The Most Famous
INVENTORS from Switzerland
This page contains a list of the greatest Swiss Inventors. The pantheon dataset contains 426 Inventors, 3 of which were born in Switzerland. This makes Switzerland the birth place of the 21st most number of Inventors behind Netherlands, and Romania.
Top 3
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Swiss Inventors of all time. This list of famous Swiss Inventors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747 - 1823)
With an HPI of 61.01, Abraham-Louis Breguet is the most famous Swiss Inventor. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages on wikipedia.
Abraham-Louis Breguet (10 January 1747 – 17 September 1823), born in Neuchâtel, then a Prussian principality, was a horologist who made many innovations in the course of a career in watchmaking industry. He was the founder of the Breguet company, which is now the luxury watch division of the Swiss Swatch Group. In his lifetime he was considered the leading watchmaker of his day, and he built up a clientele that included many leading public figures and members of the European nobility. Alongside his friend and contemporary John Arnold, Breguet is now widely acknowledged as one of the greatest horologists of all time. One of his famous ancestors was Jean Breguet (who died in 1593) a Protestant pastor in Neuchâtel very much influenced by the ideas of John Calvin.
2. George de Mestral (1907 - 1990)
With an HPI of 55.69, George de Mestral is the 2nd most famous Swiss Inventor. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
George de Mestral ((1907-06-19)19 June 1907 – (1990-02-08)8 February 1990) was a Swiss electrical engineer who invented the hook and loop fastener which he named Velcro.
3. Rodolphe Lindt (1855 - 1909)
With an HPI of 52.71, Rodolphe Lindt is the 3rd most famous Swiss Inventor. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Rudolf Lindt (16 July 1855 – 20 February 1909), often known by his francized name Rodolphe Lindt, was a Swiss chocolate maker, chocolatier and inventor. He founded the Lindt brand of Swiss chocolate and invented the conching machine and other processes to improve the quality of chocolate.
People
Pantheon has 3 people classified as Swiss inventors born between 1747 and 1907. Of these 3, none of them are still alive today. The most famous deceased Swiss inventors include Abraham-Louis Breguet, George de Mestral, and Rodolphe Lindt. As of April 2024, 1 new Swiss inventors have been added to Pantheon including Rodolphe Lindt.
Deceased Swiss Inventors
Go to all Rankings
Abraham-Louis Breguet
1747 - 1823
HPI: 61.01
George de Mestral
1907 - 1990
HPI: 55.69
Rodolphe Lindt
1855 - 1909
HPI: 52.71
Newly Added Swiss Inventors (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Inventors were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 3 most globally memorable Inventors since 1700.
