Chapter 1
The heartbeat of Swiss watchmaking
Chapter 2
The liquid gold of Japanese lacquerware
Chapter 3
The magic threads of French leatherwork
Chapter 4
The clay and fire of Chinese porcelain
Ch 1 · The heartbeat of Swiss watchmaking
louisvuitton Grand Complication Assembly
To fit a thousand tiny gears inside a crystal case, One artisan spends months to guide each part to its right place.
louisvuitton From 18th-century oil lamps to Audemars Piguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vallée de Joux artisans spend years mastering watch complications.
Quiz
What geographic feature helped make the Swiss Vallée de Joux a world center for watchmaking?
louisvuitton Local gentian wood polishes microscopic watch parts to a mirror shine.
Quiz
What is the primary purpose of the traditional watchmaking technique known as anglage?
Quiz
Which plant's soft wood is traditionally used by Swiss watchmakers to polish beveled edges to a mirror finish?
Fun Fact
Watch oil cost: A single liter of specialized watch-lubricating oil can cost over $10,000, but a watch only needs microscopic drops to run.
Quiz
Which watch component, thinner than a human hair, regulates the timing accuracy of a mechanical watch?
Quiz
What tool do specialist watch regulators use to bend and adjust delicate balance springs?
Glossary
horology (noun)
The study and measurement of time, or the art of making timepieces. Farmers in the Vallée de Joux adopted this craft in the 1700s to offset lost winter income.
The study and measurement of time, or the art of making timepieces. Farmers in the Vallée de Joux adopted this craft in the 1700s to offset lost winter income.
Quiz
Why does a master watchmaker repeatedly assemble and disassemble a luxury watch movement?