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Bankruptcies reach new record high

This content was published on Jul 2, 2010 The number of companies filing for bankruptcy increased by more than a quarter over the same period the previous year, with 3,137 firms going under. Fewer individuals were declared bankrupt during the first semester, decreasing slightly to 2,796. Northwestern Switzerland, including Basel, was worst affected, with a third more bankruptcies than in the first six…

Businesses increasingly optimistic post-crisis

This content was published on Jul 2, 2010 Many companies are also planning to create new jobs, according to survey results released by Ernst & Young on Thursday. Of the 700 companies questioned in June, 92 per cent described their situation as good or relatively good. In February, 89 per cent of those surveyed said business was doing well. A quarter of the…

Sunrise on the Col du Tour Noir

This content was published on Jul 1, 2010 This was a good thing, as we needed the snow to harden. It did firm up enough to stop the avalanches, but not enough to make for good snow climbing.Still, we made it over the Col du Tour Noir, watching the sun come up as we climbed. We had hoped to gain the ridge soon…

Solar Impulse postpones night flight

This content was published on Jul 1, 2010 Adventurer Bertrand Piccard, co-founder of Solar Impulse, says he cannot say when the next attempt will be made. But he says the test flight has to happen before the beginning of August because after that the days will be too short to charge the plane’s batteries to last through the night. According to the organisers,…

The man who revolutionised watch marketing

This content was published on Jun 30, 2010 Launched in 1983, the Swatch has gone on to become a global phenomenon. The inexpensive, classic wristwatch, produced in endless bright, snazzy designs, has even become a cult collectors’ item. Hayek, the Swatch founder who died of heart failure on June 28 at the age of 82, was known to wear several timepieces on each…

Swatch keeps leadership in the family

This content was published on Jun 30, 2010 Control of the world’s largest watch manufacturer will remain firmly in family hands as expected, with Nick Hayek – son of Nicolas G – remaining as chief executive. The family also controls 41 per cent of shares. Share prices rallied on the news of Nayla Hayek’s elevation from group vice-chair. She had been on the…

Watch industry braces for life without Hayek

This content was published on Jun 29, 2010 The consensus is that Hayek’s rescue work was complete, putting the industry on a safe footing and his own company, Swatch Group, in a commanding position. But the charismatic innovator might be missed in the event of another crisis. The Swiss watch industry as a whole appears to have weathered the latest economic crisis with…

Nicolas Hayek, a look back

This content was published on Jun 29, 2010 The patriarch of the Swiss watch industry, Nicolas G. Hayek, passed away on June 28, 2010, at the age of 82. He was the founder and most recently the chairman of the Swatch Group, and was often cited as the saviour of the Swiss watchmaking industry. (Pictures: RDB and Keystone)

Will Swiss industrial production leak abroad?

This content was published on Jun 29, 2010 Several experts are predicting a relocation of Swiss factories and workforce as consumer demand grows in Asia, the strong franc hits domestic margins and some firms simply outgrow their home country. A recent report by global consultancy Booz and Company and the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce found that Swiss manufacturing enjoyed a boom period between…

Fewer animals used for testing

This content was published on Jun 29, 2010 The Veterinary Office said that of the 760,104 animals used, nearly four-fifths were rodents – mice, rats, hamsters and guinea pigs – and eight per cent were birds. Nearly half of animal experiments are carried out by industry, with universities and hospitals responsible for a third. A decrease was registered in almost all the sectors…

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Bankruptcies reach new record high

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Businesses increasingly optimistic post-crisis

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Sunrise on the Col du Tour Noir

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Solar Impulse postpones night flight

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The man who revolutionised watch marketing

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Swatch keeps leadership in the family

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Watch industry braces for life without Hayek

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Nicolas Hayek, a look back

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Will Swiss industrial production leak abroad?

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Fewer animals used for testing

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