Removals to Switzerland: Swiss Watch Making

If you require removals to Switzerland, you will already know that the country is renowned for its fine watch-making. For many people, owning a Swiss watch is something to aspire to and, whatever your budget, there are many different types of fine Swiss watches, from affordable ones to time pieces worth several millions.

Before you move to Switzerland, you will need a company to rely on for the safe removals of your possessions to Switzerland. Hamiltons is dedicated to customer service and, whether you require commercial or household moves, you can depend on us for prompt and efficient European removals including removals to Switzerland.

Our removals to Switzerland service is specifically designed to suit the customer and, whether you want storage, transportation, packing, unpacking, the supply of boxes, cleaning or the removal of specialist items, we can help.

Meanwhile, if you require removals to Switzerland and love fine watches, see below to find a brief history of watch-making and some of the leading names who produce these important time-pieces.

Removals to Switzerland – click here to read more about our removals to Switzerland service.

History of Watch Making in Switzerland

Geneva has been at the centre of Swiss watch making from the 16th century thanks to the various restrictions put in place during the Protestant Reformation. Influential pastor Jean Calvin banned people wearing jewels which meant jewellers put their skills into another form of craft – watch making.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the Genevan watchmakers won critical acclaim for their fine quality craftsmanship and the Watchmakers’ Guild of Geneva was founded at the start of the 17th century. A hundred years later, thousands of watches were being exported from Switzerland.

The Swiss brought about a number of innovations including the first wrist watch and the first water-proof watch. Now Swiss watches are sold all over the globe from the colourful fashion accessories to jewelled watches worth hundreds of thousands of Euros. The Swiss export billions of pounds worth of watches a year. And watches that carry the mark ‘Swiss Made’ are seen as the ultimate in quality, beauty and originality of design.

Some Leading Names in Watch Making in Switzerland

If you require removals to Switzerland and want to invest in a Swiss timepiece, there are numerous brands to choose from. We have been unable to include all the leading names here as there are other fantastic Swiss brands that you may also want to consider. So here are our top pick of just some of the best known names.

Rolex – Rolex is the largest luxury watch brand and many people aspire to owning one. The company was founded in England just over a century ago but moved its base to Geneva in 1919.  Some £190 billion of Rolex watches are produced a year and it was the first ever company to produce a water resistant wrist watch. Rolexes have played an important part in certain historic events – the organiser of the Great Escape ordered one while he was still a prisoner of war! His Rolex was to play an important timekeeping role in the escape.

Swatch – The Swatch Group is the largest watch company in the world. The brand was developed in the 1980’s and is known for its brightly coloured line of watches worn as a fashion statement. Swatch watches have less components than other watches and are reasonably priced. Swatch have five product lines.

Omega – This brand has made history as an Omega watch was the first watch that made its way to the moon in 1969! An Omega watch has also been worn by James Bond in films since the mid 1990’s. Omega is owned by the Swatch Group.

Tag Heuer – Tag Heuer watches have been worn by a host of celebrities from Steve McQueen to Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt and Barrack Obama.  The company can trace its roots to the 1860’s and is based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Tissot – The brand was founded in the mid 19th century and is part of the Swatch Group. It produces high quality time pieces at reasonable prices and the watches are sold in about 160 countries world-wide.

Longines – This company was founded in 1832 and is also part of the Swatch Group. It is known for its ‘Aviator’ watches which American aviator Charles Lindberg helped design. A Longines watch was also used in an expedition to the North Pole in 1899.

Chopard – This luxury watch brand was founded in 1860 and initially specialised in developing highly accurate pocket watches. In the mid 20th century it was seen as a benchmark in precision luxury watches.

Zenith - This company specialises in high end watches and these timepieces are well known for their precision and quality. Zenith is a subsidiary of LVMH (Moët Hennessy. Louis Vuitton).

Breitling – Breitling was founded in 1884. In addition to its other product lines, it has an Emergency line of watches designed for pilots who encounter difficulties. In 2003, two British helicopter pilots who crashed in Antarctica were rescued after activating the emergency transmitter on their Breitling Emergency watches.

Baume et Mercia – This company was founded in 1830 and is sold in 75 countries world-wide, with the principal market in Europe. It is known as a manufacturer of sports related chronographs (watches combined with stopwatches).

Patek Philippe – Patek Philippe produces some of the most complicated and expensive watches in the world and some have been auctioned for millions. The company makes its own components and, in the mid 19th century, it supplied watches to Queen Victoria.

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