Nationality: Swiss / American
Early training: Electro-engineering at EPFL Lausanne (together with René LeCoultre!), PhD at ETH Zurich
Swiss watch industry: First executive director of the CEH (Centre Electronique Horloger) in Neuchâtel
Main achievements: His American citizenship facilitated the access to American semiconductor research and thus has allowed for faster integration and adaptation of this technology for the use in the Swiss development of electronic wrist watches.
He was one of the earliest believers in the quartz system at the CEH. Upon presentation of the very first miniaturised quartz module by two of his engineers, Wellinger shifted the main goal of the CEH from developing a superior metal tuning fork regulated watch to quartz regulation in 1966. By doing so, he challenged the decision of the governing board of the CEH, which had decided not to engage in new developments, but rather improving already existing systems. His faith into his engineers created the base for the revolutionary quartz developments of 1967, which will trigger the quartz revolution.
Picture credit: Screenshot from RTS, Carrefour, 6.11.1961, Journalist: Alexandre Burger, director: Pierre Matteuzzi
Electric Watch Prototypes 