Prix Gaïa 1999 – Estelle Fallet. History-Research category

Training

Bachelor of Arts at the Neuchâtel University

Selected works

• L'activité chronométrique de Paul-David Nardin entre 1876-1918, In: Raymond Nardin, "Les Chronomètres de marine Ulysse Nardin", La Chaux-de-Fonds, 1994.
• La mesure du temps en mer et les horlogers suisses, La Chaux-de-Fonds, 1995.
• Les horlogers de la Révolution neuchâteloise, La Chaux-de-Fonds, 1998.

Before Gaïa

During her studies at the university, Estelle Fallet worked as an intern researcher at the International Museum of Horology (MIH) and participated in the institution's projects such as the exhibition and publication of "1291-1991: L'homme et le temps en Suisse" (men and time in Switzerland). She was appointed a research fellow at the Institut l'Homme et le Temps and the Swiss National Science Foundation for which she led different research activities.

Her research activities have been published in a book called "La mesure du temps en mer et les horloges suisses" (marine chronometry and Swiss watchmakers). Fallet became a specialist in this specific field of watchmaking history. She continued her apprenticeship with different classes and seminars and took a particular interest in questions related to the history of watchmaking apprenticeship and the multiple aspects of watchmaking in Neuchâtel in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The laureates : Derek Pratt, Estelle Fallet and Gabriel Feuvrier

It is also important to note that Fallet wrote some notes about Neuchâtel watchmakers in the four-volume "Biographies neuchâteloises" book. Among them are those dedicated to Abraham-Louis Breguet, Jean-David Maillardet, Louis-Frédéric Perrelet and even Phinée Perret, Paul Ditisheim and Maurice Favre.

Honored with the Prix Gaïa when she was 33 years old, her multiple research studies and publications led her toward a career as historian of a close-knit and varied watchmaking universe.

After Gaïa

Fallet continued her studies and research activities at the Paris-Sorbonne University.

She mainly focused on the social and cultural history of watchmaking in Neuchâtel in the 19th century. As soon as she returned to Switzerland, she took on many writing and curator projects.

In 2001, the Canton of Neuchâtel and the Société d'Histoire et d'Archéologie du canton de Neuchâtel (SHAN) awarded Fallet the Prix Bachelin in the history category.

Some time later, Tissot hired her to manage the publications and exhibitions for the company's 150th anniversary. She divided her research work into two exhibitions, held at the Watch Museum of Le Locle and the International Museum of Horology respectively and also published them as two reference books.

In 2004, she was appointed curator at the Musée de l'horlogerie et de l'émaillerie (watchmaking and enameling museum) in Geneva.