Switzerland Travel Guide: Nice To Know Facts About Switzerland. Interesting Facts.

The Elegance and Quality of Swiss Watches

One of the first things that people think about when they hear the country Switzerland is the Swiss watch. After all, Switzerland is the largest manufacturer of watches in the world, exporting some 13 billion francs worth of timepieces a year. Some of the most popular and enduring brands of Swiss made timepieces are Rolex, Breitleng, IWC Schauffhausen, Cartier, Omega, Tudor, MontBlanc, Tag Heuer, Ebel, Swatch (the world’s largest watch maker) and Patek Philippe, These are just some of the top brands known all over the world. Each brand has carved a niche in the market, some being preferred by divers and pilots, while others simply treat it just like jewelry. These have become such a status symbol that many often don’t buy a Swiss watch for their ability to tell the precise time, but rather for the prestige it lends the user.

The Swiss watch industry traces its roots back to the 16th century in Geneva. In 1541, it became banned to wear jewelry, so jewelry makers turned to watchmaking to turn a trade. In less than half a century, the industry organized itself with the establishment of the Watchmaker’s Guild of Geneva. Abraham Louis Perrelet is credited for the perpetual watch, which became the predecessor of the self winding watch. By the mid 1800’s innovations such as pendant winding, the perpetual calendar, chronograph and fly back hand features were introduced to the market. The industry organized and standardized itself, which led to an increase in production so that by the 20th century, Swiss watches became more readily available to the world.

Swiss watches have a long established and much deserved reputation for fine craftsmanship, precise accuracy and high quality. In fact, Swiss made watches are proudly labeled as such, with the words Swiss Made boldly stamped on the face of the watch, whereas other time pieces usually indicate the country of origin on the back of the watch. The timepieces made by the Swiss have become known all over the world as quality luxury item goods that can be passed on from generation to generation. For many owners, having a watch that is Swiss made carries equal importance to the brand of the timepiece. The constant innovation of the Swiss watchmakers have led to product development firsts, such as introducing the first wrist watch in the market by the end of World War I, the development of the first quartz watch in 1967, the water resistant wrist watch, the world’s thinnest watch, the smallest watch, as well as some of the most expensive watches in the world.

There is a reason why Swiss watches are pricier than those made in other countries. For one thing, the movement of the watch is made with extreme care due to high manufacturing standards. Many Swiss watches also use only high quality materials in the manufacturing of the case materials, the crystal covering, as well as the bracelet of the watch. The watches also undergo stringent testing and quality control checks.

Not all watches can be called Swiss made. By law, a timepiece’s movement must be made and encased in Switzerland, and the final quality control inspection of the item must be also done in the country. A watch’s movement is considered Swiss made if at least half of the watch’s components are from Switzerland, and that the movement was assembled and inspected in Switzerland. The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry seeks to protect the Swiss watch manufacturers from counterfeits and illegal reproductions. This is to ensure that the high quality that Swiss watches have become known for remains.

Delicious Swiss Chocolate

The Swiss have become eminent in making mouth watering chocolate. It is a testament to the innovation and creativity of the Swiss that they have become known for a product with ingredients that did not even originate in their land. However, thanks to their innovation, commitment to quality and the willingness of the manufacturers to organize, Switzerland has been placed on the map for its chocolate making abilities.

The cocoa bean was brought in from South America to Europe in the 16th century. As it gained popularity in Europe, different countries started consuming chocolate in various ways. The Italians were the first to use the cocoa in their confections, and as this practice spread to Europe, the Swiss also began using chocolate in their creations. It is also the Swiss that invented the mixer that could properly combine cocoa powder and sugar. The Swiss also were the ones who developed tempering, as well as coming up with such sweet delights such as hazelnut, filled chocolates, and of course, the milk chocolate.
There are a number of people who contributed to the development of the Swiss chocolate industry.

Francois Louis Callier of Vevey started his large scale chocolate factory using a coca bean rotary grater in 1819, after learning the trade in Turin. He is credited as having mechanized the Swiss chocolate production process, a reason why Switzerland became the world’s leading chocolate manufacturer a century later.
In 1826 in Geneva, Jacques Foulquier started creating chocolates manually. Philippe Suchard of Neuchatel started using steamships to move his chocolate products and other goods. Charles Kohler is credited with inventing the nut chocolate, after deciding it was more profitable to manufacture his own chocolate instead of simply providing the raw materials for it. It is under his tutelage that Rudolf Lindt apprenticed, who later opened his own chocolate factory in 1879 in Berne and is credited with developing the soft melting chocolate that we know today.

Francois Callier’s son in law, Daniel Peter, established the Peter-Callier Company, which introduced the world’s first milk chocolate in 1875. Within five years, all the chocolate manufacturers started producing milk chocolate by combining cocoa paste with condensed milk due to its popularity and rich creamy texture. In 1904, Peter’s good friend, Henri Nestle, marketed Peter’s milk chocolate to the rest of the world, thereby solidifying the Swiss’ eminence as a manufacturer and distributor of these delicious delights. John Tobler started his own company in 1899. It is his son Theodore who created the most famous Swiss chocolate in the world, the Toblerone bar.

By 1912, the Swiss had captured over half of the world’s market share of chocolate. Today, the Swiss chocolate manufacturers produce about 160,000 ton of chocolate annually. The Swiss chocolate industry is comprised of only 18 companies generating about 1.5 billions francs in sales annually. Much of the chocolates that the Swiss companies make are consumed by the Swiss themselves, and only about half gets exported to the rest of the world. No wonder the Swiss are known to have the highest per capita consumption rate of chocolate in the world. Each Swiss eats about 11 kilos or 25 pounds of Swiss chocolate a year. Although the production process has been improved, the recipes and the eye for quality remains the same as ever.

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