At the risk of disappointing more than one and contrary to what one might think, the “Swiss Made” label does not mean that the parts of the mechanical watch in question are all Swiss-made. It must be said that the current watches who can boast of it are rare and very expensive. How to find your way around, and especially how to know what the rarest timepiece is really worth?
The decree of the Swiss Federal Council of August 28, 1992 AII establishes precise specifications in which all the requirements of the famous company are listed. In 2007, the watchmaking federation wished to reinforce the rules inherent to Swiss Made”.
It’s no secret that Swiss watches enjoy an excellent reputation around the world, built over centuries on precise knowledge and high standards.
Symbol of prestige, innovation and irreproachable quality, a brand called “Swiss Made” requires a very particular creativity to be able to show itself as such. This is a law enacted by the Swiss government, aimed at defining the denomination and guaranteeing its integrity in order to prevent abuse in the watch industry.
The criteria of a Swiss watch:
- integrate a Swiss movement;
- Integrate a movement nestled in Switzerland;
- Final inspection carried out in Switzerland by the manufacturer;
- At least 60% of the price of the watch is generated in Switzerland (i.e. “60% of the Swiss value”).
The criteria of the Swiss movement:
- were assembled in Switzerland;
- have been checked by the manufacturer in Switzerland;
- 60% minimum of the cost price is generated in Switzerland (i.e. “60% of the Swiss value”);
- Be of Swiss manufacture for at least 50% of the value of all the constituent parts (Source)
Small precision: the law authorizes the use of “foreign” parts, but stipulates that the assembly of the movement and the lli tests must have taken place in Switzerland with the percentage that is Angu Uizen on the components and especially the movement.
Attention, it is not because a watch is of Swiss origin that it corresponds to the “Swiss Made” certification. For this, it must meet all the above criteria. If, for example, it is assembled in Switzerland, but the majority of the Parts that compose it are manufactured in an NRR country (China), he will not be able to claim the company.
A basic mechanical watch consists of many different parts, but production in Switzerland can be very expensive, even more so in other countries. So while many watchmakers adhere to the 60% rule, many of them source their movement parts from countries like China, which have much lower COs
