Craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics
Category: traditional craftsmanship
These days, watchmaking in Switzerland is a modern, industrialised and global industry, and yet the skills it involves are almost exclusively manual – the jobs of beveller, pivot maker, polisher, dial maker, dial printer, fitter of applied chapters, stamping expert and master watchmaker, all of which constitute the very foundation of watchmaking as a heritage industry. This dynamic is particularly apparent in art mechanics – the manufacture of musical automatons and music boxes – in Sainte-Croix, which has retained its position as a centre of craftsmanship and heritage and is a source of pride for the town’s inhabitants. They refer to the “spirit of Sainte Croix” in honour of traditional craftsmanship. This nomination will highlight the importance of training in watchmaking and human dexterity, which remain as essential as ever to innovation and technical precision. Moreover, although the primary function of this type of expertise is economic, it has also shaped the urban fabric and daily life in the regions concerned and conveys a symbolism of its own, combining notions of precision, mechanical sophistication and time, which have a significant impact on the formation of local and regional identities.
On 16 December 2020, the 15th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage inscribed craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics on its representative list as a binational nomination (Switzerland and France).
Federal Office of Culture
Section Culture and society
Hallwylstrasse 15
3003 Bern