Switzerland is known for its engineering prowess, a natural development, given the need to overcome many natural obstacles (mountains) by forging, tunneling, and linking villages by constructing elaborate road, train, telephone, & water/power infrastructure. High levels of learning, supported by Swiss neutrality - non-participation in WWII - allowed for the unbroken creation of a small, educated society of precise workers.In that vein, public art focuses on the theme of cranks & gears.
Incidentally, in terms of watchmaking, Switzerland's reputation was a response to competition abroad, as earlier timepieces from America were superior.All this to say we have a better appreciation for that Swiss-built aerial tramway we rode to some lookout point in northern CA's redwood forest, as well as for other foreigners, like the Italian masons who built vista house on the Columbia gorge outside of Portland.
The cable cars of San Francisco were engineered by a Swiss immigrant, as well. For a tiny country, these guys get around, perpetuating their own national version of small is beautiful.
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