Microcity: Will A Research Hub Revolutionise The Watch Sector?

Microcity: Will A Research Hub Revolutionise The Watch Sector? by Simon Bradley in Neuchâtel, swissinfo.ch

In the heartland of the Swiss watch industry, Neuchâtel’s new research centre, Microcity, has grand ambitions to become a global hub for microengineering that would “transform” watch technology. But weaknesses in the local economy could hold it back.

Sitting discreetly in the centre of one of Microcity’s new laboratories, a small metallic cube turns quietly on a table wired to power sources and sensors.

This prototype may not seem very special, but Professor Simon Henein and his Instant-Lab team have high hopes it could revolutionise the efficiency and precision of mechanical watches, which they say have remained conceptually unchanged since the end of the...