Swiss Watches

Swiss Watches - Exceptional timepieces with an innovative history.

The value of Swiss watch exports in 2004 established a new record, exceeding for the first time the 11 billion franc mark (11.1 billion). The Swiss watch industry owes its incredible fortune to the founders of watch making, and the inventions that created an industry.

The Swiss maintain their reputation even though they are one of many countries to manufacture high quality timepieces. Many Swiss watches carry a mark identifying that the watch was assembled in Switzerland with components of Swiss origin. This Certificate of Origin helps defend against the counterfeiting industry created by the high demand for Swiss watches.

The history of the Swiss watch industry begins in Geneva in the middle of the 16th century. In 1541 the wearing of jewels was banned, and the jewelers needed something else to market. By the end of the century watches created by the new industry were garnering a reputation as being of high quality.

In 1601 the Watchmakers' Guild of Geneva was created becoming the first industry watch making guild. At the end of the next century, crowded with watchmakers, many of Geneva's craftsmen decided to leave and created another watch making area in the Juru Mountains. The division of labor and rich innovations and developments such as the first “perpetual” watch enabled the Swiss to export up to 60,000 watches a year.

With the dawn of the 20th century, Swiss watch manufacturing became a dominant force in the global watch making industry. The advent of the wristwatch as opposed to the pocket watch became a critical factor for the watch makers of the time. The mass production of watches utilizing new technologies and standardization of parts allowed an increase in productivity that subsequently permitted Switzerland to become the unsurpassed force in the world watch market.

There are many Swiss watch making companies that owe their success to the Swiss model and heritage. Breitling is one of the success stories worth mentioning. The watchmaker specialized in making chronographs and precision counters for scientific and industrial uses. In 1969 they introduced the first ever self winding chronograph. This technical feat represents a major breakthrough for the entire Swiss watch industry.

The Swiss Omega watch brand is one of the most recognized brands in the world. The reason behind their success is said to be the reliably fine quality of every Omega watch. The Omega Speedmaster became the first timepiece to have the designation as the "only watch flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space missions." It became the first and only watch to be worn on the moon in 1969.

Everyone is familiar with the ubiquitous Swiss Army brand and logo. Innovation, value and precision have put Swiss Army Products at the forefront of Swiss watch design since 1891. Designed to equip people for life's adventures, Swiss Army produces sporty Swiss-made timepieces at great value.

Swiss watches enjoy a solid reputation throughout the world. The designation "Swiss made" embodies a concept of quality that has been forged over the years. Thanks to their unique infrastructure and to their know-how and spirit of innovation, they have succeeded in maintaining their leading position even in the midst of strong foreign competition.

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