Exploring the watch world of late, it is becoming obvious to me: the brands that are thriving in an ever-changing world dig where they stand. The expression made it into academia as well as grassroots movements in the 1970s through the book 'Dig Where You Stand' by Swedish author Sven Lindqvist (1932-2019). The expression is rather self-explanatory – how can you become an expert at what you do and explore your own history in order to find a way towards positive transformation? As it was originally written as a rallying cry for workers in an increasingly unbalanced corporate world, it might seem cynical to apply it to the world of luxury watches, but bear with me.
Digging where you stand is happening more and more in the watch world – perhaps as a pendulum reaction following an era of corporate powers trying to streamline the industry by applying economic models? Just as Lindqvist’s book urges workers to become researchers, to become experts on their job, to unearth their own history in order to take vital steps forward towards social and economic freedom, something similar is happening around Neuchâtel, Geneva, and the Jura. Archives are dusted off, in-house expertise is resurrected, and teamwork is restored so that companies can do what they are good at. Of course, this kind of thinking is not new, but I am sensing a difference in 2026. In the past, especially during difficult periods, this too often meant digging out a popular vintage model from the archives, and making a re-edition with a few polished edges and a standard movement. Then it would be called a contemporary blast from the past, sold in a “limited” edition of 5,000, and that was it, alongside a great but empty marketing story. But in 2026, it seems like watch brands are willing to take it several steps further. Yes, they are looking at history, they are revisiting iconic models. But in doing so, they are applying the same kind of approach that once made them famous: they are applying the latest technology, they are seriously improving ergonomics, they are becoming more user-friendly, they really care about the tactile experience, they are creating new alloys, and they are breaking technical boundaries in a way that I have barely seen in the last decades. By doing all that, the storytelling that comes with it does not have the ring of an empty echo. No, in 2026 more and more of the storytelling is vivid, layered, enthusiastic, and exciting like a symphony orchestra improvising to a Tom and Jerry episode – because it is real.
I would also argue that a similar approach is being taken by the youngest brands as well. Just look at the fantastic watchmakers like Hervé Schlüchter, Julien Tixier, and L’Atelier Bernard, to mention but a few. In their quest for precision, they are taking their knowledge all the way. Be it by translating personal family history into conceptual horology that makes sense, or by re-carbonizing vintage steel to craft the best possible wheels by hand, or by applying gunsmithing techniques to create a new kind of decoration in watchmaking, they are not captured by history, but strengthened by it. They won’t make do, nor are they afraid of breaking rules. If I may paraphrase what a CEO said to me in a recent interview: Our heritage should be our compass; never our anchor.
