clasp. Women use their watches more often than bracelets. We have designed a specific clasp that is easy to use, with a safety mechanism and a dual-push release system.

The Ondine is a jewellery watch with a bracelet made of round, hollowed-out links that can be set with mother-of-pearl, hard or precious stones.

Was this a response to the needs of your female customers?

The Claude Meylan brand is renowned for skeleton movements, but we weren’t necessarily expected to be in the category of ladies’ watches. Thanks to the Tortue Lady, developed by Pia de Chefdebien, who is in charge of business development, we started getting recognised. Now, with the Ondine, we’re very proud to be offering something unique.

Before launching the Tortue Lady automatic movement, our market research informed us women had three fundamental desires. First, they wanted watchmakers to stop thinking that they didn’t like mechanical movements. Second, they like to see that something is happening in their watch and to be able to observe the movement. And third, they like curves. The Ondine meets all these criteria.

Claude Meylan has specialised in skeleton movements.

The skeletonisation of the movement is very ornamental.

Yes, it is very intricate and engraved with traditional scroll motifs. These details add a distinctive appeal to a piece of jewellery that also tells time.

You’ve added mother-of-pearl to the links of the gold bracelet and turquoise to the silver bracelet. Could a customer ask to choose a material of her choice?

As you can imagine, the possibilities are endless... Pia wanted to make a jewellery watch so that our retailers could offer their customers the option to choose their preferred stones. If a woman likes malachite or aventurine, we can make the bracelet in these materials.

So you offer a made-to-measure service?

Let’s call it semi-made-to-measure, because I won’t change the diameter of the links.

A customer can ask the company to use stones of her choice to adorn the bracelet: if she likes malachite or aventurine, Claude Meylan can make the bracelet in these materials.

Can all hard stones be incorporated into the links?

Not all the stones are suitable, some are too fragile. For example, sodalite would crumble and you can’t imagine working with it. After that, it’s a matter of aesthetics. Unlike large jewellery houses that source lots of stones with uniform colours and veining, we work with natural variations. With certain stones, it’s very rare to find a batch with matching veins to ensure continuity in a bracelet. We require very precise cutting, but will propose a harmony that is perfectly attractive.

Do you work with German suppliers for stone cutting, given their reputation in this field?

Yes, primarily. The Idar region is renowned for this expertise. In particular, we work with Sandra Ripp, director of Groh + Ripp, a wonderful company specialising in mineral stones.

Have you noticed an increase in demand for personalised watches overall?

Yes, we’re receiving more and more special orders. Our Millésime collection lends itself particularly well to customisation because the movement is positioned at three o’clock. This gives us a lot of room for creative expression, without height restrictions for the hands. In 2023 we celebrated our mountain pastures with the ‘Holy Cow!’ model, a watch with a cow design, and we even created a custom watch for a client featuring his dog.

When a customer comes to you with a specific request, what actually happens?

Let’s say you want a dial with a hummingbird on it. We’ll present several designs to understand your preferences – shapes, colours, and details – and refine it to match your vision. Thanks to modern 3D printing techniques, we can submit a design to you very quickly. Once approved, we proceed to colouring. We can produce a design in 2D using printing, miniature painting, or marquetry. We’ve also made it possible in 3D, as customers typically prefer depth and volume. That’s why we’ve registered the name ‘sculptor of time’.

Claude Meylan has registered the name ‘Sculpteur du Temps’.

How do you create the final designs? Are they lost-wax sculptures?

Yes, we use the lost-wax casting technique. We handcraft the mould before melting out the wax. Almost anything is possible with this technique. The most challenging part is getting the various designs we propose to customers approved.

Are you shifting more towards personalised models?

Not necessarily, but it’s a service that’s becoming increasingly popular. We’re in the position to respond to this because we’re lucky enough to have mastered the know-how, and also because we’re flexible. The company is small – there are seven of us – and very agile, very responsive, compared to larger operations.

The Tortue Lady movement. Its oscillating weight has been remounted on the top of the movement, positioned at 6 o’clock. It has been fitted with a cover that can be set, engraved, coloured, etc.

You specialise in skeleton watches. Why did you choose this particular segment?

Forty years ago, Claude Meylan himself came up with some very unusual complications and skeleton watches. When I took over the company fourteen years ago, we had a lot of skeletons and a few with traditional dials. I decided to be authentic. We’re based in the Vallée de Joux, and mountain people have their feet firmly on the ground. We wouldn’t claim to be a manufacture; instead, we embraced what we do best. Claude Meylan is a ‘master skeleton-maker’, practising the art of skeletonisation on movements. My goal was to establish Claude Meylan as a brand that showcases this speciality and allows watch buyers to truly appreciate it.

You’re not a manufacturer, so who makes your movements?

We only use reliable and affordable mass-produced movements, enabling us to offer our watches at very reasonable prices, given the artistry we add to them. This approach is reflected in our identity as a ‘sculptor of time’, which aligns with a certain trend. Consumers have shown greater interest in exploring the inner workings of their watches, understanding the mechanics and even the decorative elements.

What was your most successful model in 2024?

Undoubtedly the Tortue Lady. While Ondine has been well-received, it’s too early to assess its market performance as it’s just entering distribution.

Tortue Lady Sunrise

What is the role of Pia de Chefdebien, whom you asked to develop female models, in the company?

Pia’s primary role is to oversee and build the Swiss and European markets. But the reason I asked her to develop products is because of my own background. I began my career as a salesman, and as a sales rep for a small brand, you quickly learn to listen. Pia does the same, and she goes a step further: she anticipates customer needs. In this business, being able to plan ahead is crucial. At Claude Meylan, we pride ourselves on quickly taking on board insights gathered in the field. So, when demand became palpable, we responded by creating the Tortue Lady.

Was the oscillating weight originally this shape?

Of course! Maintaining quality is fundamental, and we weren’t going to take any risks by changing the key components of a reliable movement. The mass is so small that some mistake it for a micro-rotor.

What modifications have you made to the oscillating weight?

We have reassembled it on top of the movement, positioned it at 6 o’clock, and added a cover that can be crimped, engraved, coloured, and more. In 2021, we produced a piece in collaboration with Philippe Narbel, the acclaimed angleur from the Vallée de Joux.

How did you come to work with Philippe Narbel of Manufactor?

We first met at a watch show in London and discovered, by chance, that we were based just 30 metres apart in L’Abbaye. Shortly after reconnecting, he shared his work with me and fell in love with the Tortue Lady movement. I gave him carte blanche to decorate a model, and, as with many of his creations, he chose a theme close to his heart and inspired by our surroundings. He hand-engraved a scene of the Pointe de Sable – a picturesque spot on Lac de Joux – on the dial and three o’clock bridge, capturing the wind rippling across the water. He also engraved the remains of an arcade from the 12th-century Prémontré abbey, which gave the village its name. This unique piece has since inspired further requests.

The Pointe de Sable timepiece was created with Philippe Narbel, who hand-engraved the scene depicting this viewpoint over Lac de Joux.

How do you manage to keep your price range relatively accessible?

By using, as I said, existing movements that are mass-produced in Switzerland.

What is the core of your customer base?

In Switzerland, we’re fortunate to have a strong local customer base, which is a strength because we’re not entirely reliant on tourism. Beyond that, our customers are primarily based in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Japan. We’ve deliberately avoided the U.S. market, and that means limiting presence in Central America, the Caribbean, and parts of South America.

Why did you make this choice?

I previously had the pleasure of working for a group with a strong presence in the United States. The U.S. is an extraordinary market, but it’s a risky territory for our businesses, particularly for the Claude Meylan brand. You can establish outlets there, but success requires a massive media plan, followed by the challenge of chasing payments. My greatest satisfaction comes from standing on our own and being autonomous, so I prefer to avoid commitments that could compromise that.

Claude Meylan is an independent and relatively discreet brand. What are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of my teams and of keeping a traditional watchmaking brand alive. When I bought the company from Henri Berney, he was already 78 years old. Today, at 92, he remains part of that story. I’ve made it a point not to change anything apart from the products. When you come to visit the house, which dates back to 1684, you’ll find the workshop and showroom more or less the same. It’s a world that resonates with me. I like to say we prefer to walk rather than run. So yes, we’re discreet, but we’re here, thriving and evolving. We even managed to get through the complexities of the covid crisis. We’re here for the long haul.