Although Switzerland is nowadays so closely associated with watches, it was not always so. A slow beginning was followed by a gradual rise to dominance, succeeded by what threatened to be a catastrophic decline, before a dramatic turnaround at the end of the 20th century.

The pioneer nations in clock and watch development were Italy, Germany, France, England and the Netherlands, where clocks were in demand either as luxury items for wealthy monarchs and aristocrats, or as precision instruments for scientific purposes, first and foremost for determining longtitude at sea. The Swiss had no aristocracy and were indeed known – and in some places mocked – for their austerity; nor did they have ships exploring unknown oceans.

The beginnings

There was a flourishing industry in Geneva by the beginning of the 17th century which continued to prosper, in part thanks to the austere rule of Jean Calvin, who had banned ostentatious shows of wealth, forcing jewelers to turn their skills to watchmaking instead.

Geneva remained the centre for design and marketing both before and after it joined the Swiss Confederation in 1815. But manufacturing spread to other areas as well, in particular to Canton Neuchâtel.

Swiss craftsmen also travelled abroad to study and to exercise their skills. Undoubtedly the best known is Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), born in Neuchâtel, who trained in Versailles and who settled permanently in Paris after a lengthy stay in London. He is regarded by some as the greatest watchmaker of all time. He invented or developed a number of important additions to watch design, including the tourbillon (a device which enables the gear train to function smoothly irrespective of gravity) and the self-winding watch (developing an idea commonly attributed to another Swiss, Abraham-Louis Perrelet (1729-1826)).

Development of the watch industry

Initially the watchmakers copied – indeed, pirated - French and English designs, producing them more cheaply, thanks to more efficient production methods, and marketing them successfully. As the industry took hold, they started creating their own designs.

The component parts were made in people's homes or in small workshops in villages around Geneva, under the system known as homeworking. They were then returned to the craftsmen of Geneva for the finishing touches.

For many years watches were not the relatively austere items that we know today. They were not worn on the wrist (wristwatches only became popular in the 20th century), but on chains, in the pocket, looped through a belt etc. They were as much articles of jewelry as practical timekeepers.

One of the Genevan strengths was in decoration, and this made their wares all the more attractive. The technique of applying a layer of transparent enamel over a painting was invented in the city in 1760, and used to enhance clocks and watches.

Another skill which was exploited in the clock and watch industry was the making of automata, or machines that imitated living creatures. In the simplest form this could simply be a figure whose moving arms pointed to the time, but more complex designs included whole animated scenes. Later, sound was added to movement: at first chiming bells, and later tunes, on the principle of the musical box.