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COMPANY

THE MANUFACTURE


The history of watch making in Switzerland can be traced back hundreds of years to when dairy farmers used their downtime in the winter months to assemble precision watches. Even today, there is a tradition of those working in the industry starting early in the morning when the first rays of natural light start to break through at dawn.

Watchmakers are the most important assets of a watch manufacturer, as each watch is individually assembled by hand.  Watchmaking schools in Geneva and La Chaux-de-Fonds have educated most of the watchmakers at Alpina. Many of them gained experience at the ateliers of renowned brands before joining Alpina.

However, although a debt is still being paid to these pioneers in that we still place a premium on producing the finest movements in-house (and that a genuine Swiss made watch has to be assembled in the country), time has nonetheless marched on.


Nowadays, computers, laser-guided cutting machines and state of the art microscopes are all part of the armoury of a modern watch maker. And we at Alpina are no different. Our new production equipment has greatly increased precision.


In 2006 we moved the production and back office to our purpose built manufacturing plant in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, a short step away from the capital itself and the shores of the world famous Lake Léman. Covering 3200 m², the building is home to the dedicated craftsmen and women who assemble the watches, as well as all the other trades that are necessary to get your watch to you.


It is also here that our unique Manufacture watches are conceived, designed and built, totally in-house, and it is here, too, that every watch, without exception, is fully tested and put through a rigorous series of quality control tests. Throughout every stage of the watch’s production it under goes a battery of trials. Before making its final journey to one of our exclusive distributors, the watch goes through one more series of controls, where it is subjected to tests that mirror real life conditions.