Don’t leave Switzerland without a fine watch — it’s a souvenir you’ll regret not bringing home. Jacques Gevril was the first Swiss watchmaker to export a timepiece, answering a request from Spain’s King Ferdinand VI in 1758. A 1781 Gevril pocket watch on display at the Museum Genève shows the distinctive textured dials produced by the guilloché technique. That same fine craftsmanship is echoed today in the limited-edition Avenue of Americas collection, which features raised numerals, white mother-of-pearl dials, sapphire crystal and Louisiana crocodile leather straps. Prices in the collection range from $2,195 to $8,995 for a fully diamond-set case.
After a day in the Alps, warm up with tea from a Terra Keramik ceramic teapot. Based in Winterthur, Terra Keramik embraces Swiss design principles of clean lines and simplicity. Their teapots are available in eight colors and are produced with environmentally conscious methods — lead-free glazes, clay that fires at lower energy and recyclable packaging. Each teapot holds about eight cups and is priced around $112.
Visit the Glasi Hergiswil factory on the shores of Lake Lucerne to see craftsmen blow glass into delicate dinnerware, candlesticks and other pieces. The site also includes the Museum of Glass, which traces the factory’s history back to 1817. Among the handcrafted items you’ll find is a Glasi Hergiswil birdfeeder, priced at roughly $43.
Swiss precision and craftsmanship extend beyond watches and ceramics to toys. Naef wooden toys are handmade in Switzerland with close attention to safety, detail and imaginative play. The colorful Cella set invites children to build designs using nine half-cube shells, encouraging creativity and spatial thinking. Expect to pay about $150–$180 for this handcrafted toy.