⏱ 1 min read
Background
The Watchmaking Heritage Biennial is held every two years in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle (NE) and Saint-Imier (BE). It allows the public to visit watchmaking companies. La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle have been on the World Heritage List of UNESCO since 2009 for their watchmaking town planning.
The key points
The 12th edition opened on Thursday 29 October 2026, for four days, La Télé reports. The public can visit around 40 manufactures and workshops, including Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Longines, Patek Philippe, Tissot and Zenith, as well as subcontractors.
The vast majority of visits are fully booked. The Ulysse Nardin visit in Le Locle was cancelled. Training centres and the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute also open their doors.
According to a review published on 1 November, the Biennial drew nearly 5,000 visitors. For the first time, the event was ticketed. Revenue covers around 10% of the budget.
Key figures
- Around 40 : manufactures and workshops open to the public
- Nearly 5,000 : visitors to this edition
- 10 % : share of the budget covered by ticket sales
- Around fifty : exhibitors at the International Museum of Horology fair
What it means for businesses
- Manufactures and subcontractors : many visits were fully booked as soon as ticketing opened on 22 September.
- Organisers : the switch to a paid model was well received, according to the Fondation Urbanisme horloger.
Further reading
Sources
- La Télé (ATS) – Jura region: The watchmaking heritage Biennale begins in La Chaux-de-Fonds
- La Télé (ATS) – Nearly 5000 visitors at the 12th Biennale of Watchmaking Heritage
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