Swiss watchmaking

Switzerland is, and has been for almost two centuries, synonymous with sophisticated horology and timepiece production. That horology set such deep and enduring roots in Switzerland should come as no great surprise, especially when one considers the emphasis the Swiss put on precision and time as core national values, and the concise measurements required to mark its passing.

Swiss horological inventiveness saw the 18th century watchmaking industry shift from France, Germany, and England to the Jura Valleys, where the business of increasingly meticulous timepiece production flourished in family-led workshops. The 19th century saw a host of successes, through which the limits of possibility for local watchmakers broadened considerably, and further cemented the twin ideologies of Swiss craftsmanship, of peerless style and inventiveness.

More recent decades saw Swiss horologists take great leaps forward in timepiece design, with Jura watchmakers stepping confidently into the fields of aeronautics, underwater exploration, and space travel. Today’s Swiss watch industry shows no signs of slowing or stopping, with contemporary collectors treasuring the prestige and perfectionism that these timepieces both offer and represent. Indeed, despite no shortage of overseas competition in timepiece design and production, Swiss-made watches will doubtlessly remain the utmost standard for the industry as a whole.

It would be all too easy to imagine that the historic high points of Swiss craftsmanship were something consigned to a former golden age. In actual fact, nothing could be further from the truth, and there are plenty of historic Swiss industries making an impressive resurgence to serve the needs of contemporary luxury consumers. One such example would be the re-emergent Zurich silk industry. Once the second largest producer of silks in the world, silk production almost disappeared completely from Switzerland in the 20th century. Today, the silk looms of Zurich are once again producing skeins of this timeless fabric, produced to quintessentially Swiss high standards.

Swiss handicrafts which have their rooting in rural life and folklore, too, have been preserved and revived by groups of artisans determined to not let ancestral craftsmanship fade into history. The Swiss Alphorn, arguably the country’s most iconic musical instrument, combines practicality with undeniable beauty in both appearance and tone, and is still made according to traditional methods by master craftsmen. Over seventy hours of hand-whittling and carving is required to hollow out the fir tree trunks from which these horns are made, with the results being as enchanting as they are unique.

La Prairie