Swiss Watchmaking’s Enduring Legacy Unveiled

From Ancient Timekeeping to Quartz Crisis, Innovation Drives Industry

Switzerland’s watchmaking prowess, a cornerstone of its identity and economy, is vividly chronicled at the International Museum of Watchmaking in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The institution delves into centuries of horological advancement, showcasing innovations that have fundamentally altered our perception and measurement of time.

The Spiral Spring: A 350-Year Constant

At the heart of this historical journey lies the humble yet revolutionary spiral spring. Introduced in the 17th century by Dutch polymath **Christiaan Huygens**, this minute component dramatically enhanced watch precision, enabling global navigation. As **Nathalie Marielloni**, assistant curator at the museum, explained, this small spring made it possible to transport time on the and to be able to calculate the equation of longitude and thus position itself at sea.

Remarkably, the fundamental design of the spiral spring has remained largely unchanged for over three and a half centuries. We play on the materiality of the spiral spring, the types of alloys, geometry, but we have not yet been able to find another element than the Spiral, **Marielloni** noted. And in the history of research and the development of techniques, it is one of the only components of which I have knowledge that has hardly changed or changed in 350 years.

Quartz Revolution Challenges Swiss Mastery

The advent of the quartz wristwatch, first unveiled in 1967 by Neuchâtel engineers, presented a significant challenge to the established Swiss watch industry. This innovation, utilizing the high-frequency vibrations of a quartz crystal to achieve unprecedented accuracy (32,000 oscillations per second), triggered the so-called “quartz crisis.”

Mass-produced quartz watches forced Swiss manufacturers to adapt rapidly. **Marielloni** elaborated on the impact: Quartz has enabled unprecedented precision, but also forced the industry to redefine its standards and techniques. This period spurred a renewed focus on innovation within Switzerland, particularly in maintaining its dominance in the luxury watch sector. The global watch market is now valued at over $60 billion annually, with Swiss brands maintaining a significant share, often through heritage and craftsmanship alongside technological adoption (Statista, 2024).

Tracing Horological Heritage

The International Museum of Watchmaking, housing one of the world’s most extensive collections, traces this rich history from early timekeeping devices to modern marvels. The museum’s current exhibition, “Innovation in Motion. 350 Years of the Spiral,” runs until November 2, 2025, offering a deep dive into the craft. Switzerland’s watchmaking journey began in Geneva in the mid-16th century, later expanding into the Jura arc, fostering significant economic growth in the region.