A plant ahead of its time

The Universal Genève manufacture in Carouge has reinvented watchmaking with ultramodern design, unfailing efficiency and a focus on employee well-being. Find out how it has set a new standard in watchmaking.

On April 28, 1956, in the presence of numerous dignitaries and personalities from Geneva and the watchmaking world, Universal Genève officially inaugurated its new factory in Carouge. Separated from Geneva by the Arve River, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, the factory stood out for its mid-century modern style: three storeys of double-height windows, clean lines and avant-garde ergonomics. The building's facade featured an impressive quartz-controlled master clock that broadcast the exact time throughout the workshops - a true symbol of precision.

Ironically, it was this very technology that would bring about the Swiss watch industry's greatest existential crisis. But on this day of celebration, these concerns were still a long way off. Raoul Perret, Universal Genève's charismatic leader from 1932 to 1971, was at the helm, captivating his prestigious audience by recounting the brand's illustrious past. Guiding his guests around the ultramodern site, he presented the new Manufacture not just as a building, but as a launching pad for Universal Genève's future. Beyond its beauty, which he said reflected the watches that would be produced there, it was a place where ideas became reality and where design, engineering and craftsmanship came together.

This new site was needed to keep pace with the brand's ongoing international expansion. With the important American and South American markets growing rapidly, Universal Genève needed to increase its production capacity. The company also needed more spacious premises for its extensive after-sales service offering, to guarantee the maintenance of all its watches. Last but not least, the Polarouter designed by Gérald Genta (renamed Polerouter the following year) was already a success and was to be one of the first watches produced there.

The press of the time described the Carouge manufacture as "a veritable palace of watchmaking technology, sheltered behind ashlar facades". This spoke to Perret, an architecture enthusiast who once declared that he kept "abreast of everything published on fashion, interior decoration and architecture". It is likely that it was he who chose to collaborate with modernist architect Paul-André Davoine, who had previously designed the Zodiac factory in Le Locle.

The vast façade was 60% windows: large bay windows with adjustable blinds to ensure the optimal lighting needed for precision work. The machine park, meanwhile, rested on a concrete slab anchored in the ground with pillars to prevent vibration. This created a stable environment for state-of-the-art machines capable of precision work down to a thousandth of a millimeter. Many of these machines were equipped with self-correcting systems, "veritable electronic brains", as well as dust and debris removal devices to ensure the highest quality.

At a time when particular attention was being paid to working conditions, Universal designed ergonomic workspaces, with benches featuring adjustable armrests to optimize the working position. Music was also played four times a day to alleviate fatigue and help employees meet the rigorous standards of micromechanical manufacturing. Universal implemented rigorous quality control systems, with one-sixth of the staff dedicated to the 250 quality control steps each watch undergoes before leaving the factory.

The Carouge manufacture opened its doors during a decade of transformation for Universal Genève. As manual chronographs (once the company's trademark) lost popularity to the convenience of automatic watches, many consumers began to favor these simpler models. More than a decade before the advent of the automatic chronograph, Universal focused on innovations such as the Microtor, the world's finest automatic movement, which by 1958 equipped many of its three-hand models.

In the 1960s, Universal Genève expanded into art and jewelry watches, adopting the slogan "the couturier of the watch" in 1963. Many of these creations originated with Raoul Haas, who headed the design department from the late 1950s. Universal Genève maintained its downtown premises on rue du Rhône, which became a prestigious showroom for the launch of new models. A few years later, electronic watches also began to be produced there.

The Carouge factory continued to play an essential role in Universal Genève's operations and was enlarged in 1973. However, the brand was hit hard by the quartz crisis, leading it to cease movement production in 1982 and sell its buildings.

The high standards of the Carouge factory continue to attract vintage collectors to Universal Genève watches: this is where the mechanical magic worked for many of the brand's iconic timepieces and where the couturier of the watch was born.

More than just a factory, it brought ideas, design and know-how together under one roof, a rare harmony that continues to guide Universal Genève today.