Exhibition: History of the Swiss Watch Industry

A kaleidoscopic exhibition to discover the many facets of the Swiss watch industry 

On 5 February 2003 between 4pm and 8pm, the Hôtel Elite in Bienne hosted a private viewing of an exhibition mounted by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. By tracing the history of Swiss watchmaking and highlighting how it has benefited from bold technological advances, the exhibition sets out to showcase the treasures of the Swiss watch industry and provide an exciting interactive communication tool.

 Genesis of the Project

The need for an attractive medium through which to promote Swiss watchmaking at national and international levels led the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry to set up a travelling theme-based exhibition. Right from the outset, precise criteria were adopted to ensure that the exhibition would provide optimum visibility for the Swiss watchmaking sector and enhance awareness among wide-ranging audiences of the multi-faceted nature of this industry.

Think Time – Think Swiss Excellence is designed to be staged either independently or as part of wider events such as trade fairs, conventions or seminars. A promotional tool devoted specifically to the sector, but also more broadly to Switzerland, it is able to respond to requests from specialist organisations as well as non-watchmaking bodies. Its modular structure makes it suitable for full or partial displays, and it can be incorporated into widely varying settings such as museums, embassies, hotels etc.. 

Enhancing awareness of the wealth and variety of the Swiss watch industry was a key factor in the design of the exhibition. As a result, the focus is placed on sound and vision technologies to enable visitors to immerse themselves fully in a world that is both entertaining and educational.

Execution

The design and building work was entrusted to Darwel Communications Agency which has drawn on its network of in-house and outside skills to meet this brief. Designers, writers, translators, graphic designers, as well as picture and sound professionals, have thus pooled their creative resources to give shape to this ambitious project commissioned by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.

The culmination of intense effort and close cooperation, this panorama of the Swiss watchmaking world portrays a global and positive image of a fast-changing industry. From this standpoint, Think Time - Think Swiss Excellence offers a two-fold vision. The first plots the history of Swiss watchmaking on a global timeline, highlighting major innovations over the centuries. Visitors are thus able to follow the development and grasp the importance of a skills tradition passed down through the ages. The second perspective reveals how this legacy is reflected in contemporary watchmaking. Focusing on the concepts of innovation, cutting-edge technology or research and development, this level opens up new horizons and offers a glimpse of watchmaking in the future.

Quality and precision

Think Time – Think Swiss Excellence also serves as a reminder of the strengths of Swiss watchmaking. Closely associated with quality and precision for the past four centuries, the industry continues its quest for excellence. High-level specialist training courses, state-of-the-art equipment and rigorously selected materials are all prerequisites for the mechanical treasures that it produces. And because the reliability of a timekeeper is as precious as the object itself, the Swiss watch industry has developed an extensive network to provide a customer care service worthy of its watches in key locations around the globe.

Set design

The exhibition is structured according to themes and comprises eight information panels. These are fitted with display shelves as well as two plasma screens displaying the theme content. The audiovisual aids are given greatest prominence so that the messages are fully conveyed in a clear and lively style. Based on material provided by Swiss watch companies, the visual content consists of well-paced, powerful short films. Various items arranged on the display shelves (watch tools, cases and movements, graphs and tables) lend a concrete dimension, thus reinforcing the impact of the audiovisual messages.

The overall aesthetic is resolutely contemporary to reflect the modern character of an industry at the vanguard of innovation. High-tech panels, video clips and animations invite visitors to take a contemporary look at the material on view. Tradition, the driving force of Swiss watchmaking, has however not been neglected. The objects on the display shelves and the selected illustrations confirm that commitment to quality and precision has always driven Swiss watchmakers to excel.

Eight panels for eight different facets, testifying to a changing, rich and contrasting world ... the one common thread is the reminder of what makes Swiss watchmaking unique: a finely controlled balance between tradition and innovation.