Excelsior Park / Jeanneret-Brehm, Saint-Imier

Specialists in sports timers and chronographs

Origins (1866–1900)

Founded in Saint-Imier within the Jeanneret horological dynasty, the “Usine du Parc” developed lever-wound watches, chronographs and sports timers from the late 19th century onwards. Around 1890–1891, the firm filed and exploited 30-minute chronograph patents that cemented its reputation and foreshadowed the future Excelsior brand.

From Jeanneret-Brehm to Excelsior Park (1901–1920)

At the start of the 20th century, leadership passed to Henri Jeanneret-Brehm. The offer was structured: Excelsior for timers, other family names for complicated watches. By World War I, the Excelsior Park identity had become established in communications and exports.

The realm of the “sports timer” (1900s–1930s)

Excelsior Park specialised in short-interval instruments: 30-minute timers, decimal/centésimal scales, split-seconds for sport, industry and laboratories. Dials adopted the “Excelsior Park” signature early on, while the technical aesthetic took shape: bold legibility, high-contrast hands, precise scales.

Movements and know-how

On the mechanical side, JB (Jeanneret-Brehm) and EP calibres became benchmarks. For timers: large split-seconds instruments, including emblematic competition versions. For the wrist: EP/JB 42, EP/JB 4 and then EP 40 families (and derivatives) — column-wheel chronographs, robust, sold under the house name or supplied to other brands.

Partnerships and supply

Beyond its own branding, Excelsior Park supplied ébauches and movements to major Swiss makers, including Gallet, Zenith and Girard-Perregaux. This broadened the international presence of Saint-Imier’s know-how.

Golden age and notable pieces (1940s–1960s)

After World War II the firm remained central to the wrist-chronograph scene while retaining a “sport & science” identity on the instruments side. Notable pieces include the Excel-O-Graph (chronograph with slide-rule bezel), Yachting variants (regatta countdown) and technical versions commissioned by professionals.

Decline and closure (1970s–1985)

International competition, currency shifts and the rise of quartz weakened the company. Production ceased in the early 1980s, the Saint-Imier site closed and the firm was liquidated mid-decade.

Legacy and revival

Long synonymous with precision and sports timers, Excelsior Park lives on among collectors through its column-wheel movements, uncompromising legibility and technical dials. The name returned in the early 2020s with contemporary chronographs inspired by the archives.

Sources (selected)

• Grail Watch — “Excelsior Park: Usine du Parc, Saint-Imier” (detailed history, factory photos, ads, timeline).
• Grail Watch — “The Great Watchmaking Factories of Saint-Imier” (industrial context and links to Usine du Parc).
• Excelsior Park (official site) — “Our history / Notre histoire” (house milestones, 1866–1980s, 2020s revival).
• Grail Watch Reference — families & calibres: JB4 / EP 4, JB40 / EP 40 (movement sheets).
• Watch-Wiki — “Excelsior Park” and “Jeanneret” (company names, management, local term “Usine du Parc”).
• DIJU — Jura chronology: Excelsior Park, Saint-Imier (1866–1984).
• Chronologie jurassienne — Saint-Imier / Industries: press mentions (closure 06.04.1983, centenary 1966).
• Fratello & other specialist sources — notable EP-4 pieces, Excel-O-Graph (collector context).