David Rosenthal: belief

Transcript context

…Which makes sense. They set up an office and basically say, hey, you’re making the movements next door. We’re going to put a case on them right here. And then be able to export from Switzerland now to countries all over the world and not go through Britain first. Ultimately, after the war in 1919, Hans moves both himself and the official company headquarters to Geneva, where of course it still is to this day. And even to this day—this is crazy—design, sales, marketing, and (I think) final assembly all happen in Geneva while production of the movement still happens up in the mountains in Bienne. It’s super interesting. It would make sense if you are Britain to throw on some tariffs to finance your war; you got to finance it somehow. At the same time, it also makes sense if you’re a business operating in Britain in this time to say, and I’m moving to Switzerland. But there’s this alternative reason to move the business to Switzerland, and Hans knows it. If he’s going to build a globally-renowned watch company, he wants to do it in Switzerland. This company becomes Rolex of Geneva, not just Rolex. Again, I’m going to look at this watch all the way down at the bottom. Swiss made. Don’t you forget it. Or you look at a Patek Philippe. Geneve right there on the face of every Patek Philippe watch. They are extremely proud of this.…

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