I hope this is of interest to Jack Conway and best of luck with the
restoration of his Mermod musical box [141115 MMDigest].

The Mermod Frères Company extended throughout the 20th century.  Much
of their business was in the USA.  They had a depot in New York,
supplying Jacot, but ceased production of cylinder movements about
1889 to 1901.  Marc K. Mermod was sent to New York to do business with
Jacot, about 1911.

Louis Mermod was a lace manufacturer and established in watch
manufacture about 1810, making or selling musical snuffboxes in 1816,
one of two foundation dates of the company.  He employed his four
sons: Georges, Jules, Philippe and François Mermod.

Philippe started by selling lace and later followed up by selling
musical boxes and watches.  Georges and Jules went to Geneva to train
as watchmakers, returning in the late 1830s as fully qualified
watchmakers.  This may be the reason for the alternative foundation
date of 1840, often found on their trademarks.

In 1831, François was made head of the company.  By 1867 the third
generation entered the business, Charles, Edouard, Gustave-Alfred,
Louis-Philippe, Edmond, Alfred and Léon Marcel Mermod.  They exhibited
regularly from 1883 to 1905.

The later standard layout was a combined tune selector at the bass end
and parachute opposite the governor at the spring-drive end with mostly
nickel-plated parts, about 1879.  Their trademark was a cross entwined
with an S for Saint-Croix plus the initials MF and the foundation date
of either 1816 or 1840.

Junod's index of addresses of 1901 lists Mermod at rue de Jura 7, Saint
Croix with a Léon Mermod at avenue des Alpes, who had 110 workers;
slightly confusing.  By 1902, the business was operated by the brothers
Gustave, Léon and Louis Philippe Mermod at avenue des Alpes, Saint
Croix.

Several patents are known: US Patent 374,410 of December 6th in the
name of Charles Jacot, US patent 382,292 of May 8th 1888 in the name of
Louis Campiche of Ste.-Croix who worked for Mermod.  "DRP" is a German
registration for Deutsches Reichespatent.  The number 70929 seems to be
the serial number.  If so, it is for the year 1893.

The sales to the USA were considerable.  The production range was
very large comprising their Ideal brand (circa 1895, that included
The Ideal Sublime Harmony model) and Peerless models, small tabatières,
manivelles, musical chalets, musical alarms, singing birds, large
Orchestrions and coin-operated machines.

Their Ideal Interchangeable machine removed the risk of damage to comb
teeth, coupled with a simple but effective control for tune change and
repeat.  Cylinder pins are protected by means of end caps slightly
larger in diameter than the effective diameter of cylinder and pins.
Mermod also made the long-playing Plerodienique movement.

Paul Bellamy