Japy Freres (1777-1979)
In 1777, Frédéric Japy founded a small workshop where he revolutionised the traditional watchmaking methods of the Jura region by introducing mechanisation. Initially focused on watch movements, Japy expanded into clockmaking and diversified his production to include tools, engines, bicycle parts, lighting, garden furniture, pumps, coffee grinders, and even typewriters. The 1880s marked the peak of the company’s success, with nearly 5,000 workers employed across the Japy factories in the region. The Japy family, symbolizing their prosperity, built thirteen castles in Beaucourt and Dasle, though four have since disappeared.
Japy Freres Makers Mark on a carriage clock available at Jacksons Antique
In 1904, Japy de Beaucourt became the primary shareholder in a coal exploration venture between Montbéliard and Villersexel. This initiative sought to explore mining possibilities south of the Stéphanian coal basin in the Vosges region. Despite finding coal in Lomont, no active mining operations took place. By 1921, the company began losing family control after issuing public bonds. The economic crisis of 1930-1935 severely impacted France, causing widespread unemployment and a significant decline in manufacturing and sales. Japy’s board of directors responded by reorganizing the business, leading to the closure of the Badevel plant in 1933 and the centralization of watch manufacturing in Beaucourt.
Despite early success in launching typewriters in Europe in the early 20th century, Japy gradually lost its position as an industrial innovator. The company, although heavily diversified, began to fragment, leading to the sale of various divisions. Internal conflicts within the Japy family and between business partners ultimately led to the division of the company into four independent entities. In 1979, the last remaining Japy company was liquidated. However, the legacy of the Japy family lives on through the Frédéric-Japy Museum, which opened in 1986 in Beaucourt. Housed in the former watchmaking workshops, the museum preserves the industrial history of the Japy dynasty, showcasing the evolution of the watchmaking industry and the diversification strategies that turned a modest 1777 workshop into France’s second-largest industrial powerhouse by the Second Empire.