Two decades into the 21st century and with the world’s labour markets reshaped by globalisation, there isn’t much that you can’t make just as well, and more cheaply, elsewhere. It’s notable, then, at a time when the production of everything from T-shirts to tech has been shipped overseas, that Switzerland, a country with one of the highest cost-of-living indexes in the world, is still the undisputed king of mechanical watchmaking.

It goes without saying, of course, that mechanical watches are not quite the same as tees or smartphones. They are luxury goods, and customers will always be happy to pay a premium if they know they’re buying the best. But how did Switzerland earn that reputation in the first place? To give a little context, we’ve made a short animation explaining how the side-hustle of a few dairy farmers in the Jura Mountains evolved, over centuries, into the modern Swiss watch industry.

Find out more at MR PORTER’s Luxury Watch Guide