One day in March 2015, the Genie factory in Grenchen, Switzerland, welcomed a Chinese delegation of distributors. This delegation included old friends and new. Again they were received by Genie president Mr. Saladin himself, who would love to meet and talk with his friends from China.

In the newly renovated factory, the guests saw the legacy and transformation of Genie and the whole strict process of making exquisite Genie watches. In order for the Chinese distributors to further experience Swiss wristwatch culture and the influence of this culture on the growth of Genie, Mr. Saladin specially arranged the “Trip to Experience European Urban Culture”.

At the first stop, they arrived in Lucerne known for the Lion of Lucerne, which is a symbol of loyalty and bravery: Inside a shallow cave, a dying male lion is crawling on the ground, sad in its face, painful and weak; a sharp arrow deeply pierces through its back, while its front paws tightly hold the spear and shield with the Swiss national emblem. This sculpture of a mortally-wounded lion was praised by Mark Twain as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.”

Duomo di Milano is a must-visit place for tourists to Europe, and the Genie delegation was no exception. As the businesspeople and standouts in the Chinese timepiece industry, the members of this delegation focused their attention more on the sculpture at the cathedral. The cathedral is said to be the church with the most sculpture ? the exquisite art of sculpture has finally been transplanted to the much smaller spaces of watches, becoming an element of a timepiece on the wrist.

The Coliseum in Rome was also an attraction to the delegation for its reputation as an extraordinary architectural structure in the history of Western architecture. In addition to history and culture, the delegation was more surprised by the plan and design of the interior. Capable of accommodating 90,000 spectators, the arena allowed the performers, slaves, and beasts to enter separately; even its drainage project was first-class even by today’s standards. The oval coliseum features a sophisticated design, which is just like the structure and components inside a wristwatch, where they interact with each other in a sophisticated, precise, and orderly manner to create the classical timekeeping art as represented in the wristwatch.

At Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano, the delegation members experienced a different kind of art and culture. Here, they saw the impact and fusion of religious history and architectural art and sculpture and the artistic fusion of generations of artists, which gave rise to the world’s largest church. This basilica, representing the history of Catholicism as a religious faith, witnessed the ultimate art of such geniuses as Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Bernini. Here, the delegation members also seemed to experience the integrated development in the history of wristwatches, classical craftsmanship, and innovative design.

The two-day trip ended nicely in Jungfrau known as the “Crown of Europe”. It is the “vein” in the history of the Swiss timepiece industry and a window for the timepiece culture to go global. The Genie delegation posed here for a group photo, suggesting that they had not seen enough and that classism would continue.

01: “Watch-making City” ? Grenchen, beautiful and serene, welcoming the guests from afar!

02: The guests delighted to be in a clean and tidy factory!

03: Beautiful moment recorded eternally!

04: Visitors keep coming to the Genie booth, appreciating the classics in the Genie watches.

05: A wonder in the fashion capital of Milano: Duomo di Milano

06: A symbol of the Roman Empire: The Coliseum!

07: World’s No. 1 cathedral: Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano!