HOROPEDIA.ORG EXPANDS WITH NEW FEATURES AND VIDEOS TO DISCOVER WATCHMAKING DIFFERENTLY
The video encyclopaedia Horopedia.org continues to evolve in order to offer an ever more immersive and accessible learning experience. In recent weeks, three new additions have enriched the platform: the introduction of 3D technical drawings and animations, the publication of interactive films dedicated to escapement adjusting and engine turning, and the release of an exclusive interview with the Swiss Watch Industry Employers’ Association (Convention Patronale – CP), providing deeper insight into its history and institutional role.
3D technical drawings and animations for better understanding
The encyclopaedia pages now feature 3D detailed technical drawings and animated videos, designed to make learning more visual, intuitive and accessible to all audiences.
3D technical drawing of the barrel kinematics (Horopedia, 2025)
The page dedicated to the motor organ (from the chapter on basic mechanical principles) is an excellent example. The 3D illustrations and animations allow users to clearly visualise the interactions between the different components and to understand the essential role of this organ: storing and gradually releasing the energy required for the movement’s operation. With a single click, the 3D images can be enlarged, allowing every detail to be examined — a feature optimised for all devices (computer, tablet or smartphone).
3D video on the barrel (Horopedia, 2025)
These new educational tools offer a clearer reading of watchmaking mechanisms and make it easier to grasp complex concepts, whether you are a student, a professional or simply a passionate enthusiast.
Interactive videos on escapement adjusting and engine turning
Since September 2025, Horopedia has introduced new interactive features within its educational films.
The first videos to benefit are those dedicated to escapement adjusting — the set of operations involved in regulating the escapement and essential for a watch’s accuracy — as well as to engine turning, a traditional engraving technique.
These interactive versions now allow users to access additional information directly from the video via integrated dynamic buttons. Interactive zones light up when hovered over, while red and white dots appear in the progress bar to indicate them. By clicking on these elements, users may pause the video to explore complementary content — for example, an explanatory sheet on the rose engine lathe — or return to a specific moment in the film using magnifying-glass icons to review a particular escapement adjusting operation.
Thanks to these interactive features, learning becomes smoother, more engaging and more personalised. Horopedia plans to gradually extend this system to all its videos in order to make the content increasingly interconnected — creating an encyclopaedia that is lively, educational and accessible to everyone.
Interactive information box about the rose engine lathe integrated into the engine turning video (Horopedia, 2025)
Interactive buttons allowing the user to return to a specific moment of the escapement adjusting film (Horopedia, 2025)
An exclusive meeting with the Employers’ Association
The Horopedia team recently had the privilege of visiting the headquarters of the Swiss Watch Industry Employers’ Association (Convention Patronale – CP) in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Founded in 1937, the CP is one of the two umbrella organisations of the Swiss watchmaking sector. While the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) focuses on economic and commercial matters, the CP deals with labour, employment and vocational training.
In an exclusive interview, Ludovic Voillat, Secretary General of the CP, looks back at the institution’s history, its ties with the Confederation and the cantons, and its main missions:
• Collective Labour Agreement (CLA)
• Vocational training
• Health and safety at work
• Communication and international relations
A fascinating testimony that highlights the central role of the Employers’ Association in maintaining excellence, social balance and the sustainability of Swiss watchmaking expertise.
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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.