About

Led by Hanspeter Rentsch, the Swatch legal team supports the world’s largest watchmaking group, active in the manufacture and sale of watches, jewellery and watch components. The company boasts eighteen individual brands and the multi-brand retail companies Tourbillon and Hour Passion. It is also a leader in the field of sports event timing and supplies components to third-party watchmakers around the world, activities which draw upon the team’s global legal knowledge on a daily basis. The Swatch Group, which employs over 35,000 staff in 50 countries, grew out of the merger of two big Swiss watch groups, ASUAG and SSIH. Rentsch joined the legal department of ASUAG in 1978 before moving on to head the legal and trademark department of the General Watch Company. After the pivotal merger he became general counsel to the new group, helping Swatch to grow into the company it is today. The team is known for being enablers of the most innovative developments in the technology industry. Most recently Swatch Group signed a contract with Chinese car maker Geely allowing it to use an innovative battery developed by the watchmaker’s research firm Belenos.