Home of Swiss watch-making

Picture: The Panerai watch factory in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Switzerland's watch factories are spread out from Geneva to Grenchen and some are hidden away in the remote Vallée de Joux in Jura. After I visited the Castle St.Germain I could not help but stop in Neuchâtel, a smaller town on the Lac de Neuchâtel, about an hour drive away. The small city on the lake features the factory of my most beloved watch-manufacturer: Panerai. I then drove another 30 minutes to Biel, where the headquarter of the Swatch group is and Rolex, Switzerland's biggest single brand manufacturer (it produces over 1m watches a year) has a brand-new factory. Unfortunately both watch makers do not offer tours. 

Picture: The expanding Rolex factory in Biel, Switzerland.