Anyone who has researched and bought a costly but reliable clock or watch is probably familiar with Geneva and Neuchâtel, both famous cities in Switzerland where quality clocks are made. Many people know that Swiss timepieces are the best in the world that money can buy.
The Swiss clock and watch industry began in the 16th century. At that time, popular Swiss religious beliefs frowned upon its people donning jewelry which only drew attention and served no useful purpose, so watches were crafted instead as an alternative. Exactly who created the first clock watch is still debated, but some of the very first clock watches were made in Germany and of course Switzerland. These were still considered to be jewelry by some but nobody could refute the argument that the new devices served a purpose. Clock watches in the 16th century were fairly large, much larger than a wrist watch and were worn on chains or pinned to garments. Swiss clock watches then evolved into more artistic pieces resembling items such as fruit and various other inanimate objects. The Swiss began meticulously crafting the finest time pieces from that point in time.
One of the most pivotal points in Switzerland’s history of making unrivaled timepieces was the era of Charles Cusin in the late 1500s. His most notable accomplishment aside from superb watch-making was the fact that he started a watch-maker’s guild. Consisting of skilled craftsmen, this guild upheld the highest of standards and took pride in their unique work. These men took their craft very seriously and saw the lack of their vital contributions as detrimental to society. Their dedication to precision and creation of the highest quality pieces became widely known and connected Switzerland’s name to their positive reputation and craft. To this day, the Swiss craftsmen’s obvious desire and success in making exquisite and reliable timepieces is what has made their clocks and watches continually rate high above any competitors.
While Switzerland cannot claim every revolutionary invention related to timepieces, several major innovative clock trends are boasted by this small European country. Common belief is that the cuckoo clock was invented in Switzerland; it was in fact the Black Forest area where this trendy clock was founded. The Swiss did adopt and improve the design, adding their unsurpassed perfection to make cuckoo clocks highly desired novelties all over the world. Not only did the Swiss create an excellent chirping and chiming product, but they added personalized flair by making a chalet-styled cuckoo clock. Mixing their ability in making quality music boxes with their timepiece-making ability, the Swiss added a revolutionary twist to this novelty clock; clocks playing music instead of using a cuckoo bird sound began production in the late 18th century.
The Cuckoo Clock: The Germans invented it, but the Swiss made it better.
Jean Léon Reutter was the Swiss craftsman who first designed the Atmos clock. This type of clock functions only by means of temperature and pressure in the atmosphere. The Atmos clock was invented in the late 1920s and was considered a revolutionary timepiece because it did not require winding or any other source to function. In the 1960s the famous quartz clock was founded in Switzerland with watches following suit. Copied by many countries, this design featuring a natural mineral is widely marketed today. Almost every clock and watch for sale today contain quartz. Quartz makes clocks and watches much more precise and accurate than their predecessors.
Any person may walk into a discount store and purchase a $10.00 watch. More likely than not that watch will last less than two years for one reason or another. Perhaps a few raindrops will fall on it and seep through the face plate because the glass does not fit exactly right on the frame; perhaps the watch will crack when dropped just a short distance because cheap glass was used. Alternatively if a person purchases a $5.00 clock, it may be noticed that the minutes are not ticking exactly right or that some mechanism in the clock will wear out quickly. Swiss timepiece craftsmen strive to create a piece that will last and use only the best quality of materials and gears for each timepiece.
The metals that are used for Swiss timepieces will not rust, durable and thick glass or quality plastic is used for a cover, frames are fitted precisely and face plates are carefully crafted to ensure accuracy in correlation with the timepiece’s gears. Also the gears are tested and ensured before being released by the meticulous craftsmen. Comparatively, many other countries whose timepiece production takes place in a factory will focus on quantity, not quality. The result is poorly made timepieces which may have cheap and corrosive material and be put together quickly by factory workers who are anything but skilled watch craftsmen. To compound the matter factory workers are often paid little for their hard and monotonous work, so motivation to provide quality pieces is low.
Today a full 95% of Swiss timepieces are exported from Switzerland to other countries!
So the market for Swiss clocks and watches is higher than ever, despite the worldwide economic crisis.
Of course, the factories that produce cheap watches may entice consumers with a low price, but the long life of a quality Swiss timepiece ultimately should entice any buyer to invest in a product from Switzerland instead.
The skilled craftsmen of Switzerland know the importance of owning a reliable timepiece with a long life and take pride in providing exactly that.
In summary: Online Clock salutes Switzerland, land of high-quality clocks and watches!
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