René Le Coultre, a key figure behind the invention of the quartz wristwatch, died on Saturday, three weeks after his 100th birthday.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/ac
Le Coultre was the founder of the Electronic Watch Centre (Centre électronique horloger CEH) in the city of Neuchâtel, western Switzerland. Around 20 watch brands were behind the creation of the centre in 1962 with the goal of making a reliable analog quartz wristwatch. In 1966, the first prototype called Beta 1 was developed, setting the scene for mass production of highly accurate quartz-based wristwatches.
Le Coultre was an important figure in the Swiss watchmaking industry. He was the grandson of the co-founder of luxury watch brand Jaeger Le Coultre. He was also director of research and development at Rolex and a member of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. His death was first announced on Arcinfo.
External Content
Le Neuchâtelois René Le Coultre, inventeur de la montre-bracelet à quartz, est décédé: Inventeur de la montre-bracelet à quartz, l'ingénieur neuchâtelois René Le Coultre est décédé, trois semaines après son 100 e anniversaire. Il avait été l'un des… https://t.co/yVZLNfGPjZExternal linkpic.twitter.com/xwaJoOFQ4uExternal link
Le Coultre also participated in the founding in 1984 of the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (Centre suisse d’électronique et de microtechnique, CSEM) in Neuchâtel, which replaced the Electronic Watch Centre.
Revolution in watchmaking
Using crystal quartz as a regulator of time allowed for miniaturization and huge reductions in energy consumption, meaning that the small wristwatches could tick for longer and cheaper. They were also extraordinarily precise; the accuracy of the quartz mechanism meant that quartz clocks would not vary by even one-thousandth of a second each day.
However, the Swiss were late in capitalizing on the quartz watch trend and paid a heavy price. The watch sector’s production peaked at the end of the 1960s when it was employing 90,000 people in 1,500 firms. At the beginning of the 1970s, cheap quartz watches produced in Asia completely transformed the market and led to a major crisis in the watch industry. In the mid-1980s, the sector employed 30,000 people in only 500-600 companies.
Half a century later, quartz is king in the Swiss watch industry – at least in terms of production. Three-quarters of output now relies on the crystal, even if in terms of profits, old-fashioned mechanical timepieces still lead the way.
More
More
Ticking for 50 years: The quartz watch
This content was published on
The quartz watch, a Swiss invention subsequently commercialized and mass-marketed by Japanese companies, celebrates its 50th birthday this month.
Swiss electricity supply outlook positive despite uncertainties
This content was published on
Thanks to well-filled gas stores in Europe and increased availability of French nuclear power, the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission is optimistic.
Finance minister wants Swiss banks to hold more equity
This content was published on
Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has repeated calls for banks and their holdings in subsidiaries abroad to hold more equity.
Telecoms sector kept Swiss competitions regulator busy in 2023
This content was published on
Last year, the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) conducted 27 investigations and initiated 17 preliminary investigations.
This content was published on
Although Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) achieved higher revenue at the start of the year, it suffered a dip in profits.
40,000 signatures against animal testing in Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland should do away with “restrictive” animal testing and should become a model for innovative, effective, and pain-free scientific research.
More than 45,000 signatures in favour of federal funding for UNRWA
This content was published on
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives (FAC) is expected to decide on the funding of the UNRWA at the beginning of the week.
This content was published on
At the end of January 2024, 6,881 men and women were behind bars in Switzerland. Almost 95% of all places were occupied, the highest number since 2014.
Cases of psychological abuse of children increase in Switzerland
This content was published on
The number of cases of child abuse recorded in Swiss paediatric clinics rose to 2,097 in 2023, an all-time high, which is mainly due to improved recording.
Swiss Trade Unions bemoan ‘lost decade’ for people on lower incomes
This content was published on
While top salaries continue to rise, low and middle salaries are stagnating in real terms, according to a report published on Monday.
This content was published on
The Swiss watchmaker Formex has developed an app which allows a customer to try different models virtually before purchasing online.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.