A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Shaped by history.

Heinicke watches – Since 1937

At Limmatquai 32 – this was already the address where the Heinicke watch shop opened its doors for the first time when it was founded on 1 December 1937. In addition to the sale of wall, table and wristwatches, the store also offered weekly setting and winding of home clocks as well as repairs of mechanical watches.

 

A popular destination

After the American GIs had discovered Swiss watches in the post-war years, many more Americans, spurred on by the exchange rate, continued to push the popularity of Swiss watches in the years that followed.

Benefiting from Japan’s increasing prosperity and strong economic development, Switzerland also became a popular travel destination for the Japanese. During this time Max junior went to Japan for several years to learn the language and work as a watchmaker.

Triumph of the wristwatch

In the mid-70s, a golden age for the wristwatch dawned. However, quartz watches now began their triumphal march over mechanical watches. In terms of accuracy, a mechanical watch could not keep up. “The better is the more accurate watch” hit the spirit of the times. With the recession came the fall of the dollar. This brought down the production costs and consequently the price of a quartz watch – the boom was now unstoppable.

1976 – Heinicke Junior

On 1 January 1976, Max Heinicke junior took over as managing director. The company was to continue as a family business. With the same passion for work and customers as his father did. With him, the motto – “We live by satisfied customers” – also remains the guiding principle of the company.

Heinicke watches
in the course of time

Despite severe crises, as a result of which the Swiss watch industry had to realign itself, Swiss watches retained their high status on the world market. Following the success of quartz watches, the demand for mechanical watches rose significantly again in 2012. “A watch is a status symbol.”

Takeover by
The Brugger family

In 2019, the Brugger family, who have been friends for decades, takes over Heinicke Uhren AG, together with long-time employee Iris Müller. As managing director, she will continue the business with the same passion. A further chapter in the company’s history is heralded.

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