Masters of Time: A Watchmaker’s Tour of Switzerland and Germany

At breakfast, the scent of delicious hot chocolate fills the dining room, accompanied by freshly baked bread perfect with an assortment of marmalades or honey. The familiar plume of water arches over the lake and your guide greets you, eager to introduce you to the watchmaking traditions of the city, as well as the ways Zurich has modernized the trends inspired by its heritage. The Rhone River rushes beneath the hillside of the old city. The picturesque architecture lines the cobbled lanes leading to the dramatic façade of the cathedral. Your exploration begins at the Franck Muller boutique, a company established in 1991.

The timepieces are known globally for their sleek style and superior Swiss manufacturing. The store’s interior shimmers with watches displayed under soft but showcasing light. The brand highlights the complexities of watchmaking with modern style, being one of the first to allow its wearers to view the mechanics of the working watch, such as using a visible triple-axis tourbillon, which was unconventional for the time. Since founding the company, Muller has gained 36 world-firsts and other patents resulting in a recognizable signature style. The noble art of watchmaking becomes clearer as your guide unveils the reasons Muller is known as the “Master of Complications,” with each component given individual attention.

Your immersion into Switzerland’s world-famous watchmaking world continues in Vevey, a town between the slopes and waters of Lake Geneva at the crux of the Alps with a quiet promenade and gorgeous central square. You enter one of the private artisan workshops of Lionel Meylan, a professional focused on authenticity, passion, precision, and beauty. The workshops within the boutiques concentrate on sharing their desire and knowledge of their work, as well continuing in the traditions of their trade, even when pushing the boundaries of modernism.

The bold aroma of chocolate and sweet pastries swirl through the gallery of Zurcher on Avenue du Casino in Montreux. The café has more than a century of experience and remains a favorite for locals throughout the day. You find enjoy the aroma of hot chocolate at breakfast before traveling out of the shadow of Montreux’s charming 13th-century lakeside chateau. The village of le Brassus in the Jura Valley overlooks the lush meadows sweeping to bordering mountains. The quaint steeple of the Protestant church acts as the skyline to the serene township and surrounding landscape.

The quiet village also hosts the headquarters and factory of the luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. The craftsmanship focuses on the connection between body and mind, integrating geometry into the performance for a balance of function, structure, and style on display in the original factory built in 1875 with expansions made in 2008. The workshop is located on a flat area of the valley with large windows looking over the tranquil stream. The watchmakers work on the movements of the skeletonized gears, revealing the extra-thin tourbillon of the Royal Oak Openworked design. The effortless movements and sleek style begin with the gears before anchoring the barrel.

The section floats, meaning only a single side connects to the greater piece for an even smoother look. Workers build titanium cases and complicated resonating boxes. They shape the masculine frame of the Royal Oak and the distinctive features of the Millenary 4101, a watch known for inspiring spirited reactions. One common theme in the workshop is that everyone remains focused and dedicated to their specialty. You continue to La Chaux-de-Fonds, the oldest applied arts school in Switzerland, established in the 1870s.

The vocational college teaches students about micromechanics and overall design necessary to compete in today’s global markets. The town has gained UNESCO recognition due to its preserved architecture and connection to manufacturing watches. The straight streets were erected to conform to the needs of the watchmaking industry as it grew, symbolizing the growth of the business and its indelible connection to La Chaux-de-Fonds. The galleries inside the school showcase the grand and delicate creations from the town over the past 150 years, including clocks decorated with gold plating.

By the afternoon, you enter into the famous doors of Corum, a manufacturer dedicated to adding modern touches to time-honored traditions, with over 50 years of experience. The exclusive tour begins under the guidance of a watchmaking professional for an immersive discovery of the grand world hidden in the small gears. You gain insight into the importance of the springs, escapement, and balance wheel. Your guide watches as you take apart a sample watch and replace each piece in its exact position before hearing the watch tick back to life.

In the morning, you enjoy the view of the foothills leading up to the Jura Mountains and the splendor of the medieval architecture of Neuchâtel rising along the waterfront. The aroma of pine fades as you depart the city and reach the Swiss capital of Bern. The city resembles a postcard with a preserved Old Town bordered by snowcapped peaks. Folk figurines dance on the 16th-century decorative fountains, and covered arcades span nearly four miles across the city.

The medieval center boasts cobblestone streets and sandstone architecture dating back to the early 15th century. Each of the 11 fountains depicts different stories from local folklore, including the Kindlifresserbrunnen, a giant snacking on the city’s children. Climb the lofty spire connected to the Gothic cathedral, which provides stunning views of the Aare River and the medieval center’s terraced rooftops. Your guide leads you to the Zytglogge, a landmark clock tower built in the early 13th century.

The tower stands 75 feet tall and hosts a remarkable astronomical clock. The clock begins chiming three minutes before the hour with a show consisting of the Fool, the Knight, the Rooster, and the Piper amidst a cast of characters. Stone steps inside the tower ascend to an observation platform. The pendulum swings and keeps the massive gears clicking, offering insight into the steps between the clock’s ticking hands to the movement of the mechanical figures and the rooster’s third crow.

After breakfast, you travel to Basel, a city known for its fabulous concentration of culture with at least one museum per half-square mile. The architecture around Old Town preserves medieval churches, cobblestone streets, and painted facades overlooking whimsical fountains. Six bridges span the Rhine River and connect the two sides of the city. Marktplatz, the main square of the antique city center, hosts the vibrant red façade of the 16th-century Rathaus, the town hall. The city also hosts Baselworld, an International Watch Fair bringing together more than 2,000 exhibitors from over 45 countries and attracting nearly 95,000 visitors from around the world.

The first show opened in 1917 for watch manufacturers and has since grown to include jewelers and companies specializing in precious gems for their connection to the watch industry. Your guide uncovers the secrets of Basel on a remarkable private tour focusing on the city’s captivating artistry. The cathedral crowns a small hill and soars over the surrounding rooftops with painted patterned tiles and marvelous spires. The 18th-century plaza was erected over the ruins of a Roman fortress and leads into the cathedral.

The 14th-century Gothic architecture shimmers with red sandstone taken from the Vosges Mountains. The 12th-century Romanesque stone carvings continue to decorate the doorway of St. Gallus in the north transept. After traversing the streets of the city, you enter a confectionary brimming with the enchanting aroma of chocolate. Few delicacies are more associated with Switzerland than the fine art of chocolate; indulge in the aromas, flavors, and process of crafting the dessert. Your instructor guides you through the processing and refining of the cacao beans within the traditions of the Swiss method to craft creamy, bold, and seductive chocolate on your own before adding specialty flavors or ingredients.

While Germany’s Black Forest is less than 75 miles from Basel, the ambiance after crossing the border between Switzerland and Germany is noticeable, including at breakfast when you find juicy sausages, different cheeses, and boiled eggs, as well as slices of famous Black Forest ham. After the meal, your guide greets you in the lobby and escorts you around the glistening banks of Lake Titisee. The trees fill the air with an herbaceous aroma reminiscent of spiced pine.

Most people know the Black Forest for its sweet treats like Black Forest cake, but the western region in Germany is also the birthplace of the celebrated cuckoo clock. You reach a family-owned artisan shop that has been hand-making cuckoo clocks since the 1860s. The scent of wood shavings fills the workshop. Outlines of past cuckoo clocks and different designs decorate the walls. The handmade quality of the work ensures each clock is distinct. The craftsman happily welcomes you into the workshop and presents the evolution of the gears and different styles of the clock, including the different movements of the interior, offering 30-hour or eight-day clockworks. While some manufacturers have installed quartz battery-power into their clocks, purists continue to use weights made from cast iron in a pinecone shape to move the clock gears.

The cuckoo sound emanates from two tiny pipes with bellows attached, echoing with puffs of air as the timekeeper strikes. The tradition of the clock dates back to the 1620s but has seen modifications over the centuries, including the addition of music boxes. The town of Schonach also possesses the world’s largest cuckoo clock, which chimes twice an hour and possesses 13-foot long pipes. The clock itself is 15 feet long with a cuckoo weighing 330 pounds. The clock was built consistent with traditional models using weights and driven by a pendulum to propel the cuckoo from its resting place. Construction on the clock took five years to complete, ultimately finishing in 1994. Before leaving town, you enter a pastry shop and indulge in the fluffy, smooth texture and decadent flavor of a traditional Black Forest Cherry Cake.

In the morning, you leave the succulent flavors of chocolate and cherries in the Black Forest, crossing the border back into Switzerland to the town of Schaffhausen. The town contains elements of German architecture due to its proximity to the border. Bay windows decorate houses colored with pastels. Pedestrianized streets lead to ornate frescoes. The Munot Fortress climbs the hillside above streaks of vineyards.

Your private driver takes you first to the Rhine Falls, the largest waterfalls in Switzerland, located at approximately 2,000 feet above sea level. Nature’s power erupts from the Rhine in the form of white water, mist, and thunderous noise. The viewing platform provides a wonderful view of the cobalt river, thrashing whitewater, and medieval architecture rising along the riverbanks.

You continue to the International Watch Company (IWC) Museum, which opened in 1993 on the 125th anniversary of the company’s founding within the historic headquarters. The first floor of the main building represents the quality of the international luxury brand as shown in the attention to detail, dedication to progress, and commitment to timeless art and functionality. Production now exists in a more spacious factory away from the original headquarters. The museum offers multimedia presentations documenting the history of IWC as well as highlighting the 230 curated items exemplifying the mission and history of the company, including the Portugieser and Portofino collections in the East Wing.

Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city and embodies the familiar ambiance blending preserved cultural heritage with contemporary life. The Limmat River feeds into the glassy blue waters of Lake Zurich as trams travel down the Bahnhofstrasse, one of the world’s most expensive retail shopping avenues. Zurich’s main downtown street bustles with spouting fountains, public art, and fashionable boutique shops displaying stunning high-end jewelry, coats, bags, and shoes in their window displays. Follow your guide on a fabulous tour through one of Europe’s trendiest destinations.

In Zurich, the past seamlessly blends with the present; old factories have become the heart of contemporary cultural activates and creative spaces. Trees line the quiet street of Lindenhof, erected over the Roman fortified settlement. The Kunsthaus Zürich remains one of Europe’s top art museums with roots connected to an 18th-century society of artists. Post-Impressionists and modern art theories overtake the gallery, along with stunning displays of Cezanne, Van Gogh, and an entire room dedicated to the works of Marc Chagall.

The Fraumünster, the Protestant Church of Our Lady, was originally established as an abbey in the 9th century. The Gothic nave was erected between the 13th and 15th centuries. Your guide leads you beneath the stunning vaulted ceilings and above remains of the ancient crypt to view the five stained-glass windows designed by Marc Chagall. The glass acts like murals, telling five tales consisting of Elijah’s ascent to heaven, Jacob, scenes from the life and times of Jesus, an angel trumpeting the world’s end, and Moses.

The vibrant colors add new dimensions to the stories in addition to the details of the church. In the evening, you indulge in the delicious cuisine at a Zurich staple known as Kronenhalle. The high-top wooden counters develop the ambiance embellished by Picasso and Chagall paintings along the walls. The bar offers 300 different cocktail recipes made with precise measurements of a range of ingredients. The food menu changes daily, offering International tastes with a Swiss twist.

The doors to the Beyer Museum open in the morning, revealing a large collection of watches and clocks from history. The galleries display Swiss clocks with wooden cogs, Nuremberg pendulum clocks, sundials, and also clocks that once used water to measure the passing of time. The aroma of coffee drifts through the doors of Odeon, a café opened in 1911 that proudly served Einstein, Vladimir Lenin, and James Joyce as patrons. Decadent confections fill the window displays at the Sprüngli House, a favorite for locals and visitors interested in sweet treats like bonbons, cakes, and their signature macarons. After breakfast, your private transfer greets you at the hotel and escorts you to Zurich Airport for your flight home, bringing an end to your timeless journey across Switzerland and Germany.