Watchmaking city Biel

From small watchmakers’ workshops tucked beneath the rooftops to state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, discover how watchmaking has shaped Biel/Bienne. Six self-guided walks invite you to explore the city and its industrial heritage at your own pace.

For more than 150 years, watchmaking has shaped Biel/Bienne’s architecture, everyday life and urban development. At one time, more than half of the population depended directly or indirectly on the industry for their livelihood. Today, the city remains a major centre for Swiss watchmaking, from development to production. Behind the façades of former workshops, long-established factories and contemporary company buildings lie stories of celebrated brands, businesses that have disappeared, and the people who built them.

The “Uhrenstadt Biel” project brings this rich heritage to life. Created by historian Florian Eitel and architect Andrzej Rulka, the city guide features six walks through different neighbourhoods, weaving together watchmaking history and architecture. A companion website offers an interactive city map with photographs and background information on watchmaking companies past and present. Along the way, QR codes on selected buildings give you direct access to the stories behind them.