New Delhi, July 19 -- In my last column, I had written about the importance of the Junghans Max Bill wristwatch and its ties with one of the most important design movements of the 20th century-Bauhaus design. Writing it got me thinking about the diversity of world-class watchmaking outside Switzerland, specifically in Germany and Japan.

When we think of watchmaking, we (rightly) immediately think of the Swiss. That is historically fair, since Geneva has been a hub of the manufacture of timepieces since the 16th century, including the establishment of a watchmaking guild in 1601. The industry became even bigger with the Industrial Revolution.

However, in this, the Swiss weren't alone. Since the 16th century, at various points, watchmakin...