Inside Tudor’s Swiss Time Machine
At the Tudor Manufacture, robots, automated vaults, and master watchmakers work in tandem—proving that the future of watchmaking is both high-tech and deeply human.
Step inside Tudor’s manufacture in Le Locle, Switzerland, and you quickly realize this is not your grandfather’s watch workshop. Instantly recognizable for its bold red façade, it opened in 2023 as Tudor’s new home beyond Geneva, blending the rigour of a precision laboratory with the innovation of a futuristic logistics hub and the meticulous craftsmanship of an artisan workshop. This is a place where robots and watchmakers share the same mission: to assemble exceptional timepieces.
The building offers nearly 60,000 square feet of workspace conducted in a controlled-air environment to avoid dust particles—a watchmaker’s worst enemy. Production is managed with a no-stock approach in which watches are produced only when needed rather than being stored as inventory. Throughout the facility, automated systems quietly orchestrate the movement of thousands of components. Robotic cars deliver parts, while the vault, tucked away behind layers of security, houses countless components and movements where robotic arms retrieve trays of parts in seconds, locating exactly what is needed from what seems like an endless inventory.
And yet, for all the impressive automation, the most fascinating moments happen at the workbenches. Here, watchmakers deftly guide the watch hands into place, inspect finishes, regulate movements, and perform quality checks that demand not only skill but also judgement. A robot can repeat a task flawlessly thousands of times; a watchmaker can spot the tiniest imperfection in an instant.
This balance is what makes a visit to the Tudor Manufacture so captivating. The robots handle the heavy lifting of precision, logistics, and consistency. The people provide expertise, experience, and an almost artistic sensitivity to detail. Neither replaces the other. Instead, they work together. In an age often framed as a battle between humans and machines, Tudor offers a different vision. Here in Le Locle, technology does not overshadow craftsmanship—it amplifies it. The result is a manufacture that feels both futuristic and timeless, where silicon and steel meet patience and skill, and where every watch emerges from a partnership between automation and the irreplaceable precision of the human hand.
