In the 1940s, the fully state-owned railway company began with the introduction of synchronized station clocks. Because trains in Switzerland always leave the station on the full minute (railway timetables therefore do not list or require seconds), each clock received an electrical impulse through the telephone line from the central master clock at each full minute, resulting in the synchronized advancement of the minute hand each minute. These clocks were designed by Hans Hilfiker (1901 – 1993), a Swiss engineer and SBB employee, and produced by W. Moser-Baer in Sumiswald in the canton of Bern. Hilfiker had already designed a clock for the train station in Zurich in 1932, and worked on a prototype version with second hand as early as 1943. It would, however, take another couple of years for the red second hand, designed after the shape of the conductor’s baton used by train and station staff (thus nicknamed the rote Kelle or red signal), to become a standard feature of the very design that has now officially been in use since the 1950s.

From a design point of view, the dial design uses red, white and black colors, in itself already synonymous with Switzerland, and as a wristwatch with a mechanical movement, the watch also brings together the country’s watch industry and national train system, both undoubtedly a symbol of pride for most Swiss people. Not surprisingly, dial legibility is excellent. In this case, Mondaine decided to not cover the black hands, minute markers and indexes with luminous material (the company uses in some watches a concept called “Backlight Technology” using extra-strong Super-LumiNova material, which is painted on the back side of the watch hands), which will leave people traveling on a night train literally in the dark. On the other hand, Mondaine has managed to offer the watch at an extremely attractive price, making it quite a unique offer, given the significance of its design (especially since the Tissot Heritage Memphis comes exclusively with a quartz movement).

Evolution of the Automatic.
The automatic watch is housed in our legendary evo2 case creating a harmonious, fluid design. The rounded, organic shape of the 40 mm brushed stainless steel case adds to the comfortable wear of this timepiece. A true design highlight is the see-through case back allowing you to see how the complex automatic movement works. The iconic Mondaine dial with date indication and the elegant Milanese mesh band add the finishing touches.