dk nkf - Nordisk Konservatorforbund Danmark

as a result of the Watch Valley concept promoted
since the year 2000 (http://www.watchvalley.ch ).
Plastics: a rejected heritage
Cultural and tourist institutions of the Jura region
communicate a very partial image of the Swiss
watchmaking industry. A glance at the MIH
catalogue [9] reveals that the objects on show are
almost solely exceptional artefacts manufactured
from precious materials. When incorporated in
prestige watches, plastics remain hidden. When
used in popular watches, the timepiece itself is
generally not exhibited. In this context, the use of
plastics appears to be a real taboo. Several factors
can explain this rejection of plastics.
Generally plastics have a poor image in our society
[10]. Is it because they are omnipresent in our lives
and are thus trivialised [11]? Is it because they are
synthetic [12], often disposable [13], [14] or mass
produced? In all events, the negative representations
associated with plastics are reflected in the field
of horology, and plastics are associated with
downmarket products. Today, Switzerland and in
particular the Jura region, wishes to promote the
view of an area devoted entirely to a traditional,
prestige industry. Like many great industrial areas,
the Neuchâtel Mountains identified itself with its
clockmaking activity and elevated it to a national
symbol: “Horology indeed remains a showcase, the
brand image and quality symbol of Swiss products
all over the world.” [15]; “There is a clockmaking
patriotism, pride taken in fine workmanship.” [16].
The Neuchâtel Mountains built their history and their
identity around the clockmaking industry and little
by little created a veritable mythology which today
becomes confused with the region’s real history
[17]. Thomas Perret writes that the changes which
marked the clockmaking industry from the end of the
19 th century and particularly during the 20 th century
served only to reinforce the population’s attachment
to this tradition: “In response to these economic and
social transformations which call into question the
image that Neuchâtel’s clockmaking society has of
itself, there emerges an historical discourse with the
clock industry as its subject, which very often takes
on the appearance of a genuine search for identity.”
[18]. The author refers thus to the appearance of
legendary “heroes”, such as Daniel JeanRichard
[19], and of the emblematic figure of the “peasant
watchmaker” [20]. The image is conveyed of
“mountain dwellers” who are “predestined for the
clock industry” [21] and whose qualities explain the
industry’s establishment in this area [22].
The population identifies itself with the clock
industry and with the manual, intellectual and
even moral qualities associated with it: “work,
patience, modesty, unselfishness, an obsessive
quest for improvement” [23]. In this context, one
can understand better why Jura people wish above
all to convey “an artistic and artisanal view of
clockmaking carried out in small workshops, as
opposed to the image of an industrial activity.” [24].
This view is reflected directly in the conservation and
exhibition choices of horology-related objects and
in the image they have abroad. In this perspective,
plastic, a material associated with mass-production,
automation and the consumer society, has no place.
Another factor that can explain the lack of
patrimonial interest in plastics used in clockmaking
is the nature of these materials and their properties.
Plastics quickly degrade and conservators do not
know enough about their composition to propose
adequate treatments that could slow this process
down. In the absence of effective conservation
treatments, professionals today concentrate on
preventive measures of environmental control for
storage and exhibition. One could of course argue
that other organic materials causing equivalent
problems are given special attention. For example,
leather used in watch straps benefits from extensive
research. Plastics incorporated in timepieces can
degrade to the extent that they are no longer fit for
purpose. This is particularly true of plastics used as
wire sheaths in electric clocks from the 19 th century
onwards. However, most of the time, and because
of the small number of conservators specialising
in this field, the restoration of watches and clocks
is entrusted to traditional restorers with basic
training in the repair of clocks and watches (in the
Canton of Neuchâtel the training involves a Federal
Certificate of Capacity-CFC in horology followed
by an Ecole Supérieure-ES diploma in complication/
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