How to identify a genuine Swiss watch? Top 5 Certificates

In the spirit of perfectionism that characterises Switzerland, the Swiss watch industry has created several certificates that guarantee the aesthetic and technical quality of movements and watches. They are subjected to rigorous craftsmanship and ten-year tests for accuracy, magnetic resistance, water resistance, power reserve, etc.

Certified watches have a higher value and can offer benefits such as longer warranty periods or longer service intervals. They are also a reflection of the culture of excellence of many brands that invest heavily in research and development (R&D), design, manufacturing, materials, quality control and talent. Here are five of the most important certifications in Swiss watchmaking.

COSC certification

The Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) is a non-profit organisation founded in 1973 on the initiative of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) and the five cantons of Bern, Geneva, Neuchâtel, Solothurn and Vaud. Its mission is to measure and verify the accuracy of movements and assembled watches, exclusively Swiss, in order to certify them as chronometers.

COSC certification is based on seven criteria described in the ISO 3159 standard for wrist chronometers with a balance regulator. These criteria include the average daily running time, the average variation in running time, the greatest variation in running time and its difference in horizontal and vertical positions, and the variation in running time in relation to temperature. Each movement or wristwatch is tested for 15 days and 15 nights in five fixed positions and at three temperatures (8, 23 and 30°C). Only if the watch is within the maximum tolerances of the seven parameters will it be certified as a chronometer.

The maximum deviation allowed by the COSC is -4/+6 seconds per day for mechanical movements and ±0.07 for quartz movements. Each certified chronometer is unique and is identified by a number engraved on the calibre and a document issued by the COSC.

Timelab

This certificate originated in 1886 as the highest quality standard for movements made and assembled in the Canton of Geneva. It is synonymous with authenticity, quality and reliability of fine watchmaking in this region. Their criteria are very demanding and their compliance is verified by the Geneva Laboratory of Watchmaking and Microengineering.

The Geneva Punch, also known as the Punch or Geneva Stamp, is based on the idea that a watch with this certificate not only measures time but is also a work of art. Its standards exhaustively describe the quality of manufacture, finishing and decoration of the movement's components, including the escapement system, for which a maximum thickness is defined depending on the movement's diameter (0.16 mm for calibres over 18 mm in diameter and 0.13 mm for calibres under 18 mm in diameter). This is just one example of the rigour of the technical requirements.

Each watch is tested for water resistance, power reserve, functioning complications and chronometric accuracy in accordance with the rules approved by the technical committee. The calibres that have received the Geneva Punch, whose emblem is inspired by the symbol of the Canton of Geneva, are engraved on the surface of the bridge or on the rotor.

Patek Philippe Seal

The most prestigious Swiss manufacture claims that this certificate, created in 2009, is the most stringent in the industry. It covers the entire finished mechanical watch, including the movement, case, dial, hands, buttons, bracelets, clasps and so on. It is the only certificate that guarantees after-sales service, care and lifetime restoration for all watches produced by the company since 1839.

The level of detail in the Patek Philippe Seal regulations is staggering. The certification includes technical, aesthetic and performance requirements and covers the design, manufacture, supply and servicing of watches. In terms of precision, the maximum tolerance is -3/+2 per day. Among other things, the regulations describe the hand finishing and decorative techniques to be used on the components of the calibre. The criteria for manufacturing, assembly, finishing and decoration of external components are equally strict. Water resistance, autonomy and reliability of movements and complications are controlled. The Patek Philippe Hallmark standards prioritise the functional nature of the watch and timeless elegance.

Rolex Certification

This is Rolex's demanding in-house certification, which dates back to the late 1950s and is constantly being updated. The accuracy with the movement already installed is -2/+2 seconds per day, while COSC requires -4/+6 seconds per day. Thus, the accuracy of each watch is tested over a 24-hour cycle, in seven positions and with a dynamic rotation test.

This certification also guarantees excellent performance in terms of water resistance, automatic winding and power reserve. The tests are carried out in Rolex's own laboratories according to its own criteria. For example, in the case of water resistance, the watches are subjected to excessive air pressure and then immersed in water in hyperbaric tanks, with an additional pressure of 10% for watches water resistant to 100 metres and an additional pressure of 25% for diving watches water resistant to 300, 1,220 and 3,900 metres.

Rolex equips its watches with a green stamp confirming their Superlative Chronometer status and a five-year international warranty. In addition, the dial is labelled "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified".

METAS watchmaking certification

The Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) is the Swiss measurement reference body. In 2014, Omega announced that it had been asked to create a new independent certification and the Master Chronometer designation was born, which any Swiss company can obtain. The movement of a Master Chronometer watch must be certified by the COSC. The calibre and the entire watch must pass eight METAS tests for accuracy, anti-magnetic resistance, power reserve and water resistance.

The first two tests ensure that the movement and watch will function when exposed to a magnetic field of 15,000 gauss. The third, fourth and fifth tests verify chronometric accuracy by simulating daily use: the watch is magnetised in a field of 15,000 gauss for two 24-hour periods and demagnetised for a further two 24-hour periods at two different temperatures (14 hours at 33°C and 10 hours at 23°C) on each of four days in six different positions that change every 60 seconds. The maximum deviation allowed by METAS is 0/+5 seconds per day. The sixth test checks whether the watch maintains isochronism when the charge level is low, so it is set in six different positions with 100% and 33% autonomy. The seventh test checks the power reserve. And the eighth test verifies that the water resistance of the watch is as claimed and even 25% higher.