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LINDT HOME OF CHOCOLATE

Schokoladenplatz 1 8802 Kilchberg Switzerland

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Welcome to Switzerland’s largest chocolate museum

Experience the interactive world of chocolate for young and old. Visit our Lindt Home of Chocolate, where the biggest Lindt Chocolate Shop (500 m 2 ) and the spectacular Lindt chocolate fountain are waiting for you, as well as an interactive chocolate tour all about the Swiss cultural heritage of chocolate. Dive into the world of chocolate and experience something really special. Whether you come alone, with your family and friends, or with colleagues, we look forward to your visit.

Book your ticket in advance

Due to the high demand, we kindly ask you to book your ticket online in advance. Check the current availability here .

Discover the magical Lindt Home of Chocolate

Chocolate has been produced at the Kilchberg factory since 1899. And now an interactive chocolate world was built next to these historic buildings . In this video, you can get a sweet little taster and see how our spectacular chocolate fountain was created, as if by magic...

An interactive journey of discovery

In our museum, you can journey back to the origins of chocolate and experience how cocoa conquered Europe. Meet the Swiss chocolate pioneers who made our lives sweeter with their inventions. Follow the chocolate manufacturing process in our modern test facilities. And find out just how irresistible Swiss chocolate is for yourselves.

Make chocolate yourself

Create the finest chocolate together with a real LINDT Master Chocolatier and learn all about our favorite treat. Be inspired by our wide range of courses for groups and individuals.

The biggest chocolate shop in the world

In our Lindt Chocolate Shop, spread over more than 500 m 2 , you will find the best chocolates, pralines and a whole range of other delicious treats. Design your own personal praline packaging and have a LINDT Master Chocolatier create a chocolate bar exactly to your wishes.

A highlight for chocolate lovers

Our chocolate fountain is over nine meters tall, with 1,500 kg of chocolate flowing through it. Experience this highlight with your own eyes.

Let us spoil you

It’s not only your sweetest dreams that come true at the Lindt Home of Chocolate. We also offer some delicious savory meals and snacks in the café, and really put the emphasis on quality. We look forward to spoiling you.

Space for your event

Planning a birthday, company event, a drinks reception or another special occasion? You’ll find the perfect location here. For example, our CHOCOLATERIA or the lounge with space for up to 60 people, and the auditorium, which can accommodate up to 100 people.

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Find out the latest about the huge Lindt Home of Chocolate. Simply subscribe to our newsletter and you can look forward to exclusive news about the world of chocolate.

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Switzerland’s ultimate chocolate attraction

The Lindt Home of Chocolate is a state-of-the-art experience for chocolate lovers. The building, designed by celebrated architects Christ & Gantenbein, houses an interactive chocolate world that will delight young and old alike. With a more than nine meter high chocolate fountain, a multimedia museum, a café, chocolate courses and the biggest Lindt chocolate shop in the world, the Lindt Home of Chocolate is an exciting chocolate experience for the whole family.

Whether you’re visiting alone, with friends and family or as part of a school trip or company event, here you can experience chocolate with all of your senses in a new and entertaining way. And your sense of taste will certainly be enjoying the lion’s share of that! At the Lindt Home of Chocolate you can sample delicacies, create your own chocolate or have your chocolates individually designed by our very own Lindt Master Chocolatiers.

Join us on an exciting tour through the world of chocolate! Journey back to the origins of chocolate and experience how cocoa conquered Europe. Meet the Swiss chocolate pioneers who changed – or at least “sweetened” – our lives with their inventions. Marvel at all the work it takes to transform cocoa beans into melt-in-your-mouth chocolate. Follow the chocolate manufacturing process in our modern test facilities. And find out just how irresistible Swiss chocolate is for yourselves.

During your visit, make sure to pop into the Café, where we’ll make more than just your sweet dreams come true. We also offer some delicious savory meals and snacks, and really put the emphasis on quality. We look forward to spoiling you. How about some of our popular waffles, freshly baked and made extra special with our finest chocolate?

You can reach the Lindt Home of Chocolate from most parts of Zürich in just 20 minutes, with transport links by boat, bus, train and car. On this page you can find out all about offers, prices, journey, news and much more. We look forward to your visit.

© 2024 Lindt Chocolate Competence Foundation

Due to high demand, we kindly ask you to book your ticket online in advance. Check the current availability here .

Best Chocolate Tours In And Around Geneva: A Detailed Guide

The city of Geneva is known for many things – the international vibe, the luxury lifestyle, the expensive watches, the huge marina, and the fabulous Swiss chocolatiers . You can tour Geneva any way you like, but a proper visit to all of the city’s best chocolate shops and factories is absolutely perfect for any traveler with a sweet tooth.

Your options for chocolate tours in Geneva range from casual walks throughout the old town to full-day excursions to chocolate factories in villages close to the city. Keep reading to learn more about the best chocolate tours Geneva has to offer and find the perfect excursion for you.

Table of Contents

Chocolate Flavours Tours Geneva (Local Flavours Tours)

The Chocolate Flavours Tour is a three-hour guided tour of the Geneva center that include stops at seven chocolate destinations, a walking tour of the city’s most famous attractions, and even a quick boat ride on Lake Geneva. It’s recommended that tour-goers have a light savory meal before this adventure because it’s not the best idea to eat lots of chocolates on an empty stomach.

The tour is led by a knowledgeable local guide who will tell you about the history of the shops you visit, and anecdotes about the chocolates you get to taste. In fact, all the chocolates that are included in the tastings are hand-picked, and there’s a story behind each piece.

You’ll try the favorite Geneva chocolates of Grace Kelly, Winston Churchill, JFK, and other famous historic figures. The standard price for the tour is 99 CHF per participant, and anyone in possession of the Geneva City Pass can get a 20% discount!

Favarger Chocolate Factory Tour

The Favarger chocolate factory was founded back in 1826 and it’s one of Geneva’s most special places for a chocolate tour. The factory organizes guided tours that allow visitors to witness the ins and outs of the chocolate manufacturing process, as well as private events that include tastings, chocolate makings, and more.

It’s worth noting that, at the time of writing this in June 2023, the guided tours of the Favarger Chocolate Factory are temporarily suspended. They are supposed to get reinstated later in the year. The factory still arranges private events that last for approximately half a day, and which include tastings and chocolate-making workshops. It’s 250 CHF per person to participate in these events.

Additionally, it’s possible to taste Farvager chocolates at any of their shops throughout the city of Geneva.

Geneva Chocolate Tour in a TukTuk

TukTuk tours have gotten increasingly popular throughout the years in all major cities in Switzerland, and Geneva is no exception. They’re great because they allow you to discover the city’s top sights at a much faster pace than walking tours, plus they usually include some sort of food that you can eat while you’re riding in the TukTuk.

In this case, you’ll get to eat Swiss chocolate from the three chocolatiers that are covered in the TukTuk tour. The expert chocolatiers will also tell you about the chocolates you’re about to taste, and you’re free to ask them any other questions you might have about this delicacy.

Eat award-winning chocolate while riding around this fabulous city and discovering all of its most famous attractions – what’s not to love about this tour? It is a little pricey at $200 per participant, but such a unique experience that it’s worth it if you can afford it.

Boutique Chocolate Store Tour in a Private TaxiBike

Skip the crowds in Geneva by choosing a tour of the city’s best chocolatiers in a private TaxiBike . It’s an excellent option for two people who want to discover Geneva’s most famous landmarks, but also get to experience a chocolate tasting or two at the city’s best chocolatiers.

Book this tour early to secure the timeslot that fits you best because it’s one of the most popular chocolate tours in Geneva. Your private guide will also talk you through the history of Swiss chocolate and its importance to the local culture and heritage.

The price for this tour is approximately 100 CHF per person, which is a fair price for a taxi tour. The chocolatiers you’ll visit during this tour are La Bonbonnière Chocolaterie, Chocolat Favarger, and Charlie Ganache, and you’ll get to taste hot chocolate, pralines, and Pavé de Genève.

Day Trip to Maison Cailler Chocolate Factory

The Maison Cailler chocolate factory is situated in the village of Broc, approximately 125 kilometers outside Geneva. It takes about 2 hours to travel to the factory by public transport and an hour and a half by car, so it is possible to organize this tour on your own and do it without guides.

The advantage of a guided tour is that you don’t have to worry about logistics at all; you just need to pay for the tour and show up at the agreed-upon meeting point. What’s even better is that all tours from Geneva include a visit to both the chocolate factory and the famous village of Gruyeres, so a lot of delicious cheese and chocolate is on the menu for the day.

You can see both the cheese-making and the chocolate-making process first hand, and taste the local delicacies. Chocolate tastings are more popular among younger tour-goers, but the trip to the cheese factory is often preferred by adults. You’ll also get some free time to walk around Gruyeres and explore it at your own pace, plus you’re transported in air-conditioned coaches to and from Geneva. The price for this tour is approximately 155 CHF per participant.

Gruyères Gold Tour with Train Ride & Tastings

The Gruyeres Gold tour is possibly the most Swiss experience you can have in Geneva. It includes a ride on the panoramic Golden Express Train, a trip to the wonderful village of Gruyeres which is known for the namesake cheese and H.R. Giger, a trip to a chocolate and cheese factory, and panoramic views all around.

This is an all-day tour that takes 9.5 hours, mostly because of the long ride from Geneva to Gruyeres. The price is 230 Euros per participant, and it’s necessary to book it a few days in advance because it’s a very popular tour and the tickets sell out quickly. Online ticket purchase is recommended, and if you cancel the tickets a day before the tour, you will get a full refund.

This culinary adventure includes a tasting of the iconic Swiss fondue and delicious chocolates, plus you’ll get some free time in Gruyeres if you want to go for lunch, visit the museums, or just explore the medieval village.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the price range for chocolate tours in geneva.

The price range for organized chocolate tours with tastings in Geneva is 99-250 CHF. It depends on the type of tour – walking tours of the city with tastings are the cheapest, tours in TukTuks and TaxiBikes are pricier, and organized tours to other villages are the most expensive. 

When is the best time to do a chocolate tour in Geneva?

Any time is a good time for a chocolate tour of Geneva because there’s really not a bad time to walk around a beautiful city and taste delicious chocolates. Some organized tours can only be done between May and October, so summer and the shoulder months are generally the preferable seasons for chocolate tours in Geneva. 

Are chocolate tours in Geneva suitable for children?

Yes, most chocolate tours in Geneva are suitable for children. Some tours have a minimum age of six for participants, and in most cases, kids who are six or older are welcome on the tours. 

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LOCAL FLAVOURS

Geneva chocolate tours.

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Chocolate Tour Geneva

Join our guided delicious chocolate tours and experience one of a kind award winning chocolates in all flavours and forms: liquid, pralines, truffles, pastry and, in between bites, visiting and learning less well known sites and facts about Geneva.

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Chocolate tasting.

Taste your way through award winning Swiss chocolates and pastry and learn the secrets of more than 2000 years of “food of the Gods” history.

OLD TOWN WALKING

Discover Geneva’s charming old town with its cobbled stone streets, old churches, beautiful squares. Enjoy a short boat ride across the Geneva Lake.

ICONIC SIGHTS

Explore Geneva’s iconic sites and attractions, but also learn about hidden gems that not even locals know about.

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We love to tell stories. We will share with you the history of Geneva and of the Swiss chocolate, but we promise you we will be doing it in a highly entertaining way, with plenty of funny stories that you could take back home with you.

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Short time in Geneva? Chocolate Flavours Tour is the best way to see the sights, taste its chocolate specialties and learn about our traditions. Come on your own, leave with friends. The best way to connect with likeminded travellers and locals.

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Best way to explore the city together as a family. The delicious Geneva chocolate is the best way to get the kids excited about sightseeing.

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Do you think you know everything about Geneva and chocolate? We challenge you. Join our tour, uncover hidden sites, learn secret stories about your city and most importantly discover mouth-watering chocolates that you did not know before. What is it more exciting than to let yourself be surprised in your hometown?

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CORPORATE AND PRIVATE GOUPS

Planning your next corporate event or team building? Why not do something out of the ordinary? Reward your employees and partners with a fun, memorable and delicious experience. Simply want a little privacy or have something special to celebrate like bachelorettes, honeymoons, birthdays, special anniversaries: whenever you have something to celebrate Local Flavours Tours is the perfect solution.

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Home » Activities » Museums » Food Museums & Factories

15 Best Swiss chocolate factories, workshops and tours

• Last Updated: 5 Jan 2023
• By Tanya, Founder of Swiss Family Fun

If you buy something through a link here, we may earn a commission. See our disclosure policy . Note that p rices and opening times may change without notice.

Switzerland is world famous for its delicious chocolate. Whether you are traveling to or living in Switzerland, you should indulge in the many fun chocolate experiences in this country, including chocolate factories with visitor centers, workshops, tastings and chocolate-themed city tours. 

Which chocolate museum is the best?

1. lindt home of chocolate (near zürich), 2. mastrani chocolarium – best for kids (near appenzell), 3. maison cailler – the classic (near lausanne), 4. aeschbach chocowelt (near lucerne), 5. max chocolatier (zürich & lucerne), 6. chez camille bloch – discovery world (near bern) , 7. alprose chocolate experience (near lugano), 8. swiss chocolate adventure at swiss museum of transport (near lucerne), 8. honold schoggitram (zürich), 9. garcoa schoggi safari (zürich), 10. la flor (zürich), 11. funky chocolate club (interlaken), 12. choco emotions (neuchatel), 13. self-guided chocolate tour of zürich, 14. chocolate indulge tour of zürich, 15. geneva chocolate walking tour, chocolate factories & museums.

Most of these chocolate factories are all pretty similar: a multi-media tour about the history of chocolate through the ages and specifically in Switzerland, how cocoa beans are grown, harvested and processed, view of factory equipment, and a chocolate tasting.

At the end of the tour, you can often make and decorate your own chocolate bar for an extra fee (about CHF 10). Many chocolate factories also offer more in depth chocolate workshops that must be booked in advance. 

As I detail below, some have more fun activities for the kids, some have slicker presentations, some are info heavy, others are more entertaining. I would just pick one that is the closest to where you are. They are all fun!

Everyone was so happy Lindt finally opened a chocolate museum at its Kilchberg factory near Zürich. Their interactive museum is beautiful and very educational, with an immense amount of information both on displays and through the audio guide. Although there are a few games for kids (and an audio guide specifically kids), it’s not the most entertaining option on our list.

We liked the multiple chocolate tasting stations through the museum, including chocolate fountains and a dispenser where you have to guess the chocolate flavor. They also offer chocolate making workshops, which are particularly popular for holidays like Christmas and Easter where you make the signature bear and bunny shaped chocolates.

Website: www.lindt-home-of-chocolate.com Address: Seestrasse 204, 8802 Kilchberg Open: daily 10:00 – 18:00 (closed on some holidays) Cost 2023: CHF 15/adult, CHF 10/child aged 8-15, under 8 free. Buy tickets here  

See our full review of Lindt Home of Chocolate

This chocolate factory and museum is our favorite of the bunch because it’s all about the fun, with wacky styling influenced by Willy Wonka. So many interactive exhibits to keep the kids busy: buttons to push, knobs to pull, dials to spin and selfie booths with props.

During the week at certain hours, you can see the real factory machines running, forming and wrapping real chocolates, not fake machines just for display like at other chocolate factories.

There are lots of chocolate tasting throughout the tour, including chocolate fountains and dispensers of flavored chocolate bars. At the end of the tour, you can decorate a chocolate bar for CHF 10. They also have a variety of chocolate workshops which must be booked in advance.

Website: www.chocolarium.ch Address: Toggenburgerstrasse 41, 9230 Flawil Open: Tues – Fri 10:00 to 18:00, Sat & Sun 10:00 to 17:00 ( see current schedule ) Cost 2023: CHF 14/adult, CHF 8/child aged 6-16, under 6 free.

See our full review of Maestrani’s Chocolarium

It’s all about the history here, since Cailler was the first proper chocolate maker in Switzerland. The history part of the tour has a multi-media show about the history of Swiss chocolate that moves you through a series of rooms as doors close behind you. So you can’t move freely around following your interests. But once that part ends, you can freely explore the chocolate production area.

The chocolate tasting has changed for the pandemic, with individual disposable cups holding 4 different pralines, instead of a long buffet. But you can still eat as many as you like. You can decorate a chocolate bar in the gift shop. They also offer chocolate workshops that must be booked in advance.  

Website: cailler.ch Address: Rue Jules Bellet 7, 1636 Broc Open: daily 10:00 to 17:00 (except 25 Dec and 1 Jan) Cost 2023: CHF 15/adult, CHF 12/students and seniors, CHF 5/child 6-15, under 6 free. 

See our full review of Maison Cailler .

Aeschbach is well known in Switzerland as the producer of the Schoggitaler chocolate coins sold by school children as a fundraiser (my kids have done this every year). Like other chocolate factory visitor centers, you walk through a series of decorated rooms with a variety of interactive display teaching you about the history and production of chocolate.

During the tour you can sample chocolate, including small chocolate cubes of varying cocoa percentages, chocolate coins and chocolate fountain with toppings. On weekdays you can see people working on the chocolate factory floor. After the museum tour, you can make your own chocolate bar for CHF 10.

Website: aeschbach-chocolatier.ch Address: ChocoDromo 1, 6037 Root Open: daily 10:00 to 17:00 (excluding public holidays) Cost 2023: CHF 15/adult, CHF 8/child aged 6-16, under 6 free. 

See full review of Chocowelt from Our Swiss Experience

One of the best chocolatiers in Switzerland, with wide range of luxurious chocolate confections. We particularly like their unusual praline flavors like rosehip & hibiscus tea and madarine & safron. At their Zürich and Lucerne locations, they host offer a 60 mins chocolate tasting for up to 4 people for CHF 300. At the Lucerne location, they offer chocolate workshops ranging in price from CHF 340 – 600 for up to 4 people. 

Zürich: Schlüsselgasse 12, 8001 Zürich Lucerne: new location opening Jan 2022 Booking: maxchocolatier.com

See our full review of the Max Chocolatier tasting & workshop .

While the chocolate museum does tell a little about the general history of chocolate, it focuses more on the history of the Swiss chocolate industry, the Camille Bloch family and the popular Ragusa and Torino chocolate brands. The museum is quite stylish and fun to explore.

I particularly liked the live chocolate making demonstration, where the friendly chocolatiers temper chocolate on the marble and create the confections by hand, so you can really see the work and skill that go into make the treat. Then you can taste the items made during the demo. They offer a children’s birthday workshop, where they make Ragusa bars and chocolate fondue.

Website: www.chezcamillebloch.ch Address: Rue Jules Bellet 7, 1636 Broc Open: summer season Tues – Sun 9:30 to 18:00 ( see current opening times ) Cost 2023: CHF 15/adult, CHF 9/child aged 6-16, under 6 free with parent. 

See our full review of the Chez Camille Bloch  

Alprose is not as well known to consumers as other Swiss brands, but it’s quite delicious. They make one of my favorite dark chocolates, particularly for baking. We like this company because their chocolate is produced CO 2 -neutrally and they use sustainable packaging materials.  In addition to general chocolate history, the Alprose chocolate museum focuses on the story of the Alprose brand.

This museum is not quite as fancy as other chocolate factories, but they have one of the best live factory floor experiences, with many chocolate machines in view (running only on weekdays). At the end of the tour, you can taste chocolate in their “Nostalgia” shop. 

Website: www.alprose.ch Address: Via Rompada 36, 6987 Caslano Open: Mon – Sat 9:00 – 17:00 Cost 2023: CHF 5/adults, CHF 2/children aged 6-15, free under 6 yrs old

This chocolate tour is an optional paid attraction at the Swiss Museum of Transport (aka Luzern Verkehrhaus), not included with your museum entrance fee. On the “Swiss Chocolate Adventure”, you ride through 10 rooms on an automated traveling cart, learning about the history of chocolate, the ins and outs of chocolate production and the Swiss chocolate industry.

Our friend Hana reported on this for us and thought it was a little expensive for what you get compared to other chocolate factories in Switzerland. For example, instead of “all you can eat” chocolate tastings, you only get two Lindt chocolate balls during the tour.

The website says that visitors of the Swiss Chocolate Adventure may participate in the chocolate tastings at the Lindt gift shop there, including a chocolate fountain, implying this is included with your ticket. We’ll have to investigate this next time we go.

See full review on Our Swiss Experience

Website: www.verkehrshaus.ch Address: Lidostrasse 5, 6006 Luzern Open: Tours start at 13:00 on weekdays and 11:00 on weekends.  Cost 2023: CHF 18/adults, CHF 14/students (17-26), CHF 8/children under age 16

Chocolate Tastings

These Swiss companies offer chocolate tastings for small groups. 

For a couple weeks at the end of October and beginning of November, the Honold Confiserie hosts a chocolate tram, where you ride around the city for about 20 mins while you drink hot chocolate, eat cake and taste a variety of chocolate pralines. There are limited spots, which book out quickly. So put this on your calendar and start checking the website in late September. 

Location: Zürich Bellevue tram stop Cost: CHF 20/adult, CHF 10/child under 16 Duration: 30 minutes Booking: www.honold.ch

See our full review of the Honold Schoggi-Tram

Garcoa is a small batch “bean to bar” chocolate company, producing high quality chocolate bars in close cooperation with cocoa farmers. Their chocolate bars are carried in many specialty shops throughout Switzerland.

They offer a fantastic “Schoggi Safari” tour, where you learn about their chocolate production process in their small facility and taste all their chocolate bars. The safari is only available a few times a year. 

Location: Butzenstasse 60, 8038 Zurich Duration: 60-90 mins Cost: CHF 20/person Booking: www.garcoa.ch/schoggisafari

La Flor is a gourmet small batch chocolate produced in Zürich and sold at fine resellers around the city. On two afternoons a week, you can visit the La Flor production facilities in Zürich for free and sample their chocolates.

Location: Uetlibergstrasse 65, 8045 Zürich When: Thurs & Fridays 15:00 – 18:00 Cost: free More info: laflor.ch

Chocolate Workshops

These locations offer chocolate making workshops, but do not have a factory floor or chocolate museum. We haven’t tried any of them. I just leave them here as reference.

If you are traveling to the Jungfrau Region, the closest chocolate experience is at the Funky Chocolate Club in Interlaken. They offer chocolate workshops, where you learn about the origins of chocolate then learn how to create a chocolate bar from tempering the chocolate to pouring and filling techniques. You also get to eat as much chocolate as you like during the workshop. Workshops are held in English and last 75 minutes. Must book in advance.

Address: Postgasse 10, 3800 Interlaken, Switzerland Open: generally workshops Wed – Sun at 11:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00  Cost: Chocolate workshop CHF 69/adults, CHF 59/children aged 4-14 Booking: funkychocolateclub.com

Choco Emotions offers a variety of workshops, which can be booked for a group (usually a minimum of 8-12 participants). The owner wanted to keep alive the chocolate tradition of Suchard, which used to have its factories in the Neuchâtel. The website is only in French, so I assume the workshops are also held in French. We haven’t tried Choco Emotions workshops ourselves, so we can’t vouch personally for the experience. 

Address: Rue des Amandiers 2, 2000 Neuchâtel Open: private groups on demand  Cost: Workshop prices range from CHF 25 – CHF 95 Booking: www.choco-emotions.ch

Chocolate Tours

Visit the 10 best chocolate shops in Zürich while seeing some of the best parts of city on this self-guided walking tour. It’s free to use. You’re only cost is any chocolate you want to buy along the way. See map and details for Self-guided Chocolate Tour of Zürich

Cost: free tour, suggested budget of CHF 20/person for chocolate tastings along the way Duration: about 90 mins (3.3 km)

This private tour visits a variety of confectionaries, artisan chocolatiers and other chocolate sites as you walk around Zürich. Along the way, you learn about Swiss chocolate history and taste a variety of sweets. At the end of the tour, you learn how to taste and pair chocolate with a connoisseur. 

Dates: available for booking on weekdays Cost 2023: 1-3 people CHF 320, cost varies for larger groups Duration: 2.5 hrs Booking: www.zuerich.com

On this three hour walking tour of Geneva, you’ll visit 5 chocolate factories and patisseries and taste several chocolate confections along the way.

Dates: English tours on Mon – Sat 10:00 and 14:30 Cost 2023: CHF 99/adult, CHF 69/child Duration: 3 hours Booking: www.geneve.com

Note: Frey used to have a great chocolate visitor center but it sadly closed permanently during the pandemic. We have not included Läderach because, like SWISS air and others, we do not agree with their leadership’s outspoken views against the LBGTQ+ community and women’s rights.

• TAGS: Chocolate , Factory Tour , Popular

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Geneva Watch Tour

The Geneva Watch Tour through the Old Town offers an entertaining journey through the realm of watchmaking.

This is just a short walk, but it takes you to the heart of the wonderful world of luxury watches. Along the way, it leads past 100-odd specialist shops as well as a dozen historic monuments, providing a fascinating insight into this traditional local industry. Highlights include the Patek Philippe Museum in the Plainpalais district, home to a priceless collection of antique watches from the 16th to 19th centuries as well as timepieces created by Patek Philippe since its foundation in 1839. The museum also houses a library dedicated to horology. www.genevawatchtour.com

General information

Group & pricing information, discover the surroundings, advertisement, travel information: geneva, destination.

Geneva Tourism Quai du Mont-Blanc 2 1201  Genève +41 (0)22 909 70 00 +41 (0)22 909 70 11 [email protected] Website

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Patek Philippe Museum

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Online ticketing

Access to our museum more quickly by booking your tickets directly online

Opening hours

Exceptionally, on Saturday May 4 the Museum will open its doors at 13h00.

A new experience for the visitor

Under the leadership of Philippe Stern and Peter Friess, director and curator of the museum since 2014, new acquisitions have continued to enrich the collections. The layouts of the two main collections have been reorganized, each now comprising twenty themed areas reflecting particular aspects of the watch’s history or the world of Patek Philippe.

A visit in brief

The Patek Philippe Museum suggests a tour on four levels, according to an itinerary that begins on the ground floor and continues on the third, second and first floors.

• Ground floor : the collection of workbenches and antique tools, and the restoration workshop
• Third floor : Patek Philippe’s historical archives, together with the library and the collection of portraits and snuffboxes in miniature painting on enamel
• Second floor : the antique collection, from the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century
• First floor : the Patek Philippe collection, from 1839 to 2000

Audio guide

The audio guide currently offers some twenty hours of accompaniment in English, French or German. Users may compose their own itinerary or choose a pre-set route, such as the one suggested by Philippe Stern himself. About 10,000 photographs complete this application, enabling the user to zoom in on details or examine features that may not be visible in the display cases.

Guided tours

The Patek Philippe Museum organizes playful and educational tours which enable adults and/or children to discover ancestral expertise of watchmaking through the collections of the Museum.

Public guided tours

Every Saturday at 2pm (in French) and 2.30pm (in English) Limited places, registration recommended on site from 1pm

A Legacy of Genius - 2h Discover Patek Philippe Museum's collections from the 16th to the 21st century with a professional guide.

Private guided tours (by appointment only)

Tours are available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Russian.

Educational guided tours (by appointment only)

Enamel or the arts of fire Discover enamel painting, a major art form significantly linked to the adornment of the watch, from its origins around 1630 to the creations of the 21st century.

The world of Automatas “Thematic” tour through the collections of automata and musical objects of the museum.

Revolution in time “Discovery” visit for children (8-16) about horology, from its origins to nowadays through the collections of the museum.

Admission fees

Adults : CHF 10.- AVS / AI / unemployed / Students  (aged 18-25): CHF 7.- Groups (as of 10 people): CHF 5.- / person Children  (under 18): free

Directions (via GoogleMap)

Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 14h00 - 18h00 Saturday 10h00 - 18h00

Closed on following bank holidays:

Friday 29th March 29 to Monday 1st April, Thursday 9th May, Monday 20th May, Thursday 1st August, Thursday 5th September, Wednesday 25th December.

Facility access for disabled persons

Access Bus: 1 - stop: École-de-Médecine Trams : 12 & 15 - stop : Plainpalais Parking: Plainpalais, Exit: Avenue du Mail

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Patek Philippe Museum

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Patek Philippe Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Planet Omega

OUR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Ground-breaking innovations, space travel, precision records, deep-sea adventures, Olympic Games timekeeping, James Bond – OMEGA’s legacy is truly extraordinary and the brand’s beautifully modern Museum in Switzerland is a fitting place to tell such an extraordinary story.

HOURS & ADMISSION

Please find our opening hours and admission details on the Cite Du Temps website.

Nicolas G. Hayek Strasse 2 2502 Biel/Bienne

Tel. +41 32 343 89 00 [email protected]

“Visitors can unleash their inner Olympian on a 9m running track and even record their time with OMEGA’s Official Timekeeper technology”

HOW TO GET THERE

Various bus connections are available from Biel/Bienne train station. From there you can reach us by taking the bus services 2, 4, 7, or 72 and stop at the bus station OMEGA. There are limited blue zone parking spaces available around the museum, requiring a parking disc with a maximum stay of 1.5 hours. Further parking spaces (paid) are also available close to the museum in Gurzelen paid parking on Falkenstrasse.

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“OMEGA’s long and distinguished history unfolds in the most appropriate way - through a 50m steel watch bracelet, with 64 treasury windows”

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Visitors to the OMEGA Museum are invited to use our audio guides, which are available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese.

CITE DU TEMPS

Discover a truly unique place dedicated to time. Situated in Biel, the curved construction by architect Shigeru Ban invites visitors inside the luxurious OMEGA Museum and the playful Planet Swatch.

Inside Tudor Watches: behind the scenes at the home of the accessible luxury watch

Luxury and accessibility don’t normally go hand in hand, but through a combination of efficiency and experience, tudor has managed to seamlessly merge the two.  ben winstanley enjoys a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the brand’s geneva hq, by ben winstanley.

Photo by Fred Merz

Published: Tuesday 24th March 2020

The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, otherwise known as the ‘Watch Oscars’, is every bit as important to the world of horology as the Academy Awards are to the film industry. They’re not as fun or as Britain-focused as the  Square Mile Watch Awards (we’d consider ourselves the BAFTAs of the circuit, naturally), but the GPHGs offer watchmakers all-important bragging rights in a sector where prestige means everything.

Winning one of these bad boys isn’t necessarily conducive to a best-selling timepiece, in the same way that plenty of Oscar winners have bombed at the box office, but swaying an international panel of 30 watch experts is no mean feat.

One brand that has made a particularly strong impression on the jury over the last decade is Tudor Watches . When CEO Éric Pirson stepped on stage in 2019 to collect the GPHG’s Challenge Prize (awarded to the best watch under 4,000 CHF, on this occasion going to the Black Bay P01), it was the fifth time in seven years that his brand had taken home a gong. Not bad going for a watchmaker that has for too long lived in the shadow of its ‘big brother’ Rolex.

Sibling Rivalry

When Hans Wilsdorf created the Montres Tudor SA Company in 1946, 38 years after founding his first Swiss watch giant, he did so in a concerted effort to offer timepieces with the quality and dependability of Rolex at a more accessible price point.

It was a simple but effective premise that relied on appealing to the working man as opposed to the elite: ‘Shock treatment at the coal face’, ‘3 months’ hammering!’, ‘Punished without mercy!’ read the early newspaper advertisements – each displaying the Tudor Oyster Prince as a watch ready to tackle the rigours of daily life alongside their blue collar owners; Rolex may have stylised the tool watch, but Tudor distributed it to the masses.

Photo courtesy of Tudor's archives

Like every second child, however, Tudor’s journey to wrench the spotlight off its successful sibling has not been a straightforward one. After all, it’s never easy to make yourself heard when big brother is responsible for cornerstones of watch design like the Explorer, Daytona, and GMT-Master.

For Tudor, much of its early identity revolved around being the more accessible add-on to its affiliate company. On occasion, it even aped its kin in an effort to bring these icons to a wider audience – the Submariner, for example, was first showcased by Rolex in 1953 before Tudor debuted its own version a year later, keeping the Submariner moniker but replacing the Rolex calibre for an outsourced movement to keep costs down. Both designs are now recognised as classics of their time, with lofty auction prices to match, but it is the Rolex for whom the Sub will forever be immortalised.

Tudor has always made great value watches, but today they have widespread appeal too

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In recent times, the sibling dynamic has shifted somewhat as Tudor has asserted itself as an influential presence in the watch world in its own right, thanks in part to two significant developments: first, the release of the Black Bay collection in 2012 – which, it would be fair to say, has already reached icon status – and the production of its first ever in-house movements from 2015.

 The brand’s exciting output of timepieces since then, including the Black Bay Bronze (one of the first pieces to adopt the bronze metal trend), the Black Bay Chrono (a superbly designed chronograph), and 2019 GPHG winner the Black Bay P01 (a wholly unique dive watch) showcase Tudor as one of the most potent creative forces in the modern industry. In the hands of lead designer Ander Ugarte, it shows no sign of tempering the enthusiasm of journalists and watch collectors alike.

Tudor may have always been one of the leaders at the accessible luxury portion of the market, but today its appeal is more widespread. You need only look at the brand’s ambassadors – David Beckham, Lady Gaga, the New Zealand rugby team , and more – to see how times have changed. It’s a far cry from the blue collar workers pictured in the brand’s formative advertising. Buying a Tudor is no longer a financial compromise, but comes down to whether you associate with the brand and its ‘ Born To Dare ’ lifestyle: it’s bolder and a little more roguish than the distinctive luxury of Rolex, and for many that’ll do nicely.

Kid brother is all grown up.

The Making of Tudor

There are some things that don’t change. Tudor may have risen up the horological hierarchy in recent years, but it still shares its Geneva headquarters with Rolex; all the family under one roof.

Located a short way from the Rhône river and the city centre beyond, the glimmering glass complex takes up a full block – encompassing corporate offices, separate design, research and development departments for each brand as well as vast production units (some of which stretch into the basement levels below). Hell, there are also five restaurants to choose from, including a fine-dining offering, for the building’s 2,000 employees.

Such is the size and scale of this watchmaking behemoth that the Rolex company is the single largest private employer in Geneva. If you’re from this town, you either have a friend or family member who works here, or you do.

The mind boggles at the speed with which these watchmakers work to meet demand

Armed with this knowledge, you may be surprised to learn that Tudor’s footprint within the Rolex building is incredibly small for a brand that has a sizeable output of watches a year. Every Tudor watch that comes to market is assembled in a single workshop where just 80 people take a timepiece from a smattering of individual components to the final product.

There are various facilities dotted around Switzerland where components are manufactured and assembled, but the final movement assembly, the casing, dial- and hand-fitting, and rigorous quality control checks are conducted in a room no larger than a football pitch. The mind boggles at the speed and diligence with which these skillful watchmakers must work in order to fulfil growing consumer demand.

Highly advanced machines designed specifically for Tudor expedite particularly time-consuming tasks like the hands fitting

Tudor employs the Japanese work philosophy kaizen  – incrementally improving each stage of the watchmaking process. For example, using custom-designed work benches.

Nothing is left to chance: Tudor employs the Japanese work philosophy kaizen in order to incrementally improve each stage of the assembly process for maximum efficiency. Customised work benches, complete with specific drawers and compartments for individual tools, allow workers to reach for the required instrument without a moment’s hesitation; highly advanced machines designed specifically for Tudor expedite particularly time-consuming tasks like the hands fitting; while the fight against dust (the watchmaker’s mortal enemy) is managed by a sophisticated air flow system which includes employees walking through two airlocks to get into the workshop. Even the lab coats you have to wear in the room feature subtle magnetic black lines that attract dust. It’s an obsessive compulsive’s wet dream.

To give one example in a room of countless little victories in the quest for absolute efficiency: components are robotically transferred from the stock room (known as ‘the church’ among employees, owing to its dizzyingly high ceiling) to the workshop.

Orders requested by the logistics team on the computer arrive in less than a minute, before being checked and distributed to the appropriate watchmaker. These orders are dictated by the digital catalogue of each specific component’s inventory number to ensure no worker finds themselves waiting for logistics to call up a given part. It might seem mundane, but it’s one small cog in an exceedingly well-oiled machine – without it, your shiny new Tudor would have a higher price tag due to a slower assembly process.

Diving Deeper

The  Black Bay collection is Tudor’s leading light and chief moneymaker. It carries in its DNA the brand’s historic association with dive watches (reaching back to the Submariner), as well as its reputation for high quality reliable timepieces. So to say that the workshop’s waterproofing station is a vital part of the assembly process would be something of an understatement.

Every watch is subjected to fastidious water tests: first being submerged in a pressurised tank to measure water-tightness (dive watches are subjected to three hours of pressure, in comparison to a measly 20 minutes for your standard dress watch), and secondly a thermal test whereby a single drop of cold water is applied to the sapphire crystal of a heated watch. Failures along the way may be particularly obvious or more difficult to spot with the naked eye. Even if the crystal doesn’t appear broken, if the glass steams up during the thermal shock test it isn’t waterproof, which means it’s time to start over. Pass the examination and the watch is fitted with its strap or bracelet and ready for its final once-over before being distributed to retailers.

Put it to the test

Everything from the resilience of the NATO straps to the ageing of the manufacture calibre is strictly monitored in Tudor's advanced R&D facility.

The 2015 launch of Tudor’s first in-house calibre brought with it a need for further movement testing in its R&D lab. The team here is part engineer and part watchmaker in their forensic approach to preparing a watch design for production.

Newly launched movement designs go through several stages before they can be scaled up. The first step is simulating the mechanical function of the movement on digital software to illustrate proof of concept. Next is the prototyping phase where between 50 and 200 movements will be tested to ensure they can withstand the rigours of even the most reckless owner – these destructive trials include using lasers to test the wear and tear of each movement component, salt-water resistance, extremes of temperature, bracelet resistance, clasp resistance, shock resistance, and testing a movement for three, five and ten years of accelerated ageing. By the time the watch reaches the production stage, any fundamental issues have been ironed out.

Building Something New

“The Black Bay was special because before drawing it, I went to the archives and looked at all our old diving watch collections – and, as a result, it’s kind of a mix of all of them. It’s a process of trying to learn from all of them, all of the details they have inside, then trying to forget all about it and build something new.” Tudor’s lead designer, Ander Ugarte, is responsible for one of the most successful collections of the last decade, and at least partly to thank for the brand’s current standing in the watch world. As he explains his process from a kernel of an idea to a fully fledged design, it’s difficult to lose sight of the fact that this is a master at work.

The Spaniard studied design in Italy before doing an internship at Rolex in 1990: “I was only supposed to be here for 12 months, but 30 years later I still haven’t left!”

Entering Ugarte’s office is to step into the mind of the designer. His mood board is full of posters and photos of vintage bicycles and airplanes; there are blueprints of old Tudor designs; and even a 1980s Techni Ski (like a monoski skateboard) he picked up from the flea market next door. It screams creative.

So how do you design a new Tudor? Let’s take the award-winning P01 as an example: the starting point was the turning bezel mechanism of a scrapped prototype developed for the US Navy in the late 1960s. Ugarte hand-sketched his version of this mechanism before digitally creating it on a 2D illustrator. Here, he can create a layer for each design element (different options for the hands, different engravings, alternative graphic elements on the bezel), and take his idea to the management board for approval.

To maintain secrecy, each new model has a codename. The P01’s? Project Saturday

Next stage is 3D construction whereby each element of the watch – from the dial and bezel to the hands and end links – is digitally created before the whole piece created in resin using a 3D printer. This way, the team has a view of the proportions and can see if there are any elements that might not work.

Tudor’s modellist then works closely with Ugarte to build the first timepiece. Practical issues are sorted at this stage: for example the clasp of the leather didn’t quite work in the original format and was improved before the design was greenlit for production.

The whole process can take anything from months to years to realise an idea, which is why Tudor has an ever-evolving five-year roadmap for future releases. To maintain secrecy each model is given a codename. The P01’s? Project Saturday.

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Can you Visit the Rolex Factory in Switzerland?

Rolex is one of the most prestigious and well-known luxury watch brands in the world. But they are also one of the most secretive. Rolex does things differently from its competitors. Rolex calls it “the Rolex way”. This means satisfying with nothing but perfection and exceptional quality.

There is a lot of mystique that surrounds the Rolex brand. As Rolex is very secretive about its new models, what it thinks, what it plans to do, and how it does things, it’s also a very intriguing brand that a lot of people are curious about.

If you’re in Switzerland – or planning a visit there, you may therefore wonder if you can visit the Rolex factory in Switzerland. A factory tour is one of the best ways to get more insight into a company, its production process, and how it works to create such popular products. Many Swiss watch brands offer curious enthusiasts and customers factory tours. This includes brands such as Girard-Perregaux, Parmigiani, IWC, Zenith,  Frederique Constant, and many more. But the answer is that Rolex does not offer any factory tours to the public. 

Some of the Swiss watch brands that don’t offer factory tours have museums that you can visit to discover more about the brands. Whilst museums won’t show you the production and the work that goes into making their timepieces, they will give you an in-depth look at the brand. At the various museums in Switzerland, you’ll be able to discover lots of interesting timepieces and learn more about the history of the brand. Rolex does not have a public museum, either, as many other brands do. In 2019, OMEGA opened a brand new Museum at “La Cité du Temps” which is just spectacular. Patek Philippe also has a museum that is open to the public, and so do many other brands.

Can you visit the Rolex factory?

As 024 watch world stated:

“It’s a lot easier to obtain a visa for North Korea than to book a fully organized trip to the head office and production facilities of Rolex. Even more, you can’t actually organize this trip yourself; only when it pleases Rolex will the gates be opened and outsiders admitted.”

“ The big deal is that these are Rolex factories and that very few other colleagues have ever been admitted to the always tightly closed “Oyster”. In 2014 Rolex is starting to open up a little bit more and the Facebook page it recently started is proof of this, but physical visits remain an extremely rare and exclusive affair.”

Rolex does not only have 1 factory but rather four of them. Different parts of the production process take place in different factories. One factory is dedicated to dial-making, and Les Acacias is dedicated to developing, marketing, research, communications, and some production. In the Plan-Les-Ouates factory, we find the central laboratory, cases, bracelets, and gold foundry. In Bienne, Rolex manufactures the Rolex movements.

The four Rolex factories are:

• Les Acacias: situated across the Arve River from Geneva.
• Plan-Les-Ouates: The Central Laboratory, Case Making, A Gold Foundry
• Chêne-Bourg: located to the northeast of Plan-Les-Ouates  
• Bienne: Where Rolex Movements Are Made
• Rolex Les Acacias: the most iconic facility

The bottom line is that Rolex does not offer any factory tours for the public. And considering the fact that Rolex is very secretive, it doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. Rolex has a large collection of private watches, but they do not have a public museum, either. On some rare occasions, Rolex welcomes journalists for a tour of the factory, but these are few and far between. Not just any journalist can request a factory tour and be welcomed there.

2 thoughts on “ Can you Visit the Rolex Factory in Switzerland? ”

I have a Rolex watch but want to buy other one

Good luck with that. Rolex’s current marketing strategy will likely limit sales to only the super wealthy or influencers (with a million followers). I have three myself (Two-tone Yacht Master, SS GMT, and White Explorer II) and have been on a waiting list for 2 years for the Two-tone GMT. My local AD said that I just need to keep coming in and building my relationship (whitch I now understand to mean spend more money). I finally got tired of the wait and went to Vegas. The Rolex Boutique was a bit more honest with me. They flat out said that they only get a few of the TT GMTs a year, and only sell those to high rollers that buy multiple watches at a time, or have a collecation (and i cant make this up) “of more that 200 Rolexs” (this was the Rolex boutique in the Venetian). Second hand Rolis are off the charts now. I’m probably going to sell mine and go full on Breitling. May not have the recognition of Rolex, but 10 years from now any rolex you see on “rank and file” will be fake. In fact funny thing, the first Batman that i saw (years after it’s release) was at a resort on Roatan Island – I complemented the owner and he admitted it was fake.

My advice, if you want a Rolex at all, buy on the second hand market (with papers and an appraisal) then stick it in your safe. When Rolex goes out of business it will multiply in value.

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Customer Service We strive to offer you an amazing customer service to make your buyer experience as great as it can be. From your initial contact to after you have your new watch on the wrist. Our number one goal is to make you so satisfied with your purchase that we get the honour of helping you with your next watch purchase. We will guide you through your whole experience with us. Authenticity

Our goal is to make you feel safe throughout the purchase process. Therefore, we carefully check all our timepieces to ensure their authenticity and that everything is in its order. When buying a timepiece from us, you can be confident that it is authentic. We also value your privacy and safety, and this is why we take great measures to keep your information safe at all times.

Fair Prices

We strive to have fair prices on all our watches. We want you to feel confident in the thought that you always get great value for your money when buying from us. Through our contacts and network of sourcing luxury watches, we can provide some of the world’s best luxury timepieces at fair and competitive prices. From us, you can buy watches from the comfort of your own home.

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Follow the journey taken by every drop of evian ®

Discover the secrets of evian natural mineral water through a guided tour of 2 or 4 hours and learn all about its 100% natural origin, its history, its industrial site and its commitments to the planet.

Immersion in the heart of the evian site begins as soon as you arrive at the "visitors car park" where you are required to respect rules for your own safety and that of others. To ensure your safety, please do not cross nearby roads, picnic, or play in the car park and its surroundings.

We are delighted to announce the reopening of the evian experience guided tours in february 2022. Don't hesitate to book your visit now to discover evian with your family or with colleagues and friends.

In accordance with French government guidelines, access to the evian experience requires a sanitary pass for all persons aged 12 and over.

100% of our small formats in France are made from recycled bottles

The organiser reserves the right to cancel the tour 48 hours before the event if fewer than 5 people register. Tickets will be refunded in full.

Our industrial site may experience line stoppages beyond our control. We will do our best to restore production during your visit. No refund will be given in the event of a breakdown.

• The journey
• Testimonials
• Practical infos

Appointment

Join us at the bottling site and discover the journey taken by every drop of evian.

EVIAN BOTTLING SITE Outdoor parking, Rue des Vignes Rouges, 74500 Publier, France

• Booking 48 hours before min.
• Identity card mandatory
• Arrive 15 min early

The impluvium

On the Gavot Plateau, discover the catchment area of evian natural mineral water, the place where begins its more than 15-year journey through a unique geological filter, which was created beneath the glaciers that covered the region 50,000 years ago.

Gavot Plateau

• Unique journey More than 15 years of filtration
• Gavot Plateau impluvium area

The Cachat source

Follow the emergence of evian natural mineral water at the Cachat source, from the discovery of its benefits in 1789, to the thermal baths of the town that made it famous. A spring steeped in history!

Évian-les-Bains

• The thermal baths of the city of Evian
• Place to discover natural evian mineral water

The bottling site

Explore this certified carbon-neutral bottling plant, its sustainable initiatives and its production secrets. Discover how, at the bottling site, our men and women preserve every drop of water and build the brand's future.

Amphion-les-Bains

• Production secrets
• Bottling to shipping

The exhibition

Extend the evian experience in a fun and interactive gallery tour. By the end, you’ll know all there is to know about evian natural mineral water! This way, evian natural mineral water will no longer hold any secrets for you.

• Personalize your bottle
• Boutique collector items
• Iconic advertisements

* from 20 people

They liked the visit

Thank you for this interactive and very interesting tour, both in human and technical terms! We learned a lot, it's enthralling!

Very nice visit, and to think I've been drinking 15-year old water without knowing it!!!

I am pleasantly surprised by this visit: the scale, the ecological involvement... ! Many thanks to our funny and interactive guide!!!

Very nice and surprising visit, Thonon residents, it was an unexpected and very interesting discovery. Thanks to our guide: exceptional, friendly and very professional, without which this visit wouldn't have been so instructive.

Great! The tour was terrific and the guide was really nice! I recommend it and put all my bottles in the right bins!

I won't see Evian water in the same way again. Great.

Extraordinary work by robots and the engineers who built this modern factory. Thank you.

Protecting water resources

We owe everything to nature It is our daily responsibility to preserve this pure and natural mineral water and its

Bottles made from recycled bottles

All our small bottles in France (33cl, 40cl, 50cl and 75cl) are now manufactured from old bottles, sorted and recycled.

Reduced climate impact

Achieving carbon neutrality,our daily work for over 10 years. We are committed to having the least possible environmental impact. We

A brand committed to healthy hydration

Water is essential to life. It is the healthiest drink to hydrate yourself. As adults, our bodies are about 60%

APIEME, A TERRITORY AND WATER RESOURCES COLLECTIVELY PRESERVED

Together with local stakeholders, evian has been helping to preserve the territory and its biodiversity for nearly 30 years, in order to reconcile economic development with the preservation of water resources through the APIEME (Association for the Protection of the Evian Mineral Water Impluvium)

Our partners

Evian Resort

Located in the heart of the Evian Resort, the Royal Palace Hotel and the Hermitage Hotel offer a panoramic view of the lake and mountains.

Le Pré Curieux

These gardens are a unique place to discover the wetlands, home to a unique and varied flora and fauna.

Le Palais Lumière

Formally a thermal spa, this jewel of the Evian heritage houses an exhibition space and a world-renowned congress centre.

Evian-les-Bains

Located between lake and mountains, Evian, a water town steeped in history, is renowned for its thermal infrastructures and benefits from an exceptional natural environment.

Evian Resort Golf Club

Golf as you like and according to your availability on our 2 exceptional courses and let yourself be seduced by this incredible setting, at the foot of the Alps with a breathtaking view of Lake Geneva.

Swiss Watch Factory Tours

• Two Day Watch Tour
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SWISS * WATCH * TOURS

Where watch lovers can experience the home of swiss watch making .

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Re: corona virus , swiss factory day tours, from 299 swiss francs* per person *all inclusive, ask for an itinerary starting from biel/bienne,geneva,lausanne, neuchatel,or zurich, exclusive access, gift certificate, ideal for celebrations, luxurious magazine, luxurylifestylemag.

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A Critical Eye

Watch Fair’s Welcome Grows Even Bigger

This year Watches and Wonders Geneva added a third public day — and here are some of the new timepieces visitors have been seeing.

By Robin Swithinbank

Until last year, the Watches and Wonders Geneva watch fair was closed to the public.

Brands, retailers, media and some V.V.I.P. s were granted entry, but regular watch buyers? Would-be watch enthusiasts? It seemed like Switzerland’s reputation for behind-closed-doors dealings was dictating watch show policy, too.

But that all changed last year when a new organizing committee decided to sell tickets to the public for the event’s weekend days, an arrangement that was extended to three days this year.

Today is the last of those — and the show’s final day — but it may not be the quietest. Even at 70 Swiss francs ($77) for the most expensive adult day pass, organizers had been expecting to sell out, and there was talk of welcoming local school groups.

Here is what some of the 54 exhibiting brands have been showing.

At its heart, Watches and Wonders Geneva is devoted to high-end watchmaking, which typically means high-end prices, too. But as exhibitor numbers have climbed, the price spectrum has widened, even when brands have been tackling some of watchmaking’s most niche complications. The mechanical half-dozen below all feature moon phases, a display showing the waxing and waning of the moon, which arguably is the most poetic (read: unnecessary) of watchmaking functions. Yet the prices aren’t all sky-high.

Patek Philippe 5236P-010 In-Line Perpetual Calendar

Collectors of Patek Philippe reference numbers will recognize that 5236P is not new to the family-owned company’s lexicon. In fact, it was introduced three years ago, when Patek first exhibited what it calls its In-Line Perpetual Calendar. Then, as now, the watch showed the day, date and month on one line, seen through a single dial aperture. That sounds straightforward enough, but Patek had never done that before and, the brand said, it required an additional 118 components. The new model being a perpetual calendar, it will track the date and phases of the moon through leap years without the need for fiddly adjustments (assuming the timepiece is kept wound). Novel this year is the material mix: the 5236P’s platinum case is now joined by an opaline rose-gilt dial with charcoal gray white gold hands and hour markers.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Heliotourbillon Perpetual

How many axes does a tourbillon need? Among those asking the question — and there won’t be many — is Jaeger-LeCoultre, whose dizzying newcomer features a tourbillon with three axes. It’s named this Heliotourbillon, a figurative reference to the parallel roles played by the sun and a watch’s regulating organ in controlling the systems that depend on them. The brand said that pairing this feature with the brand’s Duomètre technology, which powers time keeping and additional functions separately, makes the new watch more accurate. That may be true, although most prospective buyers first will be drawn to the Heliotourbillon, visible at 9 o’clock: a whirling conglomeration of tiny components that indicates the passing seconds with three red triangles on the third cage pointing to a 20-second scale hovering over a blue-lacquer starry-sky background. The watch is also a perpetual calendar with a moon phase and a grande date, a large-scale display using two disks. Its full-year indication has a patented display that shows the last digit of a leap year in red. A technical tour de force.

Price on application

Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon

Laurent Ferrier’s sober designs are often overshadowed by the esoteric creations of its fellow Swiss independents (MB&F, Urwerk and others), but it leaped into the limelight when its Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit took the tourbillon prize at the 2023 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Gèneve (G.P.H.G.), an annual industry awards event. Purists’ purring over that model could be heard well beyond the Alps, and the same will be true of the new Classic Moon, the company’s first moon phase. Its soft, pebble-edge form will be familiar to the brand’s acolytes, so attention must fall on the twin moon phase indication at 6 o’clock. It shows the moon’s 29.5-day cycle in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres via a hand-engraved aventurine disk coated in luminescent material and then engraved by hand again so the craters glow in the dark.

Baume et Mercier Riviera Calendrier Perpétuel

Baume et Mercier’s Riviera is rarely mentioned in conversations about 1970s luxury sports watches, and yet the watch with the dodecahedral bezel named for the French Riviera predates more celebrated designs such as Nautilus, Ingenieur, Laureato and Polo. Last year, Baume et Mercer marked the half-century of its watch with a 50-piece limited-edition perpetual calendar model. This appears to have generated significant interest, because the design joins the core collection this year, now with a slate gray dial and golden detailing. Inside it continues to have a version of the parent-company Richemont’s five-day, antimagnetic automatic movement, which Baume et Mercier calls Baumatic. Here, it has been upgraded to offer a perpetual calendar complication, complete with a moon phase at 6 o’clock. Despite appearances, it is a perfectly reasonable 40 millimeters across and 11.8 millimeters deep, perhaps made to look bigger by those 12 flanks.

Frederique Constant Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture

Is this the second coming of Frederique Constant? The Geneva company was founded in 1988 as mechanical watchmaking began its post-quartz revival, and by the 2000s had become part of a zeitgeist-y new generation of so-called “affordable luxury” mechanical watch brands. That story went stale eventually — in part, as the company labored to promote hybrid watches that married mechanical and smart tech — and a tired Frederique Constant was sold to the Japanese watch giant Citizen. Now there’s fresh energy in the brand, which continues to focus efforts around its core Classic line and the in-house movements it offers. This moon phase model isn’t new, but with upgrades to its dial finish, a 72-hour power reserve and five-year warranty, it reminds longtime industry observers what was so good about Frederique Constant in the first place.

Raymond Weil Millesime Automatic Moon Phase Midnight Blue

The fact that Raymond Weil is debuting among the exhibitors at Switzerland’s premier watch fair has to be judged as a smart play by the family-owned company. It follows a win at the 2023 G.P.H.G. awards for the brand has called its “neo-vintage” Millesime, a design that not surprisingly became the impetus for its new collection. There are 12 new references, all priced at less than $4,000, including this 39.5-millimeter moon-phase edition with a rose-gold stainless steel case with P.V.D. (physical vapor deposition) coating. And there will be a smaller 35-millimeter version with lab-grown diamonds set into the lugs. Using the Millesime as a platform for growth seems sensible, but some will wonder why the watch comes with a power reserve of only 38 hours, even if it does keep costs down.

The Usual Suspects

There are countless factors behind the fervor for luxury mechanical watches over the past decade or two, but two of the most significant are the consistent reinvention of many of the watch industry’s historic dial names and the continued investment by brands whose reputation for luxury expands well beyond watchmaking’s walls. Together, they have made watchmaking bankable.

Cartier Santos de Cartier GMT

The squarish design of Cartier’s Santos may have been around for more than a century, but the Paris house insists this is the first time it has paired the celebrated design with a GMT function, or second time zone display, considered by few to be watchmaking rocket science. It features in a stainless steel model in shades of gray that also includes a day/night indicator that’s governed by the second time zone.

Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph

Every now and again Vacheron Constantin upscales one of its models to Excellence Platine status for the benefit of its army of collectors. The formula: add platinum to the case, crown, dial and even the strap stitching, and reduce production volumes. The Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph is the latest to go under the platinum scalpel, and is limited to 50 pieces.

Chanel Monsieur de Chanel Superleggera Edition Intense Black

One wonders just how lauded Chanel’s men’s watch would be if it wasn’t so overshadowed by the J12. But now, some light for the Monsieur, which this year has been given the Superleggera, or lightweight, treatment, first added to the J12 in 2005. In black ceramic and steel, this new model weighs a modest 82 grams (2.9 ounces). Only 100 will be made.

Zenith Defy Extreme Diver

Zenith’s sports watch design strategy has taken a deeper breath this year with the introduction of a 42.5-millimeter titanium version of its Defy that is water-resistant to 600 meters (and features a helium escape valve, useful only to saturation divers). Mathematical minds will have spotted that 600 meters is 1,969 feet, which the brand has said is no coincidence given that 1969 was the debut of Zenith’s El Primero high-frequency movement and its first Defy Diver.

Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810

Sticking with the theme of tying significant numbers to water resistance, enter Montblanc’s latest Swiss Made lung-buster, said to be good to 4,810 meters (15,780 feet) of underwater activity, a figure that just happens to mirror the height of the French mountain used to name the German company. The oxygen-free insides of the chunky titanium watch are said to prevent fogging and reduce wear.

Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa Ti-Ceramitech

Apparently it took seven years for Panerai’s Laboratorio di Idee to perfect the Electrolytic Plasma Oxidation titanium ceramization process that gives the company’s new Ti-Ceramitech material its bluish hue. The marine color goes well with Panerai’s sponsorship of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli America’s Cup team, while the material is said to be 44 percent lighter than steel and 10 times more fracture resistant than ceramic.

Roger Dubuis Orbis in Mechanica

Makers of so-called hyper horology owe a debt to Roger Dubuis, one of the earliest pioneers of experimental watch and movement design. The company’s latest hyperwatch pops a flying tourbillon into the middle of the picture, with seconds, minute and hour indications on scales that emanate from the center in concentric circles, all enclosed in a 45-millimeter by 14.4-millimeter hunk of pink gold.

H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton

The Streamliner, Moser’s critical and commercial hit, has become a totem for the independent watchmaker in double-quick time, thanks perhaps to its adherence to the company’s minimalist design approach. So it was a bold move to blend the fluid form of the Streamliner case with the filigreed eccentricity of a skeletonized tourbillon. But it works.

‘Dune’ and Dusted

If three’s a trend, what is four? In fact, the list of sand-color (beats beige) watches admitted to the watchmaking canon this spring extends well beyond this quartet: IWC’s Portugieser now includes a “Dune” series; while away from the fair, Audemars Piguet last month introduced Sand Gold. Nothing to do with the second iteration of a popular science-fiction movie franchise, I’m sure.

Ulysse Nardin Freak [S Nomad]

How to define a watch that is both an avant-garde expression of contemporary horology and a historically accurate representation of one of the oldest forms of decoration used in watchmaking? Behind its spaceshiplike mechanism, which doubles as the time display, the Freak [S Nomad] has a diamond guilloché backplate, which a craftsman turned on an 18th century rose engine in a nonstop, three-hour process.

Parmigiani Tonda PF Micro-Rotor

In the untroubled world of watch design appreciation, an interminable debate about whether a luxury watch should carry a date rages. A date window cut into a dial upsets the balance, purists say, and for what? A superfluous function? For them, Parmigiani stripped the date indication out of its Tonda sports watch, leaving the uninterrupted Grain d’Orge (barley grain) guilloché pattern in a sandy Golden Siena color for them to gorge on.

Arnold & Son Longitude

Is the Swiss watch company named for the 18th century English clockmaker John Arnold and known for its classical, often complicated wristwatches crossing over into the mainstream? It seems so. The name of this titanium sports watch refers to Arnold’s contribution toward solving the challenge of navigating by longitude. Its vertical satin-finish Kingsand dial is named for a beach in Arnold’s native Cornwall.

Angelus Instrument de Vitesse 60 Seconds Flat

Chronograph watches with three hands are a rare breed and usually indicate a stopwatch function that can capture only very short measures of time. True to form, Angelus’s unapologetically vintage three-hander is capable of timing events that last no more than 60 seconds. While the thickness of chronographs can become unwieldy, this watch slides in at less than 10 millimeters. Only 25 will be made, with ivory-white dials (that look rather sandy).