OUR STORY
MONCEAU was once a much-loved name in Swiss watchmaking. A name that adorned the dials of watches around the world before quietly fading from existence in the late 1970s. However, many of the details of the brand's history have become lost in the mists of time.
More than four decades later and a new chapter is being written in the MONCEAU story.
THE ORIGINS OF MONCEAU
Its beginnings can be traced back to Lausanne, Switzerland in the early 1950s where, like many watchmaking brands, MONCEAU began life as the in-house brand of a family-owned watch and jewellery boutique of the same name.
With the brand's avant garde designs proving to be popular and finding a wider audience amongst visitors to the city, by the mid 1960s production was increased and, with the help of a distribution partner, MONCEAU watches were soon available in a number of other European cities.
CHANGING TIMES
It is unclear exactly when MONCEAU ceased production or why, but its demise in the late 1970s is likely to have been a result of what is now commonly referred to in the Swiss watch industry as "the quartz crisis".
This revolution in timekeeping technology, which began around the start of the decade, led to the closure of hundreds of traditional Swiss watchmaking ateliers.
By the end of the 1970s MONCEAU had been acquired by another watch and jewellery manufacturer in Fribourg, Switzerland. It continued to produce watches under the MONCEAU name – including many quartz-powered models – though this only appears to have lasted for a few short years before the name faded away.
A NEW CHAPTER
It all began when Simon Ryan – designer, life-long watch collector and industry commentator – stumbled upon MONCEAU while browsing vintage watches online.
Curiosity soon grew in to an obsession to learn more about the history of the brand and – with this discovery coinciding with early-stage plans to venture in to watchmaking – he became captivated with the idea of reviving the MONCEAU name.
THE MODEL 01
The Model 01 marks the revival of the MONCEAU name and the culmination of almost two years of work to breathe new life in to this once much-loved brand.
Its design takes influence from classic MONCEAU models from the 1970s, iconic vintage designs from bygone eras as well as modern timepieces from the present day.
WATCH THE VIDEO
In the video our founder, Simon Ryan shares his vision. He explains how he discovered MONCEAU and talks about the journey he embarked on to bring the name back to watchmaking after an absence of more than four decades.