AN ALLIANCE TO PASS ON AND PRESERVE WATCHMAKING KNOW-HOW
Horopedia is stepping up its commitment by joining forces with Swiss watchmaking schools to develop new educational content, support training, and promote watchmaking culture to the widest possible audience.
Meeting between the Horopedia Foundation and the management of Swiss watchmaking schools,
7 November 2025 (Horopedia, 2025).
Meeting between the Horopedia Foundation and the management of Swiss watchmaking schools,
7 November 2025 (Horopedia, 2025)
A shared mission: passing on watchmaking know-how
As an impartial and independent public-interest foundation, Horopedia works to document, preserve and transmit watchmaking culture. This mission is built on two complementary pillars: horopedia.org – the first online video encyclopaedia dedicated to watchmaking – and the Maison des Arts & de la Culture Horlogère (MACH), a future exhibition and exchange centre scheduled to open in Geneva in 2026.
This vocation closely aligns with that of Swiss watchmaking schools, which train future generations of artisans of time. It is therefore only natural that a close collaboration has developed between Horopedia and these institutions, working together towards a shared objective: perpetuating watchmaking heritage and passing on a unique body of expertise.
Educational content developed with the schools
For several months, the Horopedia Foundation has been producing a series of educational films shot directly within the schools, based on a list of topics jointly defined with the teaching staff.
This collaboration pursues two key objectives:
- Supporting training by creating video resources tailored to the needs of teachers and students, directly aligned with curricula and teaching methods.
- Enriching the Horopedia encyclopaedia with new technical content accessible to the general public.
Presentation films of schools in the cantons of Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura, Bern and Solothurn have already been produced and are available on the Horopedia encyclopaedia at horopedia.org.
For the 2025/2026 academic year, several filming sessions are planned in partner schools, covering more than a dozen new topics, including adjustment, pivoting, movement assembly, the operation of the Paris pendulum clock, and many others.
These videos, illustrating professional techniques, tools and essential processes, will become clear, precise and inspiring teaching resources, made freely available to all.
A meeting with the management of Swiss watchmaking schools
As part of this ongoing collaboration, the Horopedia Foundation was invited to take part in several meetings with the management of Swiss watchmaking schools. The latest meeting took place on 7 November 2025 at the Geneva Watchmaking School.
During the morning, Horopedia presented the progress of its projects to deans and directors. Discussions focused in particular on new website features (technical drawings and 3D animations, interactivity, etc.), upcoming educational films, and the creation of a committee to ensure the quality and consistency of the content produced.
In the afternoon, Horopedia accompanied the group to NeoShapes (a specialist in 3D printing for luxury watchmaking) and MuTech (home to, among others, enamellers, engravers and engine-turner artisans). These two complementary worlds – technological innovation and traditional craftsmanship – offered a valuable opportunity to explore the diversity of the sector.
Positive momentum for the future
The schools have responded very positively to this collaboration, convinced of the added value of the educational resources developed by Horopedia. The discussions confirmed the strong interest in the project, the relevance of the content produced, and the shared desire to establish this partnership on a long-term basis.
This momentum opens up promising prospects, particularly in the context of preparing the MACH, a future living showcase of Swiss watchmaking heritage in which watchmaking schools will hold a prominent place.
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ABOUT HOROPEDIA
Horopedia Foundation was established in February 2023 and given the status of public interest. The Foundation Council is composed of Philippe Dufour (President), Dr. Helmut Crott, André Colard, and Marc André Deschoux.
The Foundation governs Horopedia.org, the first online video encyclopedia on watchmaking. The platform was launched in 2022 and quickly gathered unanimous support within the community.
To date, over 100 multilingual documentary films on museums, watchmaking schools, watch tools and components, and the mechanical principles behind their work can be found on Horopedia.org. To enhance its educational mission, the platform also incorporates visual pedagogic materials to facilitate a better understanding of the provided information. The website features nearly 1000 pages with detailed definitions of watchmaking terms and historical anecdotes about significant horological inventions.
Horopedia.org meticulously covers all facets of the fascinating horological industry in French, English, and German. It offers detailed definitions of tools and complications, 3D images of movements, and thorough video explanations of component production, their history, and functions in a watch. A dedicated section of the website lists horological institutions, including schools and museums in Switzerland and worldwide.
More recently, the Foundation unveiled its ambitious project: the Maison des Arts & de la Culture Horlogère (MACH). More than just a museum, the MACH will be a dynamic venue for exhibitions, knowledge-sharing and dialogue around the art of watchmaking. Located in the heart of the Quartier des Banques, this 1,250 m² house will span four floors, offering didactic, thematic and chronological exhibitions, complemented by a space dedicated to temporary exhibitions. Visitors will also be able to enjoy a boutique, an auditorium and a variety of interactive areas designed to spark curiosity and encourage discovery. Open and vibrant, the MACH is intended to become the crossroads of watchmaking in Geneva.