Swiss Watching by Diccon Bewes

Author:Diccon Bewes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2010-02-24T16:00:00+00:00

SEVEN

MADE IN SWITZERLAND

Resourcefulness is, ironically, exactly what is needed by a country that has few natural resources of its own. With no coal or iron, not enough arable land to feed itself, and no colonies to provide endless raw materials, Switzerland has always been reliant on trading with its neighbours to survive. It helped that the Swiss had a trump card: control of the mountain passes everyone else wanted to use. And they have proved very adept at making the most of what they have, and filling the gaps by being the ultimate import–exporters: they import what they need, create something out it, then export it for profit, helping to make the Swiss economy one of the most successful in the world.

Part of that success has been a knack for innovation. Penknives and watches may be what the Swiss are most famous for but, as we’ll see in this chapter, everyday things such as toilet ducks and cellophane were invented in Switzerland. It’s typically Swiss to create a world-beating product then not shout about it; modesty in all things. The irony is that this is essentially a conservative country where change is often viewed with suspicion. ‘Stick with what you know best’ could be a life motto for most of its people; luckily for chefs and cleaners everywhere, the Swiss talent for invention can be stronger than their desire to retain the status quo. In social terms progress may be glacial at times, but technologically speaking it can be remarkably speedy. There’s no greater impetus than material gain.

This sense of inventiveness, combined with the Swiss reputation for quality, has produced more than one world-famous product. Perhaps the most ubiquitous, and most copied, is the humble penknife, Made in Switzerland’s best ambassador.

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