The Swiss Watch industry appeared in Geneva in the middle of the 16th Century. It was in 1601 that the first Watchmakers’ Guild was created. One century later and because Geneva was already crowded with watchmakers, many of them decided to leave the city for the receptive region of the Jura Mountains.

It is in this region that the biggest developments took place, notably, an invention by Abraham-Louis Perrlet in 1770, who created the "perpetual" watch (in French "Montre à secousses"), the forerunner of the modern self-winding watch. Another famous watchmaker from the region, Adrien Philippe, created in 1842, pendant winding watches. In 1926, the first self-winding wristwatch was produced in Granges, followed by the first electrical watches being introduced later in 1952. In 1967, the Centre Electronique Horloger (CEH) in Neuchâtel developed the world first quartz wristwatch. Since then, major technical developments followed without interruption: LED and LCD displays, Swatch, quartz wristwatch without battery, etc…

Since more than four centuries now, tradition, craftmanship, high technologies and permanent innovation have allowed the Swiss watchmaking industry to keep its leadership in the world watch market.

Thus there is nothing surprising that Vincent Huguenin has established itself in Neuchâtel region. The watch industry history has influenced and continues to influence this region.