After moving twice around Lucerne already in two years, Chronoswiss has now settled into its new 839 square-metre headquarters at Löwenstrasse 16a and 16b in the heart of Lucerne, the third-biggest city in the world in terms of watch sales.
In an unusual move, the assembly facilities that are housed in the building are open to the public. No appointment is required: visitors are welcome to wander in off the street to see the brand’s watchmakers at work, discover the history of Chronoswiss on a series of interactive screens, browse through the collection using state-of-the art touchscreen showcases and even catch a rare glimpse of the work of the enamellers and engine-turners in the in-house dial making workshop.
The air of openness runs counter to the apparent secrecy seen at some other luxury watch brands, with no less than 300 square metres of glass providing a level of transparency that is unique in the industry. All the work areas are visible to the public, including the central “cylinder” where visitors can almost look over the shoulder of the watchmakers working at the five benches arranged around its edges.
Naturally, the showroom also offers a relaxing corner in which customers can view, try on and – of course – purchase models from the brand’s collection. Next door, in a similar environment characterized by transparency, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls for all offices and conference rooms, the administration bustles away organizing the brand’s fervent marketing activities and logistics to supply its major markets, which aside from the German-speaking countries include big customers from Asia.
Famous German TV presenter Thomas Gottschalk, who has been a genuine friend of Chronoswiss ever since the brand’s founder, Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, offered him his own personalized timepiece over 20 years ago, added his own unique touch of humour to the proceedings as he helped co-owners Eva and Oliver Ebstein cut the ribbon to signal the official opening and, later in the evening, present a unique new Chronoswiss timepiece, dubbed Lion Heart.
Click on the image above to see a photo gallery from the event and check back on WorldTempus soon for both a detailed presentation of this new Lion Heart watch and an in-depth interview with Oliver Ebstein and his wife Eva.
