The Story of the Swiss Watch

by Li Dongzheng
(Chofu, Japan)

Switzerland is famous for its watches. However, this country didn't invent the watch. It was the British who did it. Here is a story of how the watch was brought to Switzerland.

Many years ago, an Englishman was travelling to Italy. On his way, he stopped in a small town in South Switzerland. This Englishman traveled in a carriage inside which there was a carriage watch. This was the earliest kind of watch. A native shop assistant happened to see the watch. He wondered what it was and asked the Englishman about it. "It is a carriage watch," said the man. This machine tells the time, but now it isn't working.

At once the shop assistant offered to try to repair it. So the traveler handed him the watch. The assistant was a very wise man. So it was not surprising that he managed to repair it. He even remembered how it was made. As soon as the traveler had gone on his way, he made a watch exactly of the same type.

Thus, watch-making was started in Switzerland. Today Swiss watches are sold in stores all over the world.