Jacquemoux Décolletage: Sculptor of Time Gears, Embarking on a Legacy Journey of Precision Manufacturing Together

In Switzerland’s Jura Valley in the 1960s, the pulse of precision manufacturing beat strongly with the revival of the watchmaking industry. Though just a workshop of three craftsmen, the young Jacquemoux Décolletage gradually earned local renown for its unique skills in processing miniature gears and transmission components. However, when a major watch manufacturer placed an order demanding large quantities and high consistency, this workshop—specialized in meticulous manual craftsmanship—faced a severe transformation from "artisanal skill" to "industrial process."

The core challenge lay in "precision at scale." Jacquemoux could handcraft perfect individual gears, but when hundreds of identical components were needed, the inherent subtle deviations of traditional methods were amplified. This drastically reduced the assembly efficiency and reliability of watch movements. For the Jacquemoux family, which regarded reputation as its lifeblood, accepting the order without flawless delivery was unthinkable.

At the crossroads where Jacquemoux sought a breakthrough, Heinrich Johannes Schmid, founder of HMS, visited with an unwavering belief in "repeatable precision." Instead of replacing the craftsmen’s exquisite skills, we worked alongside them to analyze and translate those intangible "handfeel" techniques into tangible standards. The core value HMS delivered was the introduction of a modular positioning and fixture system, plus optimized machining path planning—ensuring every clamping and tool pass followed uniform, optimal guidelines. It was like equipping craftsmen with a standardized "ruler and compass," freeing their creativity while guaranteeing absolute consistency in mass production.

This collaboration not only helped Jacquemoux secure the key order but, more importantly, laid the cornerstone of its modern precision manufacturing system. They successfully integrated the family’s inherited artisanal genes with the standard requirements of industrial production, achieving a qualitative leap.

HMS’s Insight: True inheritance is not clinging to the unchanging, but transforming core skills into sustainable strength.

On the path of manufacturing evolution, the most valuable support is understanding and respecting that craftsmanship—helping it adapt to the times and shine with greater brilliance.

When your exquisite skills face the challenge of scaling up, what kind of partner do you need? We look forward to working with you to turn unique genes into enduring competitiveness.