{"id":1000437,"date":"2026-09-18T12:33:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T12:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/guides\/history-of-watchmaking\/famous-watchmakers\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T14:24:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T14:24:58","slug":"famous-watchmakers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/en\/guides\/history-of-watchmaking\/famous-watchmakers\/","title":{"rendered":"Famous watchmakers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"1000437\" class=\"elementor elementor-1000437 elementor-993052\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d4cc9f3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"d4cc9f3\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-extended\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-bc70b22 sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"bc70b22\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f9b6ee sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5f9b6ee\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/en\/guides\/history-of-watchmaking\/\">history of watchmaking<\/a> is not only the story of the discoveries and inventions that punctuated it; it is, above all, the story of the men who built it, little by little, through the design of new mechanisms and the development of new marketing methods. Here is a non-exhaustive overview of the famous watchmakers who enabled this history to take shape to the rhythm of passing time, and of the flashes of creative genius that made them major figures in the watchmaking world. \r\n<h2>The men who changed the course of watchmaking history<\/h2>\r\nThey were architects, astronomers, geometers, mathematicians, and physicists. What they all had in common was that they were also\u2014and above all\u2014famous watchmakers. Driven by the notion of measuring time, at once brilliant discoverers and ingenious inventors, the watchmaking figures who helped profoundly transform the nature of clocks and watches worked toward universal aims: measuring time with ever-greater accuracy; producing higher-performing mechanisms; developing refined and\/or avant-garde aesthetics; and designing production and marketing processes aimed at greater efficiency.  \r\n\r\nWe have divided them into two categories: inventors and businessmen.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd78d1c sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"cd78d1c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Frodsham_chronometer_mechanism.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-993232\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Frodsham_chronometer_mechanism.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Frodsham_chronometer_mechanism-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Frodsham_chronometer_mechanism-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Frodsham_chronometer_mechanism-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Frodsham_chronometer_mechanism-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Frodsham_chronometer_mechanism-760x507.jpg 760w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Frodsham_chronometer_mechanism-466x311.jpg 466w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Frodsham_chronometer_mechanism-570x380.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dcbc628 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"dcbc628\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>The inventors<\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Watchmaking was born of the individual talent of certain men who defied the laws of physics to offer their fellow human beings\u2014like modern-day Prometheuses\u2014a tool for measuring time. These watchmaking figures devised mechanisms of ever-greater precision in order to achieve this objective: capturing, on a dial, the passage of hours and minutes.  <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The anchor escapement (Robert Hooke, 1670), the cycloidal pendulum for clocks, and the balance spring for watches (Christian Huygens, late 17th century) all moved in this direction. These famous watchmakers have remained in memory as pioneers. But in parallel, in the Swiss Jura, another man was laying the foundations of watchmaking as an industry: Daniel Jeanrichard, with his modern vision of the division of labour and the sharing of tasks in the field of watchmaking.  <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Among famous watchmaker-inventors, there were many others thereafter: those who worked tirelessly on the development of marine chronometers (George Graham, designer of the mercury pendulum that bears his name; John Harrison), and those who worked on more advanced mechanisms for traditional watches and clocks (the Frenchman Julien Le Roy and his equation clock). Mention should also be made of the experimenters and theorists who, not content with advancing the science of clocks, contributed to its longevity (Ferdinand Berthoud, inventor of the detent escapement and author of numerous works).  <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But watchmaking could not be\u2014and never was\u2014only a matter of mechanisms. Beauty and mystery also had to be infused into it. This is what, each in his own way, the Swiss Pierre Jaquet-Droz did, designer of fantastic automata that were taken for sorcery, and Abraham-Louis Breguet\u2014famous among famous watchmakers\u2014who created works that were fundamentally original and elegant. Inventor of the tourbillon, the lever escapement with split impulse surfaces, and the \u201cBreguet\u201d balance spring, he is undoubtedly the watchmaking figure who brought his art into the modern era, as early as the 18th century.   <\/span>\r\n<h3>The businessmen<\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond its inventions, watchmaking is also shaped by its brands. This is because famous watchmakers founded manufactures that became just as renowned. Thus, watchmaking figures are also those who founded brands known across the globe, and who knew how to take the industry head-on in order to alter its course\u2014sometimes in times of crisis.   <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was Hans Wilsdorf, German by birth and British by adoption, who gave life to his ambitions in the form of a brand renowned to the ends of the earth, a symbol of the universality of the wristwatch: Rolex. It was also the presence of mind and commercial intelligence of a Nicolas Hayek who, in the midst of the most severe crisis the Swiss watch industry had ever experienced, at the turn of the 1970s, responded to the threat of the quartz watch by pooling efforts (the creation of the Swiss Corporation for Microelectronics and Watchmaking) and by the decisive launch of a small watch now more famous than most of the watchmaking figures cited above: the Swatch. <\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f0f18f8 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f0f18f8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Timeline of famous watchmakers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1cea5a6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"1cea5a6\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-extended\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3b44f06 sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"3b44f06\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c4547e0 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c4547e0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Christian-Huygens.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1000438\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Christian-Huygens.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Christian-Huygens-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Christian-Huygens-370x463.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c11239 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5c11239\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/en\/christiaan-huygens\/\"><b>Christian Huygens<\/b><\/a> (1629\u20131695). An astronomer, mathematician, and physicist, Huygens was one of the pioneers in the field of chronometric precision. He designed numerous innovative mechanisms, such as the pendulum clock, and discovered a great many astronomical principles before he had crossed the age of 30.  \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-94baa89 sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"94baa89\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-240a605 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"240a605\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Daniel-Jeanrichard.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1000439\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Daniel-Jeanrichard.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Daniel-Jeanrichard-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Daniel-Jeanrichard-370x463.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d5c0dcd sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d5c0dcd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/guides\/histoire-horlogerie\/horlogers-celebres\/daniel-jeanrichard\/\"><b>Daniel Jeanrichard<\/b><\/a> (1665\u20131741). A self-taught genius born in the mountains of the Swiss Jura, Jeanrichard remains a figure shrouded in mystery. Having initiated the watchmaking industry around Neuch\u00e2tel with a clear talent for mechanical innovation, he was mythologised soon after his death by his watchmaking successors, keen to assert Swiss know-how against the English.  \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7c7fcea sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"7c7fcea\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3a557cc sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3a557cc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/George-Graham.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1000440\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/George-Graham.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/George-Graham-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/George-Graham-370x463.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0a23553 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0a23553\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/guides\/histoire-horlogerie\/horlogers-celebres\/george-graham\/\"><b>George Graham<\/b><\/a> (1673\u20131751). Graham was one of the greatest watchmakers in 18th-century England\u2014and of all time. Having invented the deadbeat anchor escapement and the mercury pendulum, he was admitted to the Royal Society of London.  \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-71d5fc5 sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"71d5fc5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc6981b sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"cc6981b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Ferdinand_Berthoud.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1000441\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Ferdinand_Berthoud.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Ferdinand_Berthoud-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Ferdinand_Berthoud-370x463.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-851b702 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"851b702\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/en\/ferdinand-berthoud\/\"><b>Ferdinand Berthoud<\/b><\/a> (1727\u20131807). The Swiss-born Berthoud became known for the quality of his watchmaking work throughout a career divided between Switzerland, France, and England. He also published numerous works devoted to the art of watchmaking.  \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e37ee4e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"e37ee4e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-extended\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7fa959b sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"7fa959b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29ff6bc sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"29ff6bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Julien-Le-Roy.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1000442\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Julien-Le-Roy.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Julien-Le-Roy-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Julien-Le-Roy-370x463.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cea13be sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cea13be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/guides\/histoire-horlogerie\/horlogers-celebres\/julien-le-roy\/\"><b>Julien Le Roy<\/b><\/a> (1686\u20131759). Inventor of the horizontal clock, Julien Le Roy helped bring French watchmaking back to the forefront at a time when the British dominated the sector. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8c3c8a8 sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"8c3c8a8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ace8b6a sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ace8b6a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/John-Harrison.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1000443\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/John-Harrison.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/John-Harrison-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/John-Harrison-370x463.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5e94db9 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5e94db9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/guides\/histoire-horlogerie\/horlogers-celebres\/john-harrison\/\"><b>John Harrison<\/b><\/a> (1693\u20131776). A cabinetmaker and great English watchmaker, entirely self-taught, Harrison revolutionised the field of clocks and marine chronometers. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5c22351 sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"5c22351\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28ee4e8 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"28ee4e8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/PIERRE-JAQUET-DROZ.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1000444\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/PIERRE-JAQUET-DROZ.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/PIERRE-JAQUET-DROZ-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/PIERRE-JAQUET-DROZ-370x463.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-606ca55 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"606ca55\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/guides\/histoire-horlogerie\/horlogers-celebres\/pierre-jaquet-droz\/\"><b>Pierre Jacquet-Droz<\/b><\/a> (1721\u20131790). A watchmaking genius and pioneer of mechanical calculation, the Swiss Jaquet-Droz, with the help of his son, conquered the world by presenting his famous automata and other remarkable, playful mechanisms, full of surprises. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-77f672d sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"77f672d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c85315b sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c85315b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/en\/abraham-louis-breguet\/\"><b>Abraham-Louis Breguet<\/b><\/a> (1747\u20131823). Born in Switzerland and a pupil of Ferdinand Berthoud, Breguet excelled in the invention and refinement of watch movements. From the famous tourbillon to the marine chronometer, Breguet\u2019s science benefited the entire watchmaking world.  \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e4e1d97 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"e4e1d97\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-extended\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-77f44e4 sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"77f44e4\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f1865b sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2f1865b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hans-Wilsdorf.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1000445\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hans-Wilsdorf.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hans-Wilsdorf-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hans-Wilsdorf-370x463.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8dfa4ee sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8dfa4ee\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/guides\/histoire-horlogerie\/horlogers-celebres\/hans-wilsdorf\/\"><b>Hans Wilsdorf<\/b><\/a> (1881\u20131960). A German watchmaker, Wilsdorf founded what is undoubtedly the most famous watch brand on the planet: Rolex\u2014one of the most prestigious embodiments of the quality and high precision that are the hallmarks of Swiss watchmaking.  \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3ec9026 sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"3ec9026\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c3c510 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3c3c510\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/en\/nicolas-hayek\/\"><b>Nicolas Hayek<\/b><\/a> (1928\u20132010). Born in Lebanon and naturalised Swiss, this visionary saved the Swiss watch industry from the threat embodied by the quartz watch coming from Asia by launching the famous Swatch. On that occasion, he laid the foundations of a particularly prosperous group.  \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-aec70ef sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"aec70ef\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0f76ef9 sc_content_align_inherit sc_layouts_column_icons_position_left sc_fly_static\" data-id=\"0f76ef9\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The history of watchmaking is not only the story of the discoveries and inventions that punctuated it; it is, above all, the story of the men who built it, little by little, through the design of new mechanisms and the development of new marketing methods. Here is a non-exhaustive overview of the famous watchmakers who&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":1000422,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1000437","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Famous watchmaker: the greatest experts in watchmaking<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The history of watchmaking has been shaped by the innovations introduced by famous watchmakers, both in mechanical terms and in marketing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ohselection.com\/en\/guides\/history-of-watchmaking\/famous-watchmakers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" 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