When it comes to luxury watches in Las Vegas, Swiss-made watches are the first thing that comes to mind. This is a no-brainer because they are known for their quality and accuracy in time-keeping. Not only that but they are also known for their multi-functionality.
Switzerland was not always the world’s leader in watchmaking. The Dutch and the French were the first ones to dominate the industry of clocks. Then, just before Switzerland made watches their pride, Germany earned the lead in the game, especially after inventing the portable clock back in 1509. These portable clocks are small enough to be worn as pendants or attached to clothing. Historians credit this invention to Peter Henlein, a clockmaker and locksmith based in Nuremberg. So how did Switzerland catapult itself into dominating the world’s watchmaking industry?
In the early 1500s, the Protestant Reformation ignited a series of violent religious revolutions with Germany at its epicenter. During this era of intense violence, even peacetime industries such as watchmaking became severely affected. Violence slowly spread through France, and it affected France’s watchmaking industry.
Switzerland became a haven for the French protestants during the reformation as Switzerland is a neutral country. Many French watchmakers also fled to Switzerland, and most of them settled in Geneva. As a result, Switzerland became the epicenter of skilled watchmakers.
A prominent Protestant reformer, John Calvin, led a revolution in Geneva as the French protestants immigrated to the city. John Calvin was also a very religious and strict person, especially when it came to a person’s outward appearance. And because of Calvin’s piousness, he decreed that residents of Geneva should not wear jewelry. As a result, Geneva’s thriving jewelry-making and goldsmithing industry was severely affected.
Jewelers, goldsmiths, and other artisans who were affected turned towards watchmaking instead of leaving the city. Significant innovations in the watchmaking industry were conceptualized and actualized in Switzerland; examples of these are the invention of chronometers, perpetual movements, and tourbillon, among many others.
Today, as smartwatches and mass-produced cheaper watches are found everywhere, Swiss-made watches are still the pinnacle of quality. The care and attention to detail in crafting every piece of watch is an art. And top watchmakers such as Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and the others are still constantly striving for innovation in their pieces. As a result, Swiss-made watches are not your ordinary timepieces; they are a work of art and tiny machines that will survive the test of time.
No comments:
Post a Comment