n January 12, 1979, the Swiss watch industry announced the thinnest watch ever made: The Delirium, developed and produced by Ebauches SA for Concord, Eterna, and Longines. It was just 1.98 mm thick and wasn’t a big seller, but it accomplished something more important: The Delirium proved that the Swiss were innovating like the Japanese and would stand their ground in the quartz market. And the novel design of the Delirium, which embedded the movement into the case back, laid the foundation for another critical announcement four years later, the Swatch.

#2 The Thin Watch War: Delirium and the Swatch. Listen now: