“A shop in a small town like Vevey that competes with some in the biggest metropolises in the world: you wouldn’t find that anywhere else!” Half-amused, half-surprised, when he looks back over the past quarter of a century, Lionel Meylan can only find one explanation for this success. “We are watchmakers first and foremost. We know how to advise on or describe any movement, no matter how complicated. It is our extensive knowledge of the trade that has enabled us to represent prestigious watchmaking and jewellery brands with complete confidence.”
Therein doubtless lies the key to the Meylan family’s originality. The diversity of their approach is what makes them different.
A watchmaker by profession, from the heart and by family tradition
When he decided to open his first boutique at No. 4, Place du Marché, Lionel, whose original job was repairing antique clocks, considered that a watchmaker’s place was not at the back of the shop hidden from view. He should instead be front and centre, very much part of the scenery. This is about making a statement, a claim. It affirms a clear commitment to the workbench and a passion for mechanical expertise.
This determination has been an integral part of the family history.
The watchmaker’s place, front and centre
Richard Meylan, Lionel’s grandfather, owned a watch shop in Le Brassus. His great-uncle, Gabriel, was also a watchmaker and specialised in minute-repeater movements at
Jaeger-LeCoultre in the 1920s. On his mother’s side, the family was at the head of the semi-precious stone company, Golay-Buchel. These strong and enduring ties with both watchmaking and jewellery are reflected in the collections offered in the Lionel Meylan boutiques.
Today, Lionel’s sons, Julien and Yannick, continue the family tradition at his side. “We are magnificently complementary”, he emphasises.
Richard Meylan, Lionel’s grandfather, was a renowned watchmaker in the Vallée de Joux where he became the official retailer for Jaeger-LeCoultre in the launch year of the famous Reverso: 1931..
Julien is a watchmaker by trade, while Yannick is a watchmaker in heart and mind, and each one has his own way of following in his father’s footsteps. They transmit a certain vision of watchmaking, its values and above all, an exceptional knowledge of its history, its arts and crafts and its techniques. What do they have in common? A passion for sharing and a love of beautiful things.
