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            The Swiss dominated the manufacture of fine watches until the early 1970’s.  They made the best ball-bearings, mainsprings and balance-wheels in the world.  But by 1980, the Swiss market share had collapsed to 10% from 65%.  The market shift from Switzerland to Japan.  The reason:  the advent of a new paradigm of watch making-quartz technology.

            The kicker is that quartz technology was discovered by the Swiss!  But they disregarded it; it didn’t fit into their watch making paradigm – a paradigm made up of ball bearing, main springs, and balance wheels.  The paradigm for success shifted and they didn’t shift with it.

Leadership, Volume XIV, Number 3, page96