Geneva, 6 November 2008 – Montres DeWitt is delighted to announce the inauguration of its own Museum, devoted to the history of watchmaking craftsmanship, in its new premises in Meyrin-Satigny, where the haute horlogerie firm moved at the start of the year. The new museum reflects the lifetime passion that Jérôme de Witt, the Brand's Founder and Ambassador, has always felt for mechanical watchmaking.

The DeWitt Museum, situated near the reception area at the entrance to the building, takes visitors on a fascinating voyage through watchmaking history. The stylish Museum, decorated in soft, warm tones, showcases one the world's largest collections of tools and machinery – over 250 items in all – retracing nearly three centuries of watchmaking craftsmanship.

This extraordinary ensemble was  acquired by Jérôme de Witt over a number of years, both at auction and during visits to craftsmen's workshops. The museum's exhibits range from the 17th to early 20th centuries – a period when watchmaking was carried out entirely by hand. The aesthetically displayed tools and machinery highlight Switzerland's heritage of watchmaking craftsmanship, with a step-by-step presentation of the traditional manufacturing stages (some now abandoned due to industrialization) of mechanical timepieces.

Jérôme de Witt, Founder

Highlights of the DeWitt Museum include escapements, rolling-mills, workbenches, and wheel-cutting machines from the 1680s – the ancestors of modern cutters. Some of the items on display, like the unique "schooling" pieces used to train apprentice watchmakers, have completely disappeared. Others recall long-forgotten watchmaking techniques: one tiny instrument, shown in one of Museum's final display cases, is so old that no Swiss watchmaking historian has been able to ascertain its original function.

Nathalie Veysset, CEO

Another stand-out feature of the collection is a series of guillocheuses dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. DeWitt is committed to respecting watchmaking traditions, and is one of the world's few watchmaking brands to continue using these venerable work-tables to produce guilloché work in time-honoured fashion. The secret of the guilloché technique, based on the use of such machines, is known only to a handful of watchmakers, and requires intense training.

The founding value of the DeWitt approach – craftsmanship – is sublimated by the brand's commitment to novel design and technological innovation.  DeWitt is firmly rooted in the 21st century and, by designing and patenting highly sophisticated developments, continues to push back the frontiers of watchmaking. So it is only natural that the Brand's own watchmaking creations should also be displayed in the Museum, alongside the tools and machines of the past – perfectly reflecting DeWitt's intimate blend of tradition and modernity.

Source: DeWitt