Among the 70 employees, this is the nickname given to this woman who, through her skill and know-how, gives a little hand touch to this mythical Bergeon tool. The only one in Switzerland?
Lee Warrien, JSH® Magazine & Swiss Watch Passport Writer
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Closely linked to this company founded in 1791, this small “tweezers” for removing hands, gears or train wheels, ultra-resistant and manufactured in-house, is intended for fine handling of watches. A quite beautiful piece, both aesthetic and functional, named “presto tool”.
Bergeon, from the iconic tools to the Manufacture
Like more than a hundred references never copied or equaled among the 15,000 that Bergeon currently produces or distributes, this presto is synonymous with a continual inventiveness that, with its roots in the history of watchmakers and their needs for tools, is today available for customization: more than 5,000 customers in a market of 120 countries, including 300 partners and suppliers. Above all, it is the advisor of the major brands and independents, the ultimate answer to the maxim of watchmaking maxims, “do better than necessary”.
We are on the outskirts of La Chaux-de-Fonds, in this new space of nearly 4,000 square meters that is part of this society complex named “Les Industriels des Sentiers.” By moving into this location in 2018, or rather by initiating it, the Locle-based company founded in 1791 has moved from the era of an ultra crowded ironmonger to that of a Swiss Made Manufacture.
High-tech and innovation, a permanent state of mind
Is it necessary to remind you that every watchmaker, while learning his or her trade, spends his or her first year making the tools that will enable him or her to produce timepieces? Bergeon, which still provides practical support to watchmaking schools, is thus steeped in the entire history of the watchmaking industry, with its 230 years of experience. The tool factory has a close relationship with high-tech, with rows of CNC machines and monster turning machines, with the knowledge of both assemblers and logistics. Let me mention the preservation of ancestral know-how, those fundamentals that still give meaning and sparkle to old machines, particularly attractive, still in working order.
At first glance, the showroom is full of iconic tools whose successful designs demonstrate the aesthetic appeal of the function. It is also an incentive to imagination and personalization, a trend that is currently noticeable within brands. Finally, it opens the door to further exploration of the floors where it’s good to stay. Understand that there is an almost historical parity, especially the Fair Pay, the equal salary for men and women. Also an ever-increasing awareness of the environment.
Sustainability and perspectives
In terms of tools and the ten or so materials from which they are made, Bergeon is so anti “programmed obsolescence” that its growth is an achievement. Especially since online channels allow the “tool passion” to reach today, by contagion, the world’s enthusiasts. Not to mention the fact that other sectors of the microtechnology or medical industries may well be looking with desire at the “Allée des Défricheurs” at the EPHJ.
