Like Clockwork

From an overview of watchmaking regions of Switzerland, we move in on a few great manufactures, while expanding our horizons into Germany and Japan

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Albert Einstein once called time an illusion and, although that requires some context for better understanding, as far as watchmaking is concerned, the concrete reality of timekeeping is undeniable. In fact, from the perspective of watchmaking, time is not simply something that passes but a phenomenon given form by a careful and considered creative process. Wristwatches are little machines – sometimes amazing, sometimes mundane – that always require precise engineering and, sometimes, specialised artisanal touches. In our inaugural Legacy issue last year, we started down the road of understanding the broad watchmaking regions of just Switzerland, and in this year’s issue, we delve a little deeper. In short, we invite you to join us on tours of watchmaking manufactures, arguably the most important places in the trade.

Key as they are though, plenty of collectors have gotten jaded over the years and dismiss the manufacture visit out of hand, as if these are little more than factories all operating like clones of each other. Quite a number of journalists agree as well, although always behind the scenes. To be blunt, we disagree wholeheartedly, as we hope our stories about the seven manufactures here will demonstrate.