Established in 1613, the firm of Mellerio has been passed down through fourteen generations from father to son, making it one of the oldest family-owned companies in Europe.  The Mellerio family originated in Lombardy, but have lived in France since the time of King François I.  In 1804 the company was deemed ‘Les plus en vogue’ by the Parisian publication Almanac des Modes.  Thus started perhaps Mellerios most illustrious period—the nineteenth century—during which French royalty, nobility, and emperors, depending on the political situation of the moment, were all customers.  The firm also participated in the great exhibitions of the nineteenth century, including the 1855, 1867, 1878, and 1900 Paris exhibitions and the 1862 London exhibition and the 1873 Vienna exhibition, winning various distinctions.  The firm is currently located at 9, rue de la Paix, Paris.