Factory - Rue du Parc 137

This building, by architect Louis Bobbia, was built in 1906 for the company Graizely & Cie, which patented the "Hebdomas" watch with an eight-day movement and a visible balance. By its association with Otto Schild, the company became one of the large industrial manufacturers in La Chaux-de-Fonds at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1918, it produced over 1'000 watches per day, and employed 1'000 workers. The architecture is both rational and an advertisement in itself, and also an excellent illustration of the need for efficiency, the quality of light, and the emphasis placed on image: these were all major concerns for the major watchmaking brands at the beginning of the 20th century.