Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Keeping old watches ticking over

Edi Lüthi's workshop is in the centre of Bern's old town. He spends his time repairing wrist and pocket watches, regulators, as well as grandfather and alarm clocks.

Tuesday morning is market day in the capital, and the door to Lüthi’s workshop opens every few minutes with a new customer. Not a good time to revise a complicated watch, a job requiring concentration and a steady hand. Changing batteries is more the order of the day.

It is unikely that anyone under the age of 30 would end up in the second-floor store. Most clients belong to a generation that has worn the same watch for decades and expect it to be fixed.

(Pictures: Thomas Kern, swissinfo.ch)

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR