dk nkf - Nordisk Konservatorforbund Danmark
dk nkf - Nordisk Konservatorforbund Danmark
dk nkf - Nordisk Konservatorforbund Danmark
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Polymers in watches manufactured in the Jura<br />
region, Switzerland<br />
The necessity of an anthropological approach for the conservation<br />
of a new heritage<br />
Introduction<br />
Since the 18 th century Switzerland’s world famous<br />
watch and clock industry has been concentrated in the<br />
Jura Mountains, between Geneva and Schaffhausen (fig.<br />
1). This industry has given rise to an important heritage<br />
that is promoted through the “Watch Valley” concept<br />
developed since the year 2000. The region is associated<br />
with the image of traditional and luxury objects such<br />
as high-class mechanical watches manufactured from<br />
precious materials. The Jura watchmaking industry<br />
abounds in ingenuity and aesthetic treasures. The constant<br />
endeavour to conserve this heritage is illustrated by the<br />
rich collection of the Musée International d’Horlogerie<br />
(MIH) (International Watchmaking Museum) in La<br />
Chaux-de-Fonds, which to date houses the largest<br />
collection of watch and clockmaking related objects in<br />
the world. Private companies have even developed their<br />
own museums recently. These institutions also focus<br />
on exhibiting exceptional watches manufactured from<br />
traditional materials.<br />
Arc Jurassien suisse<br />
Figure 1. Map of the Jura region of Switzerland<br />
agnès geLbert miermon<br />
Figure 2. Girard-Perregaux quartz movement (1978 or 1979).<br />
Only the battery support and the printed circuit are made of<br />
plastic.<br />
However the Jura region, particularly the Neuchâtel<br />
Mountains, has been set apart for more than 200 years<br />
by a diversified watchmaking industry, combining<br />
prestigious watches with low-priced popular watches<br />
featuring all types of materials. From the 19 th century<br />
onwards, polymers have gradually been introduced<br />
to the watchmaking industry for all ranges of clocks<br />
and watches – including coatings, cover layers, wire<br />
insulation and electric coils, watch faces, cases and<br />
mechanical components. Except for the balance,<br />
spiral and barrel, all parts of a watch can contain<br />
plastics (fig. 2).<br />
To explain this essential facet of the Swiss<br />
watchmaking industry, the Applied Research<br />
and Development division of the Haute école<br />
de Conservation-restauration Arc (HECR Arc)<br />
examined the conservation of plastics used in<br />
timepieces. Through a research project named<br />
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