Historic day in honor of the watchmaking industry

Overview

Hint

La Chaux-de-Fonds

Jura & Three-Lakes

Intro

Swiss watches are much more than a luxury item. This becomes obvious to all who travel to the Neuenburg Jura, to La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle on the historic day in honor of the watchmaking industry. They gain insight into the secrets of the art of watchmaking.

The cityscapes of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle were affected by the 19th century watchmaking industry, and for that reason UNESCO declared them to be World Cultural Heritage Sites in 2009. The meaning of that becomes especially clear on the Historic Day Honoring the Watchmaking Industry: on that day workshops and factories open their doors. Visitors experience at close quarters the inner workings of the fine little accessory that enabled the Swiss to achieve worldwide fame. They study engravings, leather watchbands, gemstone mountings, finishing polish and complicated watches, realizing that innumerable specialists are at work in order to achieve Swiss perfection.

These specialists couple centuries-old tradition with a tireless spirit of innovation. The two watch museums and the guided city tours that focus on the historic buildings dating back to the heyday of the watchmaking industry (a time when half of the world’s watches were manufactured in this region) can be experienced all year round and are well worth a trip.