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hen we hear the word ‘cinema’, most of us immediately think of American films – and yet it was the French Lumière brothers who invented cinema in Lyon, in 1895. Similarly, ‘watchmaking’ conjures up images of Swiss watches, despite the fact that the first mechanical watches probably emerged in the Nuremberg region between the 15th and 16th centuries.
It wasn’t until much later that Switzerland became synonymous with watchmaking, after Germany, France and England. But, as with all seemingly invincible empires, the wheel of history turns, often in unexpected ways.
We’re not suggesting that Switzerland’s watchmaking dominance – qualitatively speaking – is about to crumble, but its pre-eminence may not be as eternal as the people of Geneva, Biel or La Chaux-de-Fonds like to believe. Just as many wonderful films are made outside Hollywood, many beautiful and fascinating watches are crafted outside Switzerland. They may not be blockbusters yet, who knows what the future holds?
And that’s why we’re inviting you on a world tour, to meet watchmakers who are practising their art, plying their trade, inventing, innovating and blazing new trails from Helsinki to Shenzhen, Chicago to Bangalore and Manila to Milan.
In this issue, while continuing to celebrate the finest of Swiss watchmaking, we’re also indulging our wanderlust. Interestingly, the industry’s most prestigious accolade, the GPHG’s Aiguille d’Or, was recently awarded to a Swiss brand founded by an American in 19th-century Schaffhausen. He, too, had a penchant for exploration, and nearly two centuries later, his curiosity is still being rewarded.
When our ancestor Hugo Buchser established our publishing house in 1927, he already had extensive travel experience from his watchmaking ventures, particularly in India and Egypt. Our first editions were printed in Argentina and then Brazil. Clearly, wanderlust is in our blood. Bon voyage!
