Jura | Exploring the History of Watchmaking

Join us on an exciting tour through the mountains of Neuchâtel in the Jura & Three-Lakes region in northwestern Switzerland. Here, we can trace back the origins of Swiss watchmaking for centuries. Let’s start in La Chaux-de-Fonds!

Visiting the Cradle of Watchmaking

Alongside Geneva and Lausanne, La Chaux-de-Fonds is one of the largest cities located in the Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. For many, this might be somewhat surprising. However, the town has a rich history, dating back to 1656. From there on, its growth and prosperity are mainly correlated with the success of Switzerland’s watchmaking industry. Situated within an area known as the Watch Valley, La Chaux-de-Fonds has become the epicenter of fine watchmaking.

Consequently, the city is the birthplace of some of the most famous Swiss watch brands. Among them TAG Heuer, Girard-Perregaux, Corum, Eberhard & Co. and Omega. In 1908, the first location of the watch brand Rolex was also registered in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Even today, manufacturers of world-famous brands are still based in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Here, brands like Cartier, TAG Heuer, Jaquet Droz, Greubel Forsey, Patek Philippe, Schwarz Etienne, Ulysse Nardin or Breitling Chronometrie develop and manufacture complicated Swiss timepieces.

After a delicious lunch at the Ferme des Brandt, a converted Neuchâtel farmhouse, we meet Rudolf Schläpfer. He lived in La Chaux-de-Fonds for more than 40 years and has studied the history of the town and watchmaking in great depth. We are happy to join him on a tour to visit the former Spillmann watchmaking atelier. This former residence, renovated in the early 20th century, was used as a factory and residence. We’re impressed by The Salon Bleu adjoining the workshop. It is decorated with magnificent floral motifs, a superb example of the local “Sapin” (Pine Tree) Art Nouveau style.

Rudolf Schläpfer tells us that even Karl Marx mentions La Chaux-de-Fonds in his books, referring to it as one big manufactory of watches. Around 1900, about 50% of the world's watches were produced in the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds. Here, the concept of network production was pioneered, which proved much more efficient.

Unwinding at the Grand Hôtel Les Endroits

After an eventful day we’re happy to check in at the Grand Hotel Les Endroits. Here, on 1,111 meters above sea level, we enjoy a cigar and a fine Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The family-owned and run hotel turns out to be the perfect fit for us. After a relaxing time in the beautifully renovated spa of the hotel, we enjoy an excellent dinner with a wide variety of local and seasonal dishes.

We then look forward to a night in our wonderfully exclusive spa suite. On a lavish 82m² space, luxury awaits us. There is a private spa inside the magnificent suite featuring a whirlpool , sauna and steambath. The elegant bedroom has access to a nice balcony or terrace, while the large living room has a home theater, working space, dining table and even a kitchenette.

Inside the Musée de l'horlogerie in Le Locle

The next morning, we’re heading to Le Locle where we visit the Musée de l'horlogerie. It is the perfect place to deepen our knowledge of watchmaking and its exciting history. Today, the museum is located inside a beautiful estate on a hill overlooking the town. However, that wasn’t always the case. In fact, the museum had to move several times in its rich history dating back to 1868. Back then, the Watchmaking School of Le Locle was opened. For pedagogical reasons, the watch collections of the existing Museum of Le Locle were transferred to the new school. Subsequently, the watch museum was subject to the relocations of the school. After a period of rapid growth in 1902, the museum itself fell into neglect. At the beginning of WWII, its collections were boxed and stored away as a precautionary measure. At the end of the war, a lack of space made it impossible to house the works in a new location.

In 1951, a small group of enthusiasts luckily decided to revive the Museum. However, they faced difficulties finding an appropriate building to exhibit the existing collections. Amazingly, they managed to purchase the Château des Monts. In this magnificent estate, the Musée de l'horlogerie could undergo a rebirth by opening its doors on 23 May 1959.

Zenith Watch Manufacture & Chronometry Workshop

Learning about the history of mechanical watchmaking makes us want to get a glimpse behind the scenes. Luckily, Zenith has recently partnered with the Neuchâtel Tourism Office to create an unforgettable watchmaking experience. Besides an immersive 360° experience about the inner workings of a fully-fledged watchmaking manufacture, visitors can discover crucial skills of artisans as well as different manufacturing processes. Among them are designing movements, component manufacturing and assembly of the final watch.

Now it's even possible to step into the shoes of a watchmaker! At the Zenith watchmaking workshop, we get to work on the legendary chronometer calibre 5011. After a brief introduction, a passionate master watchmaker guides us through the regulation steps. Next, w even get to disassemble and reassemble the core piece of the watch. Using the watchmaker's tools to work on the balance spring is both challenging and fascinating!

Zenith’s history dates back to 1865 when Georges Favre-Jacot founded the company in Le Locle. He invented the concept of "in-house movements", believing that only through control of the entire watchmaking process, perfection could be achieved. Today, Zenith is one of the oldest continuously operating watchmakers. Their manufacture comprises of 18 different buildings which have never changed since the company was founded. When setting up the premises, the idea was to bring together all the skills and crafts from the whole valley in one small space where one brand would produce the best watch.

El Primero: An iconic Chronograph

One can’t talk about Zenith without mentioning the iconic El Primero movement. At their manufacture, visitors can learn about the past, present, and future of the outstanding caliber, with rare watches from the archives on display for all to admire. As cheaper foreign quartz watches were taking a toll on traditional watchmaking, Zenith revolutionized mechanical chronographs in 1969 with the unveiling of the El Primero, the world’s first automatic, integrated high-frequency chronograph caliber. This was the result of intensive research and development by the manufacture. Zenith envisioned a modern production method using the latest generation tools. Their designers translated the modernity of the caliber into unprecedented designs.

When Zenith’s management decided to cease the production of the El Primero in 1975, watchmaker Charles Vermot took it upon himself to secretly protect the El Primero for future generations by gathering all the technical plans and tools necessary to produce the movement and hiding them in a walled-off section of the manufacture’s attic. His heroic act became a cornerstone in the El Primero’s enduring legacy. His foresight proved very valuable because demand for Swiss mechanical watches returned by the 1980s. Several watch brands reached out to Zenith asking for El Primero movements to use in their own watches. One popular example is Rolex. Their massive order eventually convinced Zenith to relaunch the unrivalled chronograph into production. Subsequently, the renewed surge in demand inspired Zenith to create its own lines of classical and sporty El Primero chronographs.

Staying at the Hotel Beau-Rivage in Neuchâtel

After two days in the mountainous Jura region, we’re happy to arrive at the picturesque Lake Neuchâtel. A stone’s throw from the historic town center of Neuchâtel we unwind at the Hotel Beau-Rivage. The Relais & Châteaux member also houses the O’terroirs restaurant. Offering views of the lake and the Alps, the restaurant offers a range of dishes that blend tradition with modernity.

Assembling our own Timepiece

The next morning, the highlight of our entire experience is awaiting. We are putting together our very own timepiece. Not far from the Hotel Beau-Rivage, we meet Giuseppe Picchi. The experienced watchmaker shares his knowledge with us as we assemble our own watch. For us watch enthusiasts, this is a dream come true. Thanks to Giuseppe Picchi we deepened our knowledge about mechanical watches. A day to remember!

Visiting Auvernier and its Wall Clock Specialists

After a morning of hard work, we enjoy some delicious local fish dishes at the restaurant "Brasserie du Poisson in Auvernier" before heading to our last visit. The clock workshop "Au Carillon d’Or", is located at the center of the picturesque town of Auvernier. Here, we dive into a long-forgotten world. A great number of ancient clocks of various origins can be admired. The continuous ticktack surrounding is us hypnotizing. It is in this setting that we meet Thierry Amstutz. Besides repairing and creating clocks with automatons and music boxes, he is also technician-demonstrator of the Jaquet-Droz automatons at the Museum of Art and History in Neuchâtel. With over 40 years of experience there is practically no wall clock he cannot repair. Even if sometimes some pieces need to be manufactured from scratch again because replacements are no longer available. We’re happy to hear that his eldest son Grégory has joined the company in December 2005. Together with his brother David he will run the family business going forward.

And so, our watchmaking journey is coming to an end. If you want to embark on a similar journey, visit the website of Jura Trois Lacs and discover all available watchmaking experiences.