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  3. Swiss watchmakers have firmly established themselves as the world’s leading watchmakers over the past three centuries. With a re

Swiss watchmakers have firmly established themselves as the world’s leading watchmakers over the past three centuries. With a re

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问题    Swiss watchmakers have firmly established themselves as the world’s leading watchmakers over the past three centuries. With a reputation for excellent crafts, brands such as Rolex have ensured their timepieces remain the last word in elegance and style.
   But take a trip to this lovely country and you may be surprised to learn that there are almost 100 manufacturers competing alongside the leading names. Many of them are still based in the small and beautiful Alpine cities of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, both of which were declared World Cultural Heritage sites in 2009 because of their glorious horological (relating to the art or science of making timepieces or of measuring time) heritage. At one time, half the world’s watches were manufactured here.
   Visitors can still tour the workshops and factories, and even learn the basics of watchmaking by taking apart and reassembling a basic mechanism. But if you are not yet good at telling a Breguet from a Breitling, here is a brief guide to some of the nation’s most established brands.
   Vulcaine was founded in 1858, and despite its long and successful history it still has just 13 people. The Jura-based company is in Le Locle. Its legendary Cricket line is known simply as "The Presidents’ Watch", as every US head of state since Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s has worn one.
   Audemars Piguet is another historic alternative to Rolex, founded in 1875 by the Audemars and Piguet families. Based in the Alpine town of Le Brassus, the company have largely abandoned showy designs for a more traditional approach. It is the oldest fine-watchmaking manufacturer still owned by descendants of its founders.
   For those who do prefer luxury, Hublot watches come with a $1 million price tag. The Classic Fusion Haute Joaillerie has been ornamented with 1,185 baguette diamonds, which cover every surface. Only eight were made and the case alone required 15 people doing 1,800 hours of cutting and 200 hours of quality control checks.
   Founded in 1839, the Geneva-based family company Patek Philippe is widely respected for its innovative designs and crafts. The company was responsible for creating the first perpetual calendars for watches. It is exclusive, too—most of the 200 models in regular production come in series of as few as 10 watches.
   Another Geneva-based luxury manufacturer is Frederique Constant, which has done something to make purists shocked—marrying old-fashioned crafts with 21st-century technology to create the Horological Smartwatch. The handmade design can be connected wirelessly to a smartphone and is able to track and measure daily activities such as distance travelled, calories burned and even sleep monitoring.
   For watches combining Swiss crafts with eye-popping contemporary design, look no further than Fiona Krueger—a rare example of a brand run by a young woman in an industry dominated by men. Raised in Scotland before moving to Switzerland, she designs truly distinctive watches, which are handmade in the Jura and produced in limited editions of between 12 and 24 pieces. Each is ornamented with a unique skull pattern, inspired partly by the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations. It is also a nod to the 16th and 17th-century trend for skull-shaped pocket watches—one famous example owned by Mary, Queen of Scots.
   [A] has produced a smartwatch by combining old crafts with modern technology.
   [B] is the oldest fine-watchmaking manufacturer.
   [C] does well in combining Swiss crafts with contemporary design.
   [D] prefers a more conventional approach to showy designs.
   [E] has a famous product known as "The Presidents’ Watch".
   [F] has 200 models coming in series of no more than 10 watches.
   [G] has created the first perpetual calendars for watches.
Audemars Piguet
选项
答案D
解析 Audemars Piguet出现在第五段的第一句。该句提到这个品牌的表大部分舍弃了浮华的设计，更多地采用了传统工艺。可见，比起浮华的设计，Audemars Piguet更加偏向于传统工艺，D正表达了这层意思，prefers…to…是对原文abandoned．．．for．．．的转述，conventional则是原文traditional的同义表达，故D为正确答案。
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