Watch war

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As clocks War two are trade wars between Switzerland and the United States for market share of the watch industry refers. The first so-called watch war from around 1870 was a result of the industrialization of production in the USA. The second was created around 1954 as a result of a sharp increase in US import tariffs on watches with over 17 jewels .

Industrialization from 1870 to 1900

The Swiss watch region, spoiled for success, fell into a deep crisis around 1870. In 1872 366,000 watches could still be delivered to the United States, in 1875 it was only 70,000. The United States had successfully begun to manufacture clocks in factories more economically with the help of special machinery and division of labor. From the 1876 World's Fair in Philadelphia, on which a sample production of the Waltham Watch Company was built, the Swiss delegation reported relentlessly: “In America you work better and cheaper.” The workload per pocket watch in the United States at that time was 20 hours compared to 75 hours in Switzerland. There, 75% of the employees were still working from home. A rethink began in Switzerland. The watch factories successfully switched to the American system of production and new constructions ( Roskopfuhren ) or went under. By 1900, the Swiss watch industry had ousted the United States again from first place.

Customs conflict of 1954

In 1954 the USA increased the tariff on Swiss watches with more than 17 stones from 35 to 53%. The Americans justify the protection of their own industry with arms-political arguments. The “watch war” is affecting Swiss manufacturers, and three watch manufacturers are benefiting on the US side. Sales with the USA collapsed by a third, affected workers demonstrated on the street, the Swiss watch manufacturers suffered from Eisenhower's decision. After joining the GATT Agreement in 1967 and the resulting tariff reduction, exports to the USA normalized. Switzerland's accession to the GATT was strongly motivated by this trade crisis with the USA.

Post-war Germany

In the period after the Second World War, there were temporary efforts in Switzerland to sanction imports of alarm clocks and large clocks from Germany through increased tariffs. As a result, Switzerland largely withdrew from this market.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Watch industry Wikipedia read out on September 11, 2016
  2. ↑ Uncle Sam against the Swiss watchmaker. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung. July 28, 2014.
  3. ^ The report of the Office of Defense Mobilization and Eisenhower's decision on the clock tariffs . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung. July 29, 1954.
  4. ↑ Olivier Longchamp: Clock War. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  5. ↑ No clock war with Switzerland In: Die Zeit. December 8, 1955.