Geneva

“This foundation gives away three hundred million Swiss francs a year, a huge portion of it just directly giving money to people in need in Geneva, in their hometown.”

“And even to this day, this is crazy. Design, sales, marketing, and I think final assembly all happened in Geneva while production of the movement still happens up in the mountains in Vienna.”

“Hilariously, they just bought the building where Omega has their flagship store in Geneva. So Omega makes a rent check out to Rolex every month.”

“In the late 1500, the French had been rising as a watchmaking powerhouse. And when the balance of power changed in France and the Catholics came to power, the French Huguenot refugees who had talents in jewelry and metalwork and watchmaking fled to Geneva.”

“All the way back in the 1500, Geneva was a center of activity for the Protestant Christian world led by John Calvin. And if you know anything about Calvinism, it is Very focused on moral uprightness... One of these tenets was banning frivolous things like orna…”