The Quartz Crises: The Battle That Redefined Luxury Timekeeping
The Luxury Dispatch with Tom Chamberlin
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Show Notes
In this episode of The Luxury Dispatch, we explore the Quartz Crisis, a moment in the 1970s when the Swiss watch industry, long seen as an immovable pillar of luxury, came close to collapse. As quartz technology promised greater accuracy and lower costs, centuries of mechanical watchmaking were suddenly thrown into question.
Tom Chamberlain is joined by writer and historian Nick Foulkes to examine how this technological shock unfolded, why it caused such deep anxiety in Switzerland, and how brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe chose not to compete on precision alone, but to redefine what a luxury watch could be.
From Seiko’s pioneering innovations to the rise of Swatch and the revival of mechanical craftsmanship, this episode looks at how crisis reshaped the industry, and why Swiss watchmaking ultimately survived by changing the rules of the game.
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