History From The Swiss Watch

The Swiss watch and clock market appeared in Geneva in the middle on the 16th century. In 1541, reforms implemented by Jean Calvin and banning the put on of jewels, forced the goldsmiths along with other jewelers to turn into a new, independent craft : watchmaking. By the finish in the century, Genevan watches have been currently reputed for their high excellent, and watchmakers produced in 1601 the Watchmakers' Guild of Geneva, the initial to be established anyplace.

Switzerland has lengthy been associated with high-quality watchmaking. Watches will be the country's third largest export after the chemical and engineering industries when it comes to value.

Critical although accuracy will be to us right now, it was not normally so. For many centuries, watches were exceptionally costly and were status symbols for the wealthy. The wristwatch is usually a 20th century invention; just before then they were worn in different methods, generally as items of jewelry, and decorated accordingly.

The industry for Swiss watches is concentrated in three continents. The two greatest consumers would be the US and Hong Kong. (Hong Kong can be a key hub: a lot of of its imports are re-exported.)

Italy, Germany and France would be the top customers in Europe.

Watchmaking in the Jura remains indebted to a young goldsmith called Daniel Jeanrichard (1665-1741), who, for the initial time, introduced the division of labor in watchmaking. In 1790, Geneva was currently exporting more than 60,000 watches.

Switzerland owes it accomplishment not only to the high-quality of its output, but in addition for the wide variety of your watches it produces, with regards to both technology and look. Almost 90% of the watches made in Switzerland are electronic, but mechanical watches, the remaining 10%, account for more than half the exports with regards to value. Many of the watches at the upper price tag range are amongst probably the most complex in the world.

As for look, this ranges from sober classic, via diamond-studded, to low-priced and cheerful.

The watchmaking sector has been among constant innovation, demanding ingenuity, dexterity, design skill, patience and excellent organization sense - all qualities on which the Swiss pride themselves.

The challenges continue: how to balance smallness of size with complexity of function, or low cost with high accuracy and reliability, and the best way to face as much as competition from all over the world.

Time doesn't stand still; neither do the makers of watches.

CLICK HERE