Mec-Art

What Mec-Art does

Mec-Art (Association Mec-Art pour la mécanique d'art) is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 2016 and headquartered in Sainte-Croix (Canton of Vaud), with a secondary cultural presence via the Maison de la Mécanique d'Art in Geneva's Old Town. Its mission is to preserve and transmit the mécanique d'art savoir-faire — encompassing watchmaking, automata, music boxes, forging, casting, sculpture, and related mechanical arts — that is still held by master craftspeople in the Balcon du Jura Vaudois region.

The association operates a portfolio centered on vocational training: a flagship 4-week "Introduction to Mechanical Arts" intensive offered in both French (CHF 8,850) and English (CHF 9,350), capped at 9 participants per cohort, plus a shorter 2-day milling-turning module (CHF 800) and hands-on access to the Atelier Mec-Art workshop. The core technology is traditional mechanical craft, augmented by modern machining (e.g., conventional milling and turning), measurement, and 3D technologies taught in the curriculum. Complementary assets include the Maison de la Mécanique d'Art visitor center in Geneva and a retail boutique selling tools and materials.

Mec-Art monetizes through professional training fees, association membership subscriptions, boutique retail, and likely public/private grants supporting its heritage mission. It reaches participants via its mec-art.ch website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube channels, and visibility events such as Homo Faber in Venice. Customer segments span professional artisans, museum professionals, collectors and art dealers, art-school graduates, and tourism staff, with no disclosed enterprise customers or B2B anchor accounts.

Name

Mec-Art

Legal name

Association Mec-Art pour la mécanique d'art

Website

https://mec-art.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mec-Art is a Swiss non-profit association that preserves and teaches endangered mechanical arts (watchmaking, automata, forging, sculpture) through intensive hands-on training programs in Sainte-Croix and a Geneva visitor center, serving artisans, museum professionals, collectors, and art-school graduates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mechanical Arts Vocational Training

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

akta.pro primary industry

Ornamental Ironwork & Artistic Metalwork Training (EDAOADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mechatronics Systems & Integration (EDAOAHAB), CNC Plasma/Laser Cutting & Automated Fabrication Training (EDAOADAH)

Keywords

• Mechanical arts training
• Watchmaking craftsmanship
• Artisanal vocational education
• Traditional heritage preservation
• Milling turning courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Sainte-croix

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Training Programs: Mec-Art generates revenue through fees charged for professional training programs in mechanical arts. Programs include an intensive 4-week Introduction to Mechanical Arts course and specialized modules like milling-turning basics.
2. Association Membership: The association Mec-Art collects membership fees from artisans, enthusiasts, and stakeholders who support the preservation and promotion of mechanical arts know-how.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mec-Art delivers vocational training programs in traditional mechanical arts (mécanique d'art) covering watchmaking, automata, music boxes, forging, casting, sculpture, and machining. Courses are conducted on-site at its Sainte-Croix workshop and partner venues, with intensive 4-week introductory programs offered in both French and English, plus shorter specialized modules. The association also operates a visitor center in Geneva, a retail boutique, and an association membership program supporting the preservation of these endangered crafts.

Product overview

Mec-Art is an association dedicated to preserving and transmitting mechanical arts (mécanique d'art) saber-faire in the Balcon du Jura Vaudois region of Switzerland. The organization operates as a single unified offering centered on vocational training programs for mechanical arts, encompassing traditional crafts such as watchmaking, automata, music boxes, forging, casting, sculpture, and machining. The portfolio includes intensive multi-week introductory courses (offered in both French and English), specialized short modules on milling and turning, a hands-on workshop facility in Sainte-Croix, an exhibition center in Geneva's Old Town, and a retail boutique. All offerings are interconnected through the association's mission to safeguard and disseminate these endangered craftsmanship traditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Introduction à la mécanique d'art (French session) A 4-week intensive course in French covering fundamental mechanical arts skills including watchmaking, automata, music boxes, forging, casting, and sculpture. Delivered in two sessions in Sainte-Croix, Switzerland, with a maximum of 9 participants per session to ensure intensive hands-on training. Priced at CHF 8,850 per participant, inclusive of training piece, tool kit, lunches, and site visits. Targeted at professional artisans, art school graduates, museum professionals, collectors, and tourism professionals.
• Introduction to Mechanical Arts (English session) A 4-week intensive course taught in English covering fundamental mechanical arts skills including watchmaking, automata, music boxes, forging, casting, and sculpture. Scheduled from June 15 to July 10, 2026 in Sainte-Croix. Priced at CHF 9,350 per participant, inclusive of training piece, tool kit, lunches, and site visits. Targeted at international participants seeking the same curriculum as the French session.
• Fraisage – tournage (base) Milling-Turning Basics A 2-day introductory module (14 hours total) teaching milling and turning techniques using conventional machines. Participants learn machine operation, tool geometry, and basic machining under expert artisan supervision. Priced at CHF 800 per participant, inclusive of tuition, materials and supplies, breaks, and course materials. Open to all levels and capped at 6 participants working in pairs.
• Atelier Mec-Art Workshop Facility Hands-on workshop space located at Quartier du Progrès 37, 1450 Sainte-Croix, where training participants practice machining, forging, and mechanical assembly techniques. Serves as the primary practical-training venue for Mec-Art's course programs under the supervision of master craftspeople.
• Maison de la Mécanique d'Art Visitor Center Visitor center located in Geneva's Old Town (Vieille Ville) that showcases the heritage of mechanical arts craftsmanship and savoir-faire. Functions as a public-facing exhibition and cultural-heritage space operated by the Mec-Art association.
• Boutique Mec-Art Retail Shop Online and physical shop offering mechanical arts-related products, tools, and materials. Supports the association's mission by making specialist supplies accessible to artisans and enthusiasts.
• Association Mec-Art Membership Annual membership program uniting artisans, enthusiasts, and stakeholders who support the preservation and promotion of mechanical arts know-how. Members contribute to sustaining the association's heritage mission and gain affiliation with a dedicated community of practice in the Jura Vaudois region.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Musée du Fer et du Chemin de fer (Vallorbe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum in Vallorbe provides a venue for historical forge demonstrations during Mec-Art training programs. One day of the Introduction to Mechanical Arts course takes place at the museum's historical forges, complementing the practical training with exposure to industrial heritage.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants): Academy for independent watchmakers emphasizing artisanal and creative watchmaking techniques. Highly comparable to Mec-Art's blend of technical watchmaking training and artistic craftsmanship transmission in a Swiss heritage context.
• WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program): Swiss-based vocational training program for professional watchmakers, offering structured curricula and WOSTEP certification. Directly comparable to Mec-Art's watchmaking and mechanical arts training mission and similar small-cohort, instructor-led delivery model.
• Patek Philippe Horological Institute: Brand-affiliated training arm for high-end watchmaking servicing and craft. Comparable to Mec-Art's premium, instructor-led mechanical arts training targeted at professionals and serious enthusiasts in the Swiss watchmaking ecosystem.
• École d'Horlogerie de Genève: Public watchmaking school in Geneva offering multi-year apprenticeships and certified training. Closely comparable as a Geneva-based educational institution transmitting mechanical watchmaking savoir-faire to a similar professional and artisanal audience.
• CFP Arts (Centre de Formation Professionnelle Arts) Genève: Geneva vocational fine-arts training center offering hands-on craft education across multiple disciplines. Directly comparable as a French-language, Geneva-region vocational arts school with workshop-based, small-cohort delivery similar to Mec-Art's model.

Regional players

• HEAD Genève (Haute école d'art et de design): Geneva university of art and design offering programs spanning visual arts, crafts, and industrial design. Comparable regional peer for transmission of artisanal savoir-faire, though at degree-program scale and with broader art-and-design curriculum.
• Manufacture Stern Frères: Geneva-based specialist watchmaking manufacture and workshop offering bespoke service and restoration. Comparable as a Swiss regional player preserving and applying traditional mechanical watchmaking craft, though oriented to manufacturing and restoration rather than training.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbGk-oCMPs17iSppYiDIcsg/featured?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/Mec-Art-2253617921330370
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mec-art
• Instagraminstagram.com/associationmecart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mec-Art