Imagine assembling your own Swiss mechanical watch and taking it home with you at the end of the day. swissinfo.ch tried out the popular new concept run by Jura start-up Initium.
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I manage a multilingual team responsible for covering the Swiss Abroad, providing them with the information they need to participate in political life in Switzerland.
After studying political science in Neuchâtel and Bern, I started out in multimedia journalism at SwissTXT and RTS. Since 2008, I've been working at SWI swissinfo.ch, where I've held various journalistic and management positions.
I am an experienced video journalist passionate about making complex topics accessible and engaging through compelling multimedia storytelling. Focused on social and environmental issues, I produce various video formats on a wide range of topics, specialising in impactful explainer videos with motion graphics and stop-motion animation.
During my studies in cinema, English literature and journalism, I’ve gained experience in radio, television, and print across Switzerland. After working with the Locarno Film Festival’s image & sound team, I joined SWI swissinfo.ch in 2018 to produce local and international reportages.
For fans of Swiss timepieces, the watchmaking world can sometimes seem like an impenetrable castle. The uninitiated rarely get the chance to observe or even touch delicate mechanical watch parts.
This is what gave Mathieu Gigandet and Gilles Francfort the idea of creating Initium five years ago. Their start-up offers beginner watchmaking courses open to all ages.
The firm, which employs eight people, has workshops in Noirmont, canton Jura, and in Geneva and Zurich. It proposes various half- and full-day courses, which cost from CHF1,690-2,690 ($1,860-2,950). The price includes a handmade watch – created by yourself.
The little-known concept has taken off in recent years. Several rival firms now also offer similar courses.
Today, Initium faces an uphill challenge as it attempts to rebuild its business amid the difficult economic situation resulting from the coronavirus lockdown. Fewer foreign tourists, who made up half of all visitors to Initium’s Geneva workshop, are taking the courses. This has caused a big dent to the start-up’s finances.
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