The Marks of Precision
Even today, when very few of us rely on our watches to tell the time, it still goes without saying that a watch needs to be accurate. And, of course, from a watchmaker’s point of view, accuracy was a matter of professional pride and the ultimate selling point.
Speaking of selling points for watches, you may have heard, read or seen phrases and terms like “chronometer” or “the seal of Geneva” whenever the subject of watch accuracy comes up. These are some of hallmarks or certifications of quality that attest to the accuracy of a watch—sometimes along with other qualities such as craftsmanship and aesthetics or magnetic and water resistance.
Like in many other fields, certifications or seals of quality are usually bestowed by independent testing bodies. Currently, the most well-known accreditor of timekeeping accuracy is the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (or usually just COSC), the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, which is authorized to certify watches as chronometers.
As the name of the institution implies, however, COSC only tests watches that are Swiss Made. And the label “Swiss Made,” by the way, is another subject that warrants a closer look while also providing an interesting insight into provenance and global economics—but we digress. Anyway, again, COSC certifications apply only to Swiss brands, although the standards are set through international agreements, namely ISO 3159 and DIN 8319. There are, naturally, other officiating bodies and examination boards outside Switzerland that would inspect watches and certify their accuracy, especially in Western Europe. Interestingly, a lot of these are observatories, including the Besançon Astronomical Observatory in France, the King’s Observatory (also known as the Kew Observatory) in the United Kingdom and the Glashütte Observatory in Germany.
Now, it’s also important to note that the perception of and general consensus about watch certification is constantly changing. COSC, for instance, was established only in 1973, replacing the independent agencies known as the Bureaux officiels de controle de la marche des montres—the oldest of which was established in Bienne, Switzerland, in 1877. There are also quite a few brands that, believing that the standards for chronometer certification is not stringent enough, eventually created their own set of stricter requirements. The most famous of these would be Rolex’ Superlative Chronometer, established in 1951 and most recently updated in 2017. Then there’s also the OMEGA’s Master Chronometer, which is issued by METAS, Switzerland’s Federal Institute of Metrology (not to be confused with “meteorology,” mind you).
Digging deeper we find the rare Qualité Fleurier which aims
