With Labor Day behind us, many of our readers are returning to a more business state of mind. Some, however, may still be in travel mode. Let’s face it, going to Europe is so much nicer in the fall when the tourist crowds have thinned out and the heat has let up. So, for those watch lovers considering a trip this September or October, may we recommend the following dream vacation?
Traveling to Switzerland is like a journey to the heart of time. Geneva and its outlying cantons — especially those northern towns, such as Neuchatel, Le Locle, Villeret and other great cities — offer not only breathtaking views of the country’s forests, the Jura Mountains and the Alps, but also of the finest watches in the world (not to mention chocolates and cheese!).
Additionally, with a visit to La Chaux–de-Fonds and Le Locle, one can check off another box in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Five years ago, in 2009, both of these “manufacture towns” joined the select UNESCO list. The towns were built by and for the watchmaking world back in the end of the 17th century, when farmers turned to watchmaking to idle away the tough, long winter hours and to earn an income to supplement their non-existent crops in winter. The art caught on and the region produced clocks and travel watches for clients around the world — making it a unique place of interest. Among the brands located in this region are Corum, Montblanc, Hermes, Girard-Perregaux, Omega, TAG Heuer, Greubel-Forsey, Longines and others.
Since the cities came under the UNESCO list, Neuchatel tourism has increased significantly, and the tourist department has even developed an exclusive program that allows watch-loving tourists to discover the region’s rich history. They have worked with certain watch brands and museums to encourage them to open their doors for tours. Today, some brands offer tours on specific days via reservation.
No visit to the region — watch lover or not — is complete without a trip to each of the top two world-class watch museums. The International Museum of Horology in La Chaux-de-Fonds (Musee international d’Horlogerie) and the Le Locle Watch Museum (Musee d’Horlogerie, Chateau des Monts) are both universally acclaimed for the quality, breadth and scope of their collections and for their tireless efforts to offer a high-caliber cultural experience with each visit. Both museums have exhibits that include early automatons, watchmaking benches, tools and more. The timepieces include early clocks, travel clocks, pocket watches and astronomical timepieces that span decades and demonstrate the evolution of time. Additionally, certain brands located in the region have their own museums that visitors can tour.
Among the many other watch-related sites worth seeing as one tours these cities are statues dedicated to watchmaking forefathers, flower clocks and the nearly 1,000-year old clock tower in Neuchatel. Once there, don’t miss the amazing opportunity to stay at the incredible Hotel Palafitte – with its individual rooms built as bungalows on docks over Lake Neuchatel. This hotel was originally built for the Swiss National Exhibition more than a decade ago and has become a landmark stop, not to mention a truly unforgettable hotel experience.
Of course, there are a host of other important watchmaking cities and regions in Switzerland, and we will bring you a little tour of those in coming months. Meanwhile, if you want to whet your appetite for fine Swiss timing, stop in and see our vast selection of Swiss-made watches.
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