Why “Wicked Watch Co”
Wicked Watch Co is more than a name — it reflects where we come from and what we believe. Our roots are near Basel, Switzerland, a city with a complex and fascinating past. I’ve always been drawn to history, myth, and symbolism, and the story of Basel helped define our identity as an independent Swiss watch brand.
Basel’s Dark Past
Between the 15th and 17th centuries, Basel saw witch trials and public executions. Women and men were accused of “witchcraft,” judged for being different, and in many cases killed in public. Those people were not monsters — they were outsiders, unconventional thinkers, people who didn’t fit what society expected.
For a long time, that chapter was barely acknowledged. In 2019, a memorial on Basel’s Mittlere Brücke (Middle Bridge) was created to publicly recognize those victims and to remind us not to repeat that kind of prejudice, fear, and labeling.
What “Wicked” Means to Us
For us, “Wicked” does not mean evil. It means unapologetically individual. We build small-batch mechanical watches with character: bold materials, strong lume, distinctive dials, honest specifications. We care about integrity in design, not status marketing.
Wicked Watch Co. is independent, family-owned, and focused on craft. We design with intention, work directly with our suppliers, and keep control of quality. The name is both a tribute to Basel’s history and a statement of who we are today: Swiss-rooted, transparent, and proud to do things our own way.
The Dance of Death in Basel
Another important part of Basel’s history is the “Dance of Death,” known locally as the Totentanz. First painted in the 15th century, this mural shows Death dancing with people from every level of society — from rulers and priests to merchants, soldiers, and even the young. No one is spared.
A Message That Still Matters
The Basel Dance of Death carries a direct message: status, wealth, rank, title — none of it protects you. Time treats everyone equally. The work became known throughout the region and is considered one of the most significant “Danse Macabre” cycles in Europe.
The scene was originally painted near a former cemetery by a Dominican convent in Basel, and historians connect it to the fears of plague and instability in the late Middle Ages. Only fragments survive today, but the idea is still powerful: stay humble, live honestly, and remember that life is finite.
Why This Inspires Us
This view of time is part of our identity as an independent Swiss watch brand near Basel. “Wicked” does not mean evil — it means unapologetically individual. We believe a watch should reflect character, not status. Time belongs to everyone, not just elites.
If you’d like to read more about the Basel Totentanz (Dance of Death), you can find historical background here (German): https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basler_Totentanz
The Basilisk of Basel
Basel is not only known for watchmaking and history — it also has legends. One of the most famous is the basilisk, a mythical creature said to be so dangerous that even its presence could bring fear to a city.
A Creature of Legend
According to local stories, a traveling merchant once brought a basilisk to Basel. In 1474, a rooster was even put on trial and sentenced to death after being accused of laying an egg — something people at the time saw as unnatural and threatening.
Why did that matter? People believed that from such an egg, a basilisk could hatch. The basilisk was described as a mix of serpent and rooster, said to be venomous, and sometimes even deadly to look at. Out of fear, the rooster was beheaded and the “dangerous” egg was burned.
What It Means to Us
Stories like the basilisk reflect how Basel has always lived with a mix of reality, fear, symbolism, and myth. We like that tension: ordinary life on the surface, something wild underneath. That spirit — character, edge, individuality — lives in the way we build and finish our watches.
You can read more about the basilisk in mythology here (German): https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilisk_(Mythologie)
The Verdict
Basel is full of difficult stories, legends, and symbolism — from witch trials to the Dance of Death to myths of the basilisk. It’s a city with beauty, but also edge. That contrast is part of our identity.
The Verdict
That is why I chose the name Wicked Watch Co It’s a direct link to my roots near Basel and to the city’s past, but it also represents how we build watches today: unconventional, individual, and not afraid to stand apart.
We don’t pretend to be a huge luxury house. We’re independent, family-owned, and we care about honest materials, real lume performance, clean finishing, and mechanical reliability. We may not take ourselves too seriously — but we take quality and craftsmanship very seriously.
In short: Wicked Watch Co is Swiss, personal, and proudly different.