Those who innovate

Those who innovate

THE WATCH FILES

Those who innovate

A series of Europa Star articles devoted to the theme of innovation. In the clinical white rooms of the CSEM, the laboratories of the EPFL and the facilities of major suppliers like EM Microelectronic, or in the workshops of more visible brands or independents, innovation nurtures the flame of watchmaking passion. And thus the heart of watchmaking continues to beat.

“Greubel Forsey is about fundamental research”

“Greubel Forsey is about fundamental research”

Over the course of its 20-year existence, Greubel Forsey has presented ten Fundamental Inventions. The tenth, which coincides with the brand’s twentieth (...)

“The tighter margins become, the greater AI's relevance for the luxury industry”

“The tighter margins become, the greater AI’s relevance for the luxury industry”

Digital Luxury Group (DLG), a specialist in digital marketing and analysis for luxury brands, has acquired Re-Hub, an artificial intelligence platform for (...)

Watchmaking's new clothes

Watchmaking’s new clothes

The ongoing neo-vintage trend hasn’t put R&D on hold. Specialist suppliers continue to drive innovation – despite not always being credited for their (...)

New Materials

New Materials

GALLERY

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COSC: competition for the arbiter of precision horology

COSC: competition for the arbiter of precision horology

The Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, the COSC, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023. This non-profit foundation has played a crucial role (...)

Société Suisse de Chronométrie: 100 years of innovation

Société Suisse de Chronométrie: 100 years of innovation

PORTRAIT

Dedicated to the knowledge sharing and technology transfer that spurs all watchmaking innovations, the SSC is one of the (few) actors that prove it is (...)

Purtec's watchmaking dream team

Purtec’s watchmaking dream team

Arnaud Faivre founded TEC Ebauches in 2008, rapidly developed its offerings, diversified its business and on that basis launched the TEC Group in 2018. (...)

Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1: a spectacular world first

Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1: a spectacular world first

For the first time, we have a world time watch that accounts for seasonal time changes, including UTC, American Summer Time (AST), Europe and America (...)

Ludwig Oechslin: “The Freak opened up decades of possibility”

Ludwig Oechslin: “The Freak opened up decades of possibility”

For a series of portraits celebrating the Prix Gaïa, presented by the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH), we met the incomparable Dr. Ludwig Oechslin at (...)

The watchmaker who registered the very first Swiss patent

The watchmaker who registered the very first Swiss patent

The story of Paul Perret (1854-1904) is quite unusual. He was famous not for one single accomplishment but for three different ones: he revolutionised (...)

APRESDEMAIN: Rethinking watch communication

APRESDEMAIN: Rethinking watch communication

Using vintage to get new generations interested in watches isn’t as contradictory as it may seem, at least not for APRESDEMAIN. This specialist (...)

Horage: a “tech-mech” watch company

Horage: a “tech-mech” watch company

Horage has come a long way. The brand presented its first collection and made clear its intentions at Baselworld in 2009. These were complicated times and (...)

APRESDEMAIN: Rethinking watch communication for after tomorrow

APRESDEMAIN: Rethinking watch communication for after tomorrow

Using vintage to get new generations interested in watches isn’t as contradictory as it may seem, at least not for APRESDEMAIN. This specialist (...)

Concepto, the integrated watch factory

Concepto, the integrated watch factory

MOVEMENTS

In less than 20 years, Valérien Jaquet has succeeded in setting up an impressive movement manufacture, now almost completely vertically integrated. (...)

SilMach revolutionises 50 years of quartz calibres

SilMach revolutionises 50 years of quartz calibres

For the past half-century, the motor driving quartz movements has barely changed. Besançon-based SilMach – with strategic partner Timex Group – intends to (...)

Timelab perpetuates Geneva's horological reputation

Timelab perpetuates Geneva’s horological reputation

Heir to a long scientific tradition, Timelab issues its own chronometer certificates and awards the prestigious Poinçon de Genève. This private foundation (...)

Ressence reinvents the crown

Ressence reinvents the crown

A watch that never needs winding? An electronic module that interacts with a mechanical movement to automatically perform the functions of a traditional (...)

Stephen McDonnell, MB&F's movement wizard

Stephen McDonnell, MB&F’s movement wizard

PORTRAIT

Winner of the Aiguille d’Or at the 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the LM Sequential EVO takes a completely different view of the chronograph. We were (...)

The Tempus Fugit project: time flies with no return

The Tempus Fugit project: time flies with no return

As everyone knows, but tries not to think about, our time will one day run out. That is written into our DNA. It was handed down to us from our ancestors (...)

AIS Collective, a Swiss start-up taking care of watches

AIS Collective, a Swiss start-up taking care of watches

PORTRAIT

The ChronoPen designed by the young brand and already distributed by Seddiqi and Hodinkee is a tool for cleaning water resistant watches. Other products (...)

The accelerating race for new materials

The accelerating race for new materials

In an industry dominated by age-old know-how, the introduction of new materials has accelerated in the 21st century. Almost every year, new alloys and (...)

Octo Finissimo Ultra: how Bulgari broke an eighth record

Octo Finissimo Ultra: how Bulgari broke an eighth record

The model is only 1.80 mm thick from the caseback to the top of the sapphire crystal – as thin as a 20 cent coin. On the 10th anniversary of the Octo (...)

Sapphire: the quest for transparency

Sapphire: the quest for transparency

INNOVATION

Sapphire, used in watchmaking for almost a century, has become a high-tech material in its synthetic form. In an era of transparency, it is increasingly (...)

Displays: watches in ethereal suspension

Displays: watches in ethereal suspension

INNOVATION

The young “promotional magic” company Levita has just won one of the six 2021 Luxury Innovation Awards at the Luxury Innovation Summit held in Geneva at the (...)