n the occasion of World Watch Day, the Mec-Art Association and MuMAPS are joining forces to host a major international round-table discussion, bringing together speakers from Europe, the United States and Asia via video link, alongside guests attending in person in Sainte-Croix.

Participants will include: • Denis Flageollet — Director of the Institut de la Mécanique d’Art and host of the conference • Vianney Halter — Watchmaker and Director of his eponymous manufacture, Sainte-Croix • François Junod — Automaton maker and Director of his eponymous workshop, Sainte-Croix • Jiaxian Su — Founder of SJX Watches, Singapore • Tim Mosso — Media Director and watch expert, The 1916 Company, USA • Karin Alexandrian — Head of Collections, Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France • Pierre Maillard — Editor-in-Chief of Europa Star and moderator of the event

Conducted in English and French, the discussion will explore the unique character and role of Sainte-Croix in the Swiss Jura, where an exceptional concentration of skills, knowledge and techniques relating to mechanical watchmaking and mechanical art exists within a remarkably small area.

These practices, inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, constitute an exceptional heritage. Preserving and passing on this knowledge, while ensuring that it continues to thrive and gain recognition, are major challenges today.

World Watch Day is an international, non-commercial initiative led by a collective of watchmaking, cultural and media institutions. Celebrated every year on 10 October — a reference to the symbolic 10:10 at which watches are traditionally displayed — the day celebrates watchmaking as a living heritage at the crossroads of art, science, history and culture.

For its second edition in 2026, under the theme “Time as Living Heritage,” World Watch Day brings together institutions and enthusiasts around the world through a programme of events and content designed to share watchmaking culture with the widest possible audience.

The round-table discussion organised by the Mec-Art Association and MuMAPS forms part of the programme for this international celebration. It will take place on 26 September 2026, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm, at the Cinéma Royal in Sainte-Croix. Admission is free. The discussion will be recorded for broadcast through international channels on 10 October 2026, World Watch Day.

To attend the live recording of the round-table discussion: 26 September 2026 2:00–3:00 pm Cinéma Royal Avenue de la Gare 2 1450 Sainte-Croix, Switzerland

To watch the round-table discussion online: 10 October 2026, on the Mec-Art and MuMAPS social media channels, as well as through World Watch Day channels.