This August HOROPEDIA the first universal and multilingual encyclopedia dedicated exclusively to the world of watchmaking made its public debut at the Geneva Watch Days 2022.
Looking at watches purely from the aspect of their purpose, they are meant to measure time – which is pretty unnecessary in 2022. On the next level, when you think of them as a fashion item and accessory, they become a messenger of self-expression, matching your clothes or mood. As such, time pieces have taken various forms, colours and are ornamented in different ways.
Again one level higher, they are status symbols and design objects, where idea, exclusivity and rich decoration comes in various combinations. Gem stones and precious materials are often set on these pieces, raising not necessarily the moral, but the material value of the item.
Clearly, not every highly priced watch is artistically exceptional nor were watchmakers aiming for the technically impossible when designing and completing it, which is probably at the highest level on my list in terms of appreciating watchmaking.
HOROPEDIA
Many of the technical terms, different complications or special expressions of fine watchmaking are kind of a myth, still today. To ease this, the first universal and multilingual encyclopedia dedicated exclusively to the world of watchmaking will be unveiled on Tuesday, August 30, symbolically in Geneva, Switzerland at the Geneva Watch Days 2022.
The aim of HOROPEDIA is to share the knowledge and highlight the know-how with its technical and artistic skills accumulated by the industry over the centuries. This participative online encyclopedia will include not only texts and images, but also short films, to capture as closely as possible the gestures and emotions of the people involved to emphasise the human side of watchmaking.
Organized as a non-profit Swiss foundation, the HOROPEDIA Foundation Board is composed of Philippe Dufour (President, a Swiss watchmaker from Le Sentier, Vallée de Joux. He is regarded as one of the greatest masters in contemporary watchmaking), Dr. Helmut Crott (watch expert, he has provided horological expertise to the world’s major auction houses for decades), André Colard (co-founder of the EPHJ, entrepreneur), and Marc André Deschoux (Executive Director, founder of TheWatchesTV).
The general access to the platform is free of charge. Donations (foundations, companies, and individuals) and paid content created by the Foundation will ensure the operation of HOROPEDIA.
In the end, a great watchmaking encyclopedia is being created to share the magic of our industry with as many people as possible.
Source: press release. Photo credits: HOROPEDIA
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