We’re all well aware that there is a long tradition of watchmaking in Switzerland and over 95% of the world’s luxury watches are made there. However, although your Rolex or Omega watch may have been made in Switzerland it wasn’t necessarily made by a Swiss person. Switzerland is a small country and the rapidly expanding watch industry is struggling to find the number of employees it requires from within its own borders, so an increasing number of cross border workers from France and Germany are being drafted in to help meet the demand by firms such as Rolex for watchmakers.
Rolex Datejust
The prospect of working in the Swiss watch making industry is also very appealing to people living near the borders of Switzerland. The salaries for this type of work are considered high by people outside of Switzerland, and as the Swiss Franc has recently enjoyed a significant appreciation against the Euro, working in this industry is even more of a draw to people outside of Switzerland. Nearly all of the major Swiss watch companies such as Omega and Rolex employ a high number of cross border workers to cope with the demand for their products.
So, the next time you’re looking at a Rolex Datejust in the jeweller’s window then remember that ‘Swiss made’ might well mean made in Switzerland by a Frenchman. However, this is nothing new, in fact there’s been a long history of cross border workers being involved in the Swiss watch industry and in fact many experts speculate that during its formative years the industry couldn’t have developed at the same pace without the aid of watchmakers from across the border. The tradition has been carried through to the present day and many French families living near the Swiss border are encouraging their children to learn the art of watchmaking so they can earn a good living.