Eisha Sarkar
Published in Economic Times' International Report on Monday, August 30, 2010
If there's one thing that cannot go wrong with the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi (CWG) it is the time-keeping. Keeping in mind, the need for precision and accuracy, the CWG Committee has appointed Swiss Timing the official timekeeper for the Games.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Swiss watch companies such as Omega and Longines have been involved in sports timekeeping. The manufacturers soon recognised the importance and value of providing a high-level service, and created Swiss Timing in 1972 that specialised in sports timekeeping. Swiss Timing has timed the Olympic Games: Innsbruck and Montreal in 1976, Lake Placid and Moscow in 1980, Sarajevo and Los Angeles in 1984, Calgary and Seoul in 1988, Albertville 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Torino 2006, Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and has been appointed for London 2012 through Omega.
While Swiss Timing is doing well in the Olympic domain, TAG Heuer rules the road! Founded in 1860, TAG Heuer invented the oscillating pinion in 1882, the first patented dashboard chronograph for airccraft and automobiles in 1911, the first wrist chronograph in 1914, the world’s first 1/100th mechanical stopwatch in 1916, the first multisports stopwatch in 1957, the world’s first 1/1000th electronic stopwatch in 1966. TAG Heuer became official timekeeper of the Formula 1 Championship from 1992 to 2003 and since 2004 has been keeping time for the Indy Racing League. Geneva-based Hublot is now the timekeeper for Formula 1.
Timekeeping is a rich Swiss tradition and precision a part of their culture. From ensuring punctuality of trains to developing the most complicated watches in the world to providing a pen-knife with 80 functions, the Swiss know how to be precisely perfect:
Why the Swiss don't miss
The clock displayed at all stations of the Swiss federal railways (SBB) is a design classic. Created by engineer and designer Hans Hilfiker in the 1940s, the SBB wanted a clock that would not only guarantee the smooth running of the trains, but would become part of their national image. The clock face is simple. There are no figures. Minutes are denoted by black lines on the white face. The hour and minute hands are also black. Against this black and white background the red second hand stands out. The red hand, which pauses for 1.5 seconds when it reaches the top of the minute, is clearly visible at a distance and has become a symbol of Swiss punctuality.
Handy Swiss Knives for 1.3 million Indian troops?
Over 125 years, Victorinox (derived from Victoria, name of founder Carl Elsener's mother and 'inox' from the French word for stainless steel) has transformed from a simple pocket knife to a multifaceted tool with upto 80 functions "Victorinox has its roots in the heart of Switzerland and celebrates a commitment to Swiss quality," Anish Goel, Managing Director, Victorinox India, said. The sole manufacturer of the genuine Swiss Army Knife has proposed to supply to 1.3 million Indian troops. Constructed from matte-black steel, the proposed knife contains 12 tools. The Indian Army has reportedly insisted on two: a saw to cut metal and a marlinspike, used to untangle knots. "We are in the process of R&D regarding the same. We are very hopeful about it happening soon," Goel said.
A watch with 24 hands!
Celebrating the craft of watchmaking is the Geneva-headquartered supreme luxury brand, Patek Philippe that boasts of using “skills and tools that have not changed for centuries”. The commemorative Patek Philippe Calibre 89 created in 1989 made of 18-carat gold weighs 1.1 kg, exhibits 24 hands and has 1,728 components in total, including a thermometer and a star chart and is valued at $6 million. It took five years of research and development, and four years to manufacture. Patek Philppe’s website claims it takes more than 1,200 operations to create one watch, three to five years creating a new mechanical movement, 600 hours of quality control checks, followed by 30 days of observation and rigorous examination. Only after all this do they put their name to a watch!
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