25 years of the Lionel Meylan boutique

“A business in a small town like Vevey that rivals those of the world’s biggest metropolises – that doesn’t exist anywhere else! Half amused, half surprised, when he looks back over the last quarter century, Lionel Meylan finds only one explanation for such success. “We are watchmakers first and foremost. We know how to advise and explain any movement, no matter how complicated. It’s our in-depth knowledge of the trade that has enabled us to represent prestigious watch and jewelry brands with confidence.” This is undoubtedly the key to the Meylan family’s originality. The richness of their approach is what sets them apart.

Watchmaker by training, by heart, by family tradition.
When he decided to open his first boutique on Place du Marché 4, Lionel, whose original trade was repairing antique clocks, felt that the watchmaker’s place was not in the back room, out of sight. He should be in the foreground, fully anchored in the décor. It’s a manifesto, a demand. It reflects the man’s attachment to his workbench and his passion for mechanical expertise. It also reflects the continuity of the family history.

The watchmaker’s workshop in the foreground of the boutique

Lionel’s grandfather, Richard Meylan, owned a watchmaking store in Le Brassus. His great-uncle, Gabriel, was also a watchmaker, specializing in minute repeater movements at Jaeger-LeCoultre in the 1920s. On his mother’s side, the family runs the Golay-Buchel gemstone trading company. Strong and enduring links with watchmaking and jewelry are reflected in the collections offered in Lionel Meylan’s boutiques. At his side, Lionel’s sons Julien and Yannick continue the family tradition. “We complement each other beautifully,” he emphasizes.

Richard Meylan, Lionel’s grandfather, was a renowned watchmaker in La allée de Joux who became Jaeger-Lecoultre’s official retailer the year the famous Reverso was launched. That was in 1931.

Watchmaker by profession for Julien, watchmaker at heart for Yannick, each in his own way follows in his father’s footsteps. They pass on a certain vision of watchmaking, its values and, above all, a rare knowledge of its history, crafts and techniques. What do they have in common? A passion for sharing and a love of beautiful things.