More than a thousand people have paid a tribute to Nicolas G. Hayek, a leading figure of the Swiss watch industry who died earlier this week.
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Representatives from the world of politics, business and entertainment were among the guests at the public ceremony in the Swiss capital, Bern on Saturday.
President Doris Leuthard praised Hayek as an ambassador for Switzerland and a source of inspiration for politicians.
Other speakers included Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier and the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge.
Among the crowd was also Hollywood star George Clooney.
Hayek, who died of heart failure at the age of 82, was buried in his home town of Meisterschwanden on Thursday.
He was the founder and most recently the chairman of the Swatch Group, the number one manufacturer of finished watches in the world.
One of Switzerland’s leading entrepreneurs, he had managed to turn his vision of a strong watchmaking enterprise into reality.
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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)
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.