The place to Dangle Out within the Swiss Watch World

Lots of the world’s most creative, costly and best-known watches are made in factories in Switzerland, the place the view that watchmakers see once they increase their eyes from their workbenches is more likely to be cows grazing on the slopes of snow-capped mountains.

It’s the Vallée de Joux, dwelling to factories or places of work for Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Blancpain, Breguet, Patek Philippe and Bulgari’s watch division — in addition to the businesses that provide their elements, together with La Pierrette for rubies and CHH Microtechnique for all the things from screws to shock absorbers.

Some 7,000 folks work on watches right here, a lot of them in services alongside a roughly three-kilometer (1.9-mile) stretch between the cities of Le Brassus and Le Sentier.

So come the top of the workweek, the place do they go to only speak, or blow off steam?

At 11:45 a.m. on a latest Friday, Chez Lily in Le Brassus was bustling; by 12:30, its 12 wooden tables, every bearing a bit of anthurium in a pot, had been ringed by staff, most from Audemars Piguet, a brief stroll up the hill, and CHH Microtechnique, a brief stroll down.

Was it the every day particular (filets of perch in a citrus sauce, with fries; 19 Swiss francs, or $21) that drew them, or the sense of camaraderie? Folks entered the small cafe in a lot the identical method they might an organization canteen, nodding to at least one one other in recognition.

Co-workers sat collectively, speaking store. Or not. “For us it’s an opportunity to make amends for life,” mentioned Lenny Buret, who was with three colleagues from Audemars Piguet the place, he mentioned, “we assemble the elements in numerous watches.”

The lads come to Chez Lily each Friday for lunch. “It’s a practice,” Mr. Buret mentioned.

It’s a practice for others as effectively. Six staff from one CHH Microtechnique division, together with the boss, Vincent Palpawer, sat round a desk. “We don’t talk about the job, we discuss different issues,” he mentioned. They made an exception on this specific day, nonetheless, enumerating for a customer all the varied watch elements that they create.

Everybody at a neighboring desk of 4 had been from CHH Microtechnique, too. “We create all elements of a look ahead to the Swatch Group, for Breguet and Blancpain,” Anthony Guyard mentioned.

The group likes to come back to Chez Lily as a result of “Lily and her companion, the chef, are from Portugal, from Vila Verde in Braga, the place my spouse and I are from, too,” mentioned Cristiano Veloso, nodding at his spouse, Andreia Ramos, who sat throughout the desk.

It was beginning to really feel like a household meal, which appears to be as a lot part of the attraction as the meat tartare du chef (33 Swiss francs), one of the crucial standard dishes from the chef, Pedro Silva. The ambiance is heat and rustic — the bar is confronted with stone; the banquettes are purple leatherette; the place mats are paper and the meals is mounded excessive on plates delivered by the restaurant’s lone waitress, Géraldine Colineau, or by Lily herself, whose title truly is Liliane Jacinta Araújo Tejo.

Virtually throughout the road is the Hôtel de la Lande — and its restaurant was stuffed with watch staff, too. The menu has an Italian spin to it, with risottos and pastas, in addition to veal scaloppine (34 Swiss francs) and grilled sea bass (38 Swiss francs). Breton Nicolas, a CHH Microtechnique régleur, who adjusts hairsprings and does different tremendous tuning, mentioned he got here with a co-worker “to have a good time the top of the workweek.”

Sabrina Pourny and her three colleagues within the human assets division on the Swatch Group all come right here usually to speak about “work and watches. It’s household, we see dozens of household right here.”

By 2 p.m., each of the eating places had cleared out as the employees needed to get again to their jobs.

And once they end for the day, many head to the Notos Bar-Restaurant, a brief stroll from the practice station in Le Sentier.

Maison, a bar that was one thing of an area establishment, had been working within the location for years, however closed throughout the Covid lockdowns, maybe hastened by its popularity for rowdiness.

The spot reopened in 2021 as Notos, with the extra attraction of meals. Every day specials — comparable to pork cutlets or a pizza with creamed spinach, fior di latte mozzarella, Gorgonzola, pear and nuts — include a inexperienced salad (19 Swiss francs). There are two tables exterior within the entrance, and inside, a half-dozen blonde wooden tables for 4 and a communal desk for 10. The bar and pizza oven are within the again, in addition to one other eating room with 12 tables.

“Salvatore introduced Neapolitan pizza to the Vallée de Joux,” mentioned Philippos Gasparis, referring to Salvatore De Rosa, his enterprise companion. However then Mr. Gasparis additionally has made his personal contribution to the eatery’s menu: meze, an assortment of small dishes from his native Greece.

There’s a Notos cocktail with ardour fruit juice and rosé wine; a wine listing with Swiss Chasselas and Voila Assyrtiko from Crete; and beer on faucet, by far the most well-liked drink, from the native Dr. Gab’s to a German Dunkelweizen.

“It’s like an English pub,” mentioned Chris Pointaire, who by day works as a crew chief for guillochage, or engraving, at Audemars Piguet and by night time as a D.J. at particular occasions.

“It’s obtained good pizza,” mentioned Pascal Schlunegger, Mr. Pointaire’s colleague at each Audemars Piguet, the place he’s a workshop chief, and on D.J. gigs.

“And a chill ambiance,” Mr. Pointaire continued.

“And it’s central,” Mr. Schlunegger concluded.

When requested if they arrive right here usually, Laura Poete, who works on dials at Audemars Piguet, and her 4 co-workers all laughed.

“Sure, we come right here usually,” she mentioned. “The atmosphere is nice and the beer is nice. We would discuss work, however after two beers we discuss one thing else.” Life, love, household.

Sandra Perrot, who polishes actions at Breguet, was at Notos with some co-workers. She mentioned she comes as a result of she likes the ambiance, it’s convivial. And to indicate a customer simply how pleasant it may be, she pulled out her cellphone to show a photograph of a squelette (in English, skeleton watch), with its expertly polished motion seen inside, ticking away.

After which there’s Nautilus, the nightclub throughout from Jaeger-LeCoultre. The membership is briefly closed, however when it reopens habitués of Notos most likely will as soon as once more make the quick trek over to its unmarked door to proceed consuming and hanging out, whatever the time.