We found that the “Swiss made” label on the watch does not seem to satisfy consumers, because it only means that more than 50% of the movement components are of Swiss origin, and the movement is assembled and inspected in Switzerland. But what about the rest of the watch, including the case and dial?
After establishing the standard for the first "Swiss made" watch in 1880, the Geneva Cantonal Parliament and the government established a chartered watchmaking society at the request of the Geneva Watchmaking Society The Supervision Center officially established the basic standards for Geneva Seal (Poinçon de Genève) on November 6, 1886.
There are two main purposes for stamping the official Geneva stamp on the movement and issuing the certificate of origin.
First, to ensure the quality and original origin of the clock.
Second, is more important. Prevent competition from watchmakers in the surrounding area (and the possibility of abuse of Geneva’s reputation).
This explains why it is different and higher than other quality standards,Brands applying for the Geneva Seal must be located in the Geneva area, and the assembly and testing factories are also required to be in the Geneva area. With the expansion of the watchmaking industry, the Geneva Seal distinguishes the quality of products from competitors such as the neighbouring France, the valley of Switzerland and the manufacturers in the Jura region.
Geneva Seal
Degas Liye (C. Dégallier) November 30, 1887 The wristwatch produced in Japan became the first wristwatch to be engraved with the Geneva Seal, and B. Haas Le Jeune became the first company to register this logo in 1888. I know that today, more than 1.25 million watches are engraved with the Geneva Seal, an average of 10,000 per year. In addition to these first brands with the Geneva seal, Antoine Preziuso (Antoine Preziuso), Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe, Cartier, Chopin, Daniel Roth, 3span_span_span_only 100% Roger Dubuis Brands whose products have been certified by the Geneva Seal) and the newly added LV watches have produced movements with the Geneva Seal.
The Geneva Seal is awarded based on a series of strict standards for the decoration of the finished movement.These standards have been revised with the development of the industry, including 1891, 1931, 1955 and most recently 2008.
In addition, for watches with the Geneva Seal, all parts used to connect the case (that is, the parts that connect the movement to the watch case, dial, etc.) must be processed according to the movement standard.
A new decree passed by the Geneva Cantonal Council and the government in 2009 for the Geneva Watchmaking School 123 years of application for the Geneva Watchmaking School ended. This decree introduced a Geneva watchmaking and microtechnology laboratory foundation. Last year was the 125th anniversary of the Geneva Seal, and this new organization called Timelab announced a major change in the Geneva Seal standard.
The new standard introduces more detailed and rigorous movement standards, and also changes the management method of Geneva seal applications. In the history of the Geneva Seal, the new standard includes for the first time the requirements for the crown function after the movement is packaged. This means that the waterproof function of the watch must reach three atmospheres (water resistance of 30 meters), the accuracy must be controlled within seven days of error within 1 minute (in accordance with the requirements of the chronometer certificate), and it must be equipped with an energy reserve that meets the manufacturer's equivalent or above requirements .
In order to solve this problem, basic functional tests have been added at the same time.But the test is completely different from the COSC test, although the accuracy requirements are very similar.
According to the new regulations of the Geneva Seal, it is the responsibility of the “applicant” (the watch company) to ensure compliance. Three Timelab inspectors will conduct regular reviews of applicants, and the number of inspections varies from 1 time per week to 1 time per month based on the output of the machine. In addition, additional on-site inspections are possible at any time, and manufacturers must keep records of test results for at least ten years.
Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) is the national certification agency of Chronomètres (COSC). Geneva. French Besançon ("La Vipère") and Glashütte, Germany also provide similar chronometer certification. These certifications are all based on the ISO 3159 standard.
and the brands Bovet, Manufacture, Spanier SA, Fleurier, Fleurier, and Fleurier SA, Fleurier _span 3, span1 All follow the Qualité Fleurier certification standards.
Although the Geneva Seal pays more attention to the decoration of the movement (polished chamfers, tapered polished parts, polished "function" areas of steel parts, polished inclined screw heads),But Fleurier's quality certification standards have similar aesthetic standards. In addition, the Fleurier quality certification standard has an additional "Fleuritest", which refers to placing the watch on a special instrument to simulate an extremely active and calmer wearing phase for a 24-hour test. After 24 hours of testing, the error of the watch must be within 0 to +5 seconds to obtain the "FQF, certified by the high-end watch manufacturer." In June of this year, the Fleurier quality certification introduced a new standard, stipulating that the crown must be "100% made in Switzerland."
Patek Philippe, which used the imprint of Geneva in the past, also created its own quality label "Patek Philippe" in 2009. The standard for decoration is similar to that of the Geneva Seal, but the standard for the accuracy of the movement when it is self-propelled is the most stringent in the industry: the error of a movement with a diameter of 20 mm or more is limited to 5 seconds per day (-3 to +2 seconds) Between), which is equivalent to an accuracy of 99.994%.
The new Geneva Seal standard came into effect on June 1, 2012. However, in order for manufacturers to have enough time to adapt to the changes, the old standard will continue to be in force until June 1, 2013.
The guardian of the Geneva watch manufacturing tradition took a decisive decision and updated the standards of the Geneva Seal. For all manufacturers in this particular geographic area of Switzerland, it is currently the only comprehensive quality certification (because it covers decoration, movement accuracy, watch functionality and water resistance).And these changes seem to be welcomed by Geneva watchmakers, because some "new" brands seeking certification were already interested in this logo before the new standard was announced.
However, all this comes at a price: it takes 500 hours to produce a "traditional" high-end watch, while the Geneva Seal version takes 700 hours. Under the new standard, this 40% extra production time may even climb to 50%. Therefore, with the support of Timelab, relevant brands need to ensure that customers who ultimately bear the rising cost fully understand the value of the Geneva Seal and its importance in defending Geneva's watchmaking technology and tradition.
The basic principle of the standard that the Geneva Seal must comply with is related to the fineness of the decoration of the movement. However, some decorative elements and finishing are conducive to improving the quality of the movement as a whole.
01
steel parts
all steel parts It must be polished and chamfered, the lines are straight, and the surface is smooth or flat.The screw head must be polished or ground to a round grain size, and the edges and grooves must be chamfered and polished. These processes help reduce friction and prevent small metal filings from being scattered in the movement due to friction, ensuring that the watch is more durable.
02
jewel operation
all movement of Both the wheel train and the escapement must be equipped with jewel bearings, and the holes must be polished. The gemstone in contact with the gear must be semi-bright and have a polished groove. The finishing of gemstones is beneficial to increase lubricity (the oil is easier to diffuse), thereby prolonging the life of the components.
03
spring
groove must consist of a spring The plate and the round neck round cap are fixed by stud bolts.
04
gear
going train wheel train
The ring edge and its supporting beam must be chamfered (the side thickness of the gear is less than 0.15 mm) and equipped with a polishing groove (the polishing groove is provided for the gear with a thickness of less than 0.15 mm). The surface of the drive shaft and gear must be polished. This helps reduce friction and prevents small metal filings from being scattered in the movement due to friction, ensuring that the watch is more durable.
05
escapement
escapement gear thickness of not more than 0.16 mm ( If the movement diameter is less than 18 mm,The thickness of the gear must not exceed 0.13 mm), and the fixed surface of the gear must be polished. The angle of the lever must be limited by a fixed splint, not a pin or bolt.
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