Inside the world of ‘timepiece tourists,’ who spend tens of thousands of dollars on luxury watch-themed vacations

This confirmation is difficult to argument. The Bürgenstock Resort was opened in 1873, and it sits by 1,600 feet over Lake Lucerne. Richards will celebrate with the weekend here every August. “It was a tradition,” Richard said. “I knew every waiter.”

So it was a complete circle when Richard’s Bürgenestock approached to organize a guest experience around Cyrus, the advanced brand that he started with his father, Dr. Hans Peter Richard, and the main surveillance maker Jean-François Mojon, in 2010. Six months to collect their final watch.

The package starts from about $ 27,700-and considering that the Cyrus watch is $ 10,000, this is not a bad deal for enthusiastic Horophile. Industry people say that there are more tourists from these tourists more than ever, ready to spend a great spending from behind the scenes to a rare and dedicated floors and pieces.

Despite the distress and pearls (the craftsman) that holds in the luxury goods market, the watches have proven somewhat more strict; Chis reports travel reports on an annual basis in the spending of its American customers on high -end hours in France (+13 %) and in Switzerland (+18 %) between 2023 and 2024.

“You can buy high -end commercial watches almost everywhere, but for anyone from real experts, they go to Switzerland,” said Levia Angelini from the luxury travel agency Scott Dan.

The Switzerland Switt Dunn’s Switzoren’s Switzerland is a nine -night vehicle (from $ 1,200 per person, tonight), which includes an auction in Philips in Geneva, where he achieved a record in the FP Platinum Tourbillon Souveren 8.4 million dollars last year; A major category in Patek Philippe in Zurich; And a visit behind the scenes to the Audemars Piguet workshop at the watchmaking center, Vallée de Joux.

Audemars Piguet Hôtel Des Horlogers opened there in 2022. The hotel, which cuts a wide hills from the road to the forest ground, the previous post office site in the valley, where craftsmen will attend the nineteenth century while shipping their mechanisms to Geneva.

Before the hotel’s opening, the general manager André Cheminade told me when I stayed there in 2023, the crowd amateurs will come to the valley to capture their pieces, then he fell to the palace hotels in Geneva and Luzan. “Now they are staying here,” he said.

Other brands in the valley include De Bethune and Jaeger-LeCoultre. GMT (Wonderful magazine from watches18 passengers there will come during the fall of this year during the second -year -old safari ($ 5,045).

Many brands have opened, including Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, museums that show their history and craft. SwitzerlandBased initium recently expanded in Paris with watchmaking experiences in the new Atelier near Place Vendôme. “Paris is the main place of luxury in the world,” said Pablo, the store’s manager, who found him sipping tea and continues in Salmon Four Belcik Classic.

Eight stations wandering in the small workshop. It hides the pine cabinet, which is lumented, semi -essential gemstones in their small drawers. Gangs and bracelets-crocodiles, disasters, mixed leather, gold rose grid-located on top of another, while crystals, faces, cases, and movements hunt sunlight in the front window. There are more than a million possibilities that you can collect within half a day (from $ 2,890) or a full day (from $ 3,490) with one of the main watch makers in the beginning. The Tourbillon category – which bears the name of the complex mechanism that maintains the sharp watch constantly in the movement – begins with $ 19,190.

From the door of courtesy Bergenstock Resort Lake Lucerne

Returning to Cyrus, Switzerland, in the city of Lukeley in the watchmakers, Richard Torbion, the vertical covered with black methanium, carried. A arched bridge ran in the middle of the face, with a vertical wheel permanently displaying the seconds with five increases. “We are just doing crazy things,” Richard said, as it comes out of the crown and calm the observation forward. When the hand and the fine hand crosses in the middle of the night, it is eliminated simultaneously to the starting sites, which is a feature known as RetroGrade. Cyrus produces only 38 hours a turburone hole annually, which ranges between $ 120,000 to $ 250,000.

Michel, Cyrus technician, explained how to polish small copper pieces under a microscope. I sat on the stool and delivered Lee Micromotor, a tool that looks like a more complicated version of German nails in nails. After a few minutes of initial strokes, I got a comment from it, and the brave surface was flat until the copper was soft and shiny like honey.

Cyrus is mixed with the great handicrafts of an old house with Joie De Vivre from Audstart, which is reflected in the excessive shades of the belt and telephone connection details. Richard said, if you have got the gold watch, your platinum, and your skin, it’s time to kick, cherry, and your gratic.

I wear Patek to my father, but I wonder whether I can pull the Cyrus Fuchsia Gator. Richard said: “Allow your individual shine is part of this point:” People who travel to see the watchmaker have already Rolex, Audemars, and Patek; For the fifth or sixth viewing, they want something different – no one else in the world. ”

This article appears in the August issue of luck With the title “For Hour Lovers who has everything, visit the sources”.

Practical training

Those looking for great watches can now indulge in a set of luxury experiences to explore the craft of the watchmakers

1. Bürgenstock detailed: Cyrus watches
   Swiss Swiss Swiss Resort raises guests from Hekicopter to Cyrus to design their perfect watch. (Packages start from $ 27,700).
2. Wonderful magazine from watches Watch Safari
   This week, with 18 sites, starts in October and stops in many famous Swiss Swiss Mason. (The comprehensive price is about $ 5,000.)
3. The workshops in the beginning
   At Paris Atelier of The Swiss Brand, the workshops range with the main watchmakers between $ 2,890 for a half -day session to $ 19,190 for the Tourbillon category.
4. Shinola Hotel lending program
   For those who just want to experience an advanced watch, the Shinola Detroit Hotel offers guests a selection of the best brand watches for wearing during their stay.