Meyer Objects

The history of the Meyer brand is a collection of stories that span a wide geography, from the age of empires to the age of nation states. Beginning with the birth of Johann Meyer in Athens on 18 November 1843, the story of the Meyer brand forms a link from Berlin to Istanbul. Johann’s father was serving in the Royal Greek Corps and while he was stationed in Athens, the new capital of the new Greek state, Johann, the son of the Meyer family and future watchmaker, was born. The years in Athens would not last long, and Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, where they would move soon after his birth, would be a second and important stop in his life. After four years in Istanbul, the Meyers moved to Thessaloniki and then to Berlin for Johann’s education. Berlin was then the symbol of Germany’s rising industrial power and growing railway network, and the undisputed political and economic centre of the country.

During the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm, at the age of thirty-three, Johann Meyer returned to Istanbul. Meyer began to serve Sultan Abdülhamid II in the palace; from now on, all the hours of the palace were entrusted to Johann. After serving the Sultan in the palace for a while, Johann Meyer, with the Sultan’s permission, opened his first shop in Karaköy in 1878, laying the foundation for the brand that still exists today. Meyer, who was able to open a shop in a busy location such as the new tram stop, became skilled at his work and his fame spread throughout the city. He became famous among the master watchmakers of the time, rapidly expanding his business and training master watchmakers. By 1885, Johann Meyer was one of the most famous watchmakers in the city. So much so that, according to the Indicateur Oriental, Meyer’s address in 1885 was as follows: “Grand Rue de Galata, 9, Palace Karakeuy”[1].

Johann Meyer developed his business and continued to work on his long-held dream of a modern clock, while at the same time developing a clock that would indicate prayer times according to the position of the sun. In 1886 he realised his dream and completed the clock after eight years of work. Meyer presented the clock to the Sultan and was rewarded with a badge of honour and the Sultan’s happiness. While presenting the clock to the Sultan, Meyer mentions that he “dared to present a sample of the clock (…) which he had brought into existence with much sacrifice and hardship and which he called the Ezânî Clock (…) with its picture and description (…) in a humble manner”. Meyer continues as follows: “While watchmakers in Europe had declared that it was impossible to make a self-adjusting clock to show the time on Saturday, I, after eight years of thinking and working on this subject, succeeded in solving the problem and making a self-adjusting clock that adjusts itself every day according to the setting of the sun. The principal parts of this clock, which is my own invention, are shown in the enclosed drawings, which I submit for your consideration.”[2]

In 1890, the address of the shop was Yeni Cami Caddesi (Tünel Caddesi), number 35.[3] In 1897, another address was added to this address: Cedidiye Caddesi, number 155, Pangaltı.[4] In 1909, the Pangaltı address was replaced by Yüksekkaldırım, number 5.

While 1914 marked the beginning of the war that would bring the end of empires, it also marked another important development for Johann Meyer. After Johann Meyer’s death in 1920, his son Emil Meyer, who had also studied in Berlin, came to Istanbul and took over the business. In 1954, after Emil Meyer’s death, his son Wolfgang Meyer took over the business and worked hard to develop the brand. Wolfgang Meyer continues to work as a watchmaker in various parts of Anatolia, which he describes in his memoirs, combining his work with his love of Turkey. Between August 1944 and December 1945, after Turkey declared war on Germany in World War II, Wolfgang Meyer continued his watchmaking business in Kırşehir due to the internment of German citizens remaining in Turkey in various provinces, accumulating beautiful memories in Anatolia, albeit under difficult conditions.

Until his death in 1981, Wolfgang Meyer, like his father and grandfather, continued to train craftsmen and work as a watchmaker. The Meyer family has trained many master watchmakers. Before his death, Wolfgang Meyer entrusted the brand to Nahsen Bayındır, one of the craftsmen he had worked with and given his hand to. Nahsen Bayındır and his family have successfully carried on the business to this day. Mrs Meyer, Wolfgang Meyer’s wife, and Nahsen Bayındır are still friends today. The history of Meyer watches, which is also an indicator of the ties between the two countries, can be found on the streets of various parts of Istanbul. The Bayındır family continues to develop handmade timepieces with the same meticulousness, carrying on the brand’s century-old history. 

[1]IndicateurOriental (1885), ed. Raphael C. Cervati, Constantinople, 1885, page 223.

[2] Şinasi Acar, “El Vardır El Üstüne: Meyer’s Azânî Clock That Needs No Adjustment”, Yapı Magazine, n. 287, http://www.yapi.com.tr/haberler/el-vardir-el-ustune-meyerin-ayar-gerektirmeyen-ezani-saati_61108.html [12.12.2016].

[3]AnnuaireOriental (1889-1890), Constantinople, page 279.

[4]AnnuaireOriental (1896-1897), Constantinople, page 482.

[5]AnnuaireOriental (1909), Constantinople, page 729.