At first thought, the terms “handmade” and “precision” might not seem compatible. When we think of precision in the modern era, we think lasers and computer-aided design and micrometers.

Consider the legendary Swiss watch, though. Its roots extend far back in time to a period when everything was handmade, and the well-deserved legacy of Swiss precision continues today.

If you've been in cycling for twenty years or more, you're no doubt familiar with DT Swiss' spokes and nipples. They were produced in a seemingly endless array of lengths and gauges (thicknesses) to fit every hub and rim combination possible. Boxes of DT Spokes stacked next to the bike shop workbench were a familiar sight before factory wheel production began to erode the art of the handbuilt wheel crafted by your favorite mechanic, or maybe by yourself.

Today, DT Swiss produces the full array of wheel components (hubs, spokes, nipples, rims) and wheel building tools, and recently introduced suspension forks to its line-up of products. And while they arrive to your shop today fully assembled, all of DT Swiss' wheelsets are built entirely by hand, rare in today's world of sophisticated wheel-building machines.

And while DT Swiss is now a global company with production facilities around the world (Switzerland, Poland, Taiwan and Grand Junction, Colo., also home to its US headquarters), its roots extend back to 17th century Switzerland – even before the invention of the bicycle – and the production of wire.

Even the “DT” in DT Swiss' name is a quintessentially Swiss product of a multi-lingual nation, with the”D” coming from the German “Drahtwerke”, and the “T” from the French “Trefileries”, each meaning “wireworks” in their respective languages.

Chad Eskins, DT-Swiss' U.S. Sales and Tech Representative, named the Star Ratchet hub mechanism as the flagship of DT Swiss' product line, due to its “simple construction with unbeatable reliability”.

Learn more about DT Swiss' enduring legacy of precision craftsmanship at www.dtswiss.com.