Good and cheap. A boon for customers, yet a bane for manufacturers, such a frugal pricing ideology is often a question of give and take. The American clockmaker Albert Potter was convinced, however, that less is more: in 1890 he developed a watch that used the case as an integral part of the movement. This way, material could be used sparingly and the clock could be sold for less. Potter insisted, despite the price of the watch, quality was not sacrificed in the least.
Too good to be true? Potter’s invention failed to meet with success. Production of the watch ceased as early as 1895. Yet, lo and behold, one hundred years later, Potter’s idea enjoyed a renaissance. The flat Swatch wristwatches in dazzlingly brilliant colours also share their case with the watch movement. Approximately 400 million Swatch watches have been sold since 1983 - a huge success!
Charmilles, pocket watch, according to “Potter’s Patent”, Geneva, c. 1890, Inv. 2016-48