Archives & heritage

Archives & heritage

A chronology of the chronograph

FROM THE BALANCE SPRING TO THE MOON (1675–1969)

By Europa Star

January 2018

A chronology of the chronograph

FROM THE BALANCE SPRING TO THE MOON (1675–1969)

By Europa Star

January 2018

A chronology of the chronograph

Click to enlarge - PDF

WATCH FILES
Archives & heritage

On the difficulties of waking a sleeping beauty: the case of Léon Hatot

On the difficulties of waking a sleeping beauty: the case of Léon Hatot

GUEST COLUMN

In an industry that values history and heritage, there is great temptation to revive old names, as recent examples have shown. The Europa Star archives are (...)

The Royal Oak Concept through the Europa Star archives

The Royal Oak Concept through the Europa Star archives

AP x ES SERIES

Last time, Stephen Foskett took us on an epic deep dive into the Royal Oak Offshore through the Europa Star archives, showing how “the Beast” smashed (...)

The Tissot saga in the United States (1848–1876)

The Tissot saga in the United States (1848–1876)

Tight links were established between the Tissot family from Le Locle and the United States from very early on. In 1848, Charles-Emile crossed the ocean for (...)

Breitling, 140 years of acceleration

Breitling, 140 years of acceleration

Breitling is celebrating 140 years spanning a history of firsts, recent developments and a “legendary future” – its slogan since 2017 when it was acquired by (...)

“Recognition for John Arnold is our priority”

“Recognition for John Arnold is our priority”

INTERVIEW

Pascal Béchu is the new managing director of Arnold & Son and Angelus, having previously headed up global sales. He intends to use his tenure to (...)

In the Mood for Tissot: the debut in Hong Kong (1920–1997)

In the Mood for Tissot: the debut in Hong Kong (1920–1997)

It is always interesting to re-evaluate Tissot’s business choices and activities in China from a present-day perspective. Just recently, 2023 saw the launch (...)

Understanding the history of Rolex through Europa Star archives

Understanding the history of Rolex through Europa Star archives

GUEST COLUMN

Pierre-Yves Donzé’s opus on the history of Rolex is a publishing phenomenon. “The Crown” is already the subject of numerous books, written from a collector’s (...)

Should we colourise the past?

Should we colourise the past?

EDITORIAL

A kind reader* recently sent us this photograph, which shows Europa Star’s founder, our ancestor Hugo Buchser, in a new light. While we’re used to seeing (...)

Micromégas: an astonishing encyclopaedia of Time, rediscovered

Micromégas: an astonishing encyclopaedia of Time, rediscovered

Between 1964 and 1970, a rich, well-documented and fascinating encyclopaedia of Time with a revolutionary graphic design for its day, was published by Les (...)

The fragmentation of watch fairs is a reflection of the market

The fragmentation of watch fairs is a reflection of the market

COLUMN

In the 1990s, journalist Pascal Brandt reported Alain-Dominique Perrin’s memorable comment on “the smell of grilled sausages” at Baselworld, signalling the (...)

“Distribution will be the battlefield of the next century”

“Distribution will be the battlefield of the next century”

After Fine Watchmaking and its icons, Pascal Brandt takes this new column into the sensitive – and totally transformed – terrain of watch distribution, again (...)

Once Upon a Time: Tissot in Shanghai (1920–1948)

Once Upon a Time: Tissot in Shanghai (1920–1948)

The evocation of Tissot’s past presence in Shanghai resonates with its present, with the opening of a new boutique on Nanking Road - the very place where (...)

In Time with Fashion: Tissot in Shanghai (1920–1948)

In Time with Fashion: Tissot in Shanghai (1920–1948)

Tissot’s first steps in China took it backstage into the vibrant world of Shanghai cinema. Carried by the most famous actresses of the time, its timepieces (...)

The watch industry, Switzerland and the USSR under Stalin

The watch industry, Switzerland and the USSR under Stalin

In February 1941, after hard-fought negotiations, Switzerland and the USSR signed a trade agreement that floundered on the rock of (...)

It's raining icons

It’s raining icons

COLUMN

After “Haute Horlogerie”, Pascal Brandt takes on another twenty-first-century buzzword: “icon”. His starting point is again one of his past articles for Europa (...)

Will the real Haute Horlogerie please stand up (again)?

Will the real Haute Horlogerie please stand up (again)?

FEATURE

In the 1990s, the respected journalist and watch expert Pascal Brandt was a regular contributor to Europa Star. Three decades later, he’s back to review (...)

1933: The origins of Nivarox and Incabloc

1933: The origins of Nivarox and Incabloc

Two revolutionary technologies emerged nearly simultaneously in 1933. Nivarox and Incabloc addressed the key shortcomings of watches in daily use: accuracy (...)

Hunting Treasures: Zenith's Heritage Department

Hunting Treasures: Zenith’s Heritage Department

Zenith’s Manufacture in Le Locle holds many treasures: its staff, for one, its buildings, which have stood on the same ground since 1865, its collections, (...)

Olivier Laesser: the great escapement

Olivier Laesser: the great escapement

At the end of an unprecedented investigation, this doctor in horology has drawn a “family tree” of the escapement through the centuries, introducing some (...)

1900-2000: A history of watch advertising

1900-2000: A history of watch advertising

A history of watch advertising: 1990-2000

A history of watch advertising: 1990-2000

A history of watch advertising: 1980-1989

A history of watch advertising: 1980-1989

A history of watch advertising: 1970-1979

A history of watch advertising: 1970-1979

A history of watch advertising: 1960-1969

A history of watch advertising: 1960-1969

A history of watch advertising: 1950-1959

A history of watch advertising: 1950-1959

A history of watch advertising: 1930-1939

A history of watch advertising: 1930-1939

A history of watch advertising: 1920-1929

A history of watch advertising: 1920-1929

A history of watch advertising: 1900-1919

A history of watch advertising: 1900-1919

The story of the Tissot Ping-Han Railway Watch

The story of the Tissot Ping-Han Railway Watch

Swiss watches for Chinese trains: the story of the Ping-Han Railway is fascinating in more ways than one. Its construction between the end of the 19th (...)

Becoming Chopard

Becoming Chopard

EUROPA STAR ARCHIVES

Chopard is one of the many “sleeping beauties” in the watch industry to have been stirred back to life, as illustrated by the Europa Star archives. This was (...)

Anarchists and watchmakers

Anarchists and watchmakers

Two recent events - Florian Eitel’s extensively researched publication, Le Vallon horloger et ses anarchistes, and Cyril Schäublin’s film Unrueh (Unrest) - (...)

From the archives: our first look at the Swatch

From the archives: our first look at the Swatch

ANNIVERSARY SERIES

It has often been said that the Swatch saved the Swiss watch industry, and March 1, 2023 marks 40 years since its introduction. Although this view is (...)

Louis Cottier's archives to be digitised

Louis Cottier’s archives to be digitised

The Watch Library Foundation (TWL) and the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Genève (MAH) have joined forces to digitise the watchmaking archives of Louis Cottier, (...)

A brief history of watch designers (which remains to be written)

A brief history of watch designers (which remains to be written)

CHRONICLE

The anniversary of the Royal Oak was the opportunity to celebrate Gérald Genta, not only for the creations he developed for numerous watchmakers but also (...)

Lang 1943: several decades in a single watch

Lang 1943: several decades in a single watch

Honouring the legacy of 1940s-born watchmaker Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, who founded the Chronoswiss brand in the 1980s, this new project relying on 1960s Marvin (...)

Reviving a watch brand: a risky venture

Before the 1970s, Switzerland was home to a record number of watch brands, many of which collapsed during the quartz crisis. Over the past twenty years, (...)

The second life of watch archives

The second life of watch archives

EDITORIAL

Just imagine: a new, horological Library of Alexandria, accessible at the click of a button to journalists, collectors, designers, historians and (...)

Looking back, to move forward

Looking back, to move forward

EDITORIAL

The act of digitising archives not only dusts them off and freshens them up; by cataloguing them digitally, with the help of artificial intelligence, it (...)

Debunking the Quartz Crisis

Debunking the Quartz Crisis

The distinction between vintage and modern is often drawn at the beginning of the 1980s, when nearly every Swiss watchmaking company failed. Although (...)

Launch of The Watch Library Foundation

Launch of The Watch Library Foundation

HERITAGE

The mission of The Watch Library Foundation is to digitise and make accessible hundreds of thousands of pages and documents of watchmaking heritage, in (...)

The second life of Zenith's legendary 135-O calibre

The second life of Zenith’s legendary 135-O calibre

INTERVIEW

On June 2, Zenith launched ten chronometers powered by the famous Calibre 135-O produced between 1949 and 1962, the most garlanded movement in observatory (...)

Watchmaking in 1927: major structural changes

Watchmaking in 1927: major structural changes

95th ANNIVERSARY

During the ‘Roaring Twenties’ the global watch industry was growing rapidly. Nearly one in two watches produced around the world came from a Swiss factory. (...)

When watchmakers face political risk: selling watches in the USSR

When watchmakers face political risk: selling watches in the USSR

HISTORY

Political risk has always been an issue for multinational companies in certain countries, as the recent closure of luxury stores in Russia shows. This is (...)

“Improving confidence in buying vintage Heuer”

“Improving confidence in buying vintage Heuer”

INTERVIEW

Nicholas Biebuyck is the new Heritage Director at TAG Heuer, a brand that is working on leveraging its long history, a key priority since its partnership (...)

UNESCO: a new starting point for watchmaking

UNESCO: a new starting point for watchmaking

OPINION

In December 2020, UNESCO added the “craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics” to its representative list of the intangible cultural heritage (...)

New watch archives online (1936-2021)

New watch archives online (1936-2021)

EUROPA STAR

If you have a subscription to our digital archives, you may have noticed that we have now uploaded new sets of issues going back as far as the 1930s: more (...)

Watchmaking now on UNESCO's world heritage list

Watchmaking now on UNESCO’s world heritage list

HERITAGE

UNESCO has registered the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of (...)

Can watchmaking avoid another tragic loss of heritage?

Can watchmaking avoid another tragic loss of heritage?

KNOW-HOW

Forty years ago, the quartz crisis caused havoc in the Swiss watch industry, leading to the destruction of many valuable documents in the ensuing economic (...)

A book on the most beautiful watch dials

A book on the most beautiful watch dials

LIBRARY

There are innumerable books devoted to watchmaking, but as astonishing as it may seem, until now there was no work, no comprehensive survey focused (...)

Longines: the forgotten “first commercial quartz crystal watch”

Longines: the forgotten “first commercial quartz crystal watch”

HISTORY / GUEST COLUMN

On August 20, 1969, Longines convened the press in Geneva to announce the world’s first commercial quartz wristwatch. Known as the Ultra-Quartz, it was more (...)