Success story. Swarovski company in Wattens

The history of the Swarovski company is a fascinating one: Innovation, creativity and social commitment are at the heart of the story, alongside crystal and its many facets. Read about the development and history of the Swarovski company in Wattens: from the birth of founder Daniel Swarovski in Bohemia in 1862 to the company's international presence today.

Daniel Swarovski was probably fascinated by the play of light in crystal as a child. He was born in Bohemia in 1862, and crystal dominated life in his parents' home.

Bohemia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, was one of the most important centers for glass and crystal production. And crystal was also cut in his father's small factory. As a boy, Daniel often watched his father's factory at work. He later completed his apprenticeship here as well as with several other crystal cutters. And when he visited the "1st Electrical Exhibition" in Vienna at the age of 21, he had the idea of his life: the new technologies from Siemens and Edison inspired him to develop a machine for cutting crystal. He spent days and nights trying to realize his vision. Finally, nine years later (1892), he was able to apply for a patent: A machine that made it possible for the first time to cut crystal stones to perfection. Faster and more perfect than previously possible with painstaking manual work.

This marked the beginning of a new era in the world of crystal. The foundation stone for today's company was laid. Daniel Swarovski founded the company in 1895 together with his brother-in-law Franz Weis and Armand Kosmann.

1895 Location Wattens in Tyrol
Daniel Swarovski moved with his family from Georgenthal in Bohemia to Wattens in Tyrol. Here, far from his native region, the Alps provided the decisive contribution to the founding of the company: sufficient water and energy in the form of hydropower. Daniel Swarovski and his partners discovered Wattens in the Austrian Alps as the ideal location for the company. There were sufficient hydropower resources here to drive the machines. In addition, the company was relatively safe from imitators far away from the competition. And finally, good trade routes led to the fashion center of Paris, where crystal gemstones were in great demand.

1913 Construction of the crystal production facilities
Together with his three sons Wilhelm, Friedrich and Alfred, Daniel Swarovski built a crystal production facility to produce raw materials of exceptional quality. Then as now, the highest quality standards form the basis for the company's success. In 1908, Daniel Swarovski, whose sons had joined his father's business in the meantime, began experimenting with crystal production in a specially built workshop next to the family villa in Wattens.
It took three years to design and set up the company's own melting furnaces. It took even longer to find the "recipe" for crystal with a flawless shine. In 1913, Swarovski began producing its own crystal. This was an important milestone in the company's history and took mass production to a new level.
Swarovski's flawless, brilliantly cut gemstones caused a sensation and were coveted everywhere. They sold like hot cakes to Parisian fashion houses and jewelers. Swarovski therefore initially concentrated on the production of gemstones. Soon, however, other product areas were added, which today interact harmoniously in a multi-faceted group.

In 1919, Swarovski launched its grinding wheels, developed in-house, on the market under the Tyrolit brand. Today, Tyrolit is the market leader in Europe and one of the three most important suppliers of grinding wheels in the world. During the war, there was a shortage of grinding tools and abrasives and as Daniel Swarovski always used a crisis as an opportunity, he seized this chance to develop his own tools. In 1917, after two years of research and development, he succeeded in producing grinding wheels that were used for processing crystal stones. In 1919, they were registered under the brand name Tyrolit.

Wilhelm, Daniel Swarovski's eldest son, was enthusiastic about the natural sciences and enjoyed experimenting like his father. What gave him the idea of developing binoculars and eventually founding SWAROVSKI OPTIK in Absam?

Daniel Swarovski recognized his sons' talents and encouraged them as much as he could. This enabled Wilhelm to apply his passion for chemistry to the development of his own glass production. But this was not his goal. He strove for continuous improvement and so he developed a bubble- and streak-free glass that came very close to optical glass in terms of quality. His perseverance later proved extremely useful in the production of optical glass.

The excitement of being able to see into the distance
In addition to the natural sciences, Wilhelm Swarovski had another passion: astronomy. His enthusiasm for being able to see into the distance and his interest in physics awakened in him the desire to construct binoculars himself. As early as the 1930s, he developed his first designs and created prototypes using optical glass from the company's own production facilities. Grinding the prisms and lenses is an art that he acquired himself. He carried out a series of grinding and polishing experiments at home. His love of experimentation knew no bounds and even his wife's silk stockings were not safe from his experiments.

Button eyes, round ears, cute whiskers and a little tail - that's the famous Swarovski crystal mouse.

A small crystal mouse marks the beginning of a new era for Swarovski in 1976: the sale of finished crystal products. The original mouse is the first object in the "Silver Crystal" brand line, which today comprises more than 120 gift and collector's items. The brilliantly cut, for example animal figures, fruit, flowers and other decorative objects are available in more than 13,000 specialist stores worldwide.
In 1976, a small crystal mouse marked the beginning of a new product strategy. For the first time, crystal fascinated not only as a component for haute couture and chandeliers, but also as a finished crystal object. The little crystal mouse, which was a bestseller at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, gave rise to a multifaceted series of sparkling gems. Inspired by nature and beautiful things, the enchanting objects spread a feeling of happiness and well-being among collectors and buyers all over the world.

1987 Collectors Club Swarovski (SCS)
The Collectors Club Swarovski (SCS) is founded to offer special benefits and services to collectors of Swarovski crystal. Today, the club unites more than 450,000 members in 35 countries around the world. The crystal creatures and fantasy creations of the "Silver Crystal" line seemed to understand the art of turning enthusiastic customers into enthusiasts and enthusiasts into enthusiastic collectors. Spurred on by the public success and a flood of letters, the Swarovski Collectors Society was founded in 1987 to provide crystal enthusiasts with information about the collection, the objects and the company. An SCS collectors' magazine is published four times a year in seven languages and provides information about the various highlights and activities.

1995 100th anniversary
Swarovski celebrated its 100th anniversary and the success of the previous years with a variety of special activities and products: Vivienne Becker's book "Swarovski - Fascination Crystal", the swan pin, an SCS trip with 2,000 participants from Prague to Wattens and the "F.A.I.T.H. Winter Ball" at "Tavern on the Green", New York City.

Crystal is a source of inspiration for art and science, an "over-metaphor", a textual leitmotif, a framework of ideas for thinkers, a multifaceted symbol and an aesthetic marvel. The Crystal Worlds were created - on the occasion of Swarovski's 100th anniversary in 1995 - as a monument to the intangible and magical. Now they are undergoing the metamorphosis that their previous success as an exhibition venue, concert hall and ballroom has dictated. Expanded to include breathtaking chambers of wonder and with a strong focus on contemporary fine art, the giant of Wattens presents itself with a broad shoulder, a new access concept and a store separate from the exhibition area. André Heller (Artevent) is the artistic director of the 15 million euro renovation of the Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens. Presenting crystal in all its varieties and providing space for the results of inspired exploration of the sparkling material - whether as performing art, theater or music, science or myth - describes the function and lifeline of the Crystal Worlds. They are also the place where the most extensive collection of Swarovski crystal objects can be seen and purchased.

André Heller and other renowned artists have created rooms with millions of sparkling and twinkling gemstones to form a total work of art in which light, colors, music, water, scents and spatial geometry play together and transport visitors into a world of fantasy.
To create the illusion of a subterranean crystal world, caves were dug into the depths and an artificial mountain was heaped up at the same time. Instead of concrete and steel, the visitor perceives a park landscape and, as a visual highlight, a labyrinth of hedges reminiscent of the gigantic hand of a giant.

In 1995, the Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens were opened as the highlight of the anniversary activities. The multimedia artist André Heller designed this impressive and fascinating world of wonder, which attracts countless tourists to Wattens every year. In this unique visitor center, the magical world of crystal can be experienced on 2,000 square meters. Works of art and fantastic installations convey the rich history of the company and the diverse beauty of crystal.