La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, neighbouring towns in the Neuchâtel mountains, are listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage site because their entire urban layout was designed around watchmaking. They remain active industrial centres with manufactures, suppliers and two of Switzerland's major horological museums. From Geneva they are reached via Neuchâtel in a drive comparable to the trip to Bern, and AirportsTransfers.ch can organise the journey for a cultural visit or a full day of business meetings.
- Status: UNESCO World Heritage site for watchmaking town planning
- Museums: the International Museum of Horology and the Musée d'horlogerie du Locle
- Business: manufactures, component makers and training institutions
- Architecture: grid streets, workshop windows and Le Corbusier's early buildings
- From Geneva: by road via Neuchâtel, similar in time to Bern
Towns built around the workbench
After fires in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, both towns were rebuilt on rational grid plans, with long parallel streets running along the slope of the valley. Buildings were designed to let maximum daylight into the workshops, with large windows facing the sun, and homes and workshops were mixed so that watchmakers could work where they lived. This urban form, adapted to an industry that relied on fine handwork, is what UNESCO recognised: a rare example of towns shaped by a single industry and still used for it today.
Walking the streets of La Chaux-de-Fonds, you notice the regularity of the blocks, the gardens behind the buildings and the many Art Nouveau details. The town is also the birthplace of the architect Le Corbusier, and several of his early houses, including the Maison Blanche he built for his parents, can be seen.
Museums worth the visit
The International Museum of Horology in La Chaux-de-Fonds is one of the most important collections of timekeeping in the world, covering everything from sundials and early clocks to pocket watches, marine chronometers and modern technology. Its partly underground building is itself a notable piece of architecture. In Le Locle, the Musée d'horlogerie du Locle occupies the Château des Monts, an elegant eighteenth-century mansion with collections of watches, automata and clocks set in period rooms.
Nearby, the underground mills of the Col-des-Roches show how early industry harnessed water power in caves beneath Le Locle, an unusual complement to the horological story.
- Allow time: each museum deserves at least one to two hours
- Combine with a walk: heritage trails explain the urban layout
- Check opening arrangements: before you travel, especially out of season
Business visits
Beyond heritage, both towns are working centres of the watch industry. Manufactures, movement makers, case and dial specialists, and engineering firms are spread across the towns and their industrial zones. Watchmaking schools and technical colleges train the next generation. Business visitors include brand managers, procurement teams, auditors and investors. Meetings are often arranged on site, and visitors may need to go to several addresses in a day, sometimes in different towns along the valley.
A chauffeur by the hour simplifies these days: the driver knows the industrial zones, waits during each meeting and keeps samples and documents secure in the vehicle.
Getting there from Geneva
The usual route follows the motorway from Geneva along Lake Geneva and then Lake Neuchâtel to Neuchâtel, before climbing through the tunnels and the Vue des Alpes area or the valley road to La Chaux-de-Fonds. Le Locle lies a few kilometres further west, close to the French border. The journey takes roughly as long as the drive to Bern, 160 km and about 1 h 50 from Geneva Airport, in normal conditions; in winter, these upland towns can be snowy and cold, and an experienced driver makes the climb more relaxed. Trains also serve both towns, but involve changes.
Many visitors combine La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle with Neuchâtel, its lakeside old town and its own watchmaking connections, or with other sites in the Jura Arc such as Saint-Imier or the Vallée de Joux.
Choosing a vehicle
A Mercedes E-Class or S-Class suits individuals or pairs, while a Mercedes V-Class carries up to 7 passengers, ideal for a delegation or a group of collectors. Larger groups, such as a company visiting suppliers or a club travelling to the museums, can use a Mercedes Sprinter minibus.
Booking with AirportsTransfers.ch
Reserve on the AirportsTransfers.ch website and the fixed price for your vehicle is confirmed before you pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Choose a return trip, a one-way transfer or a chauffeur by the hour for multi-stop days. Collections at Geneva Airport include flight tracking and a meet and greet with name sign, and child seats are available on request. Companies can request an invoice. For tailored watchmaking itineraries, call or WhatsApp +41 78 346 56 77, 24/7.
