What is Swiss Made?

by andrema Fri 07 Jan 2011, 10:14 pm

Only when it is Swiss, may a watch carry the indications "Swiss made" or "Swiss", or any other expression containing the word "Swiss" or its translation, on the outside. According to Section 1a OSM, a watch is considered to be Swiss if:

• its movement is Swiss;

• its movement is cased up in Switzerland;

• and the manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland.

A Swiss Movement

As we have seen, to be Swiss, a watch must use a Swiss movement. According to Section 2 OSM, a movement is considered to be Swiss if:

• it has been assembled in Switzerland;

• it has been inspected by the manufacturer in Switzerland; and

• the components of Swiss manufacture account for at least 50 percent of the total value, without taking into account the cost of assembly.

If the movement fulfills these conditions, but the watch is not assembled in Switzerland, the "Swiss" indication may be affixed to one of the components of the movement. On the outside of the watch, may then only appear the "mouvement suisse" or "Swiss movement" indication. Section 3 § 3 OSM requires that the word "movement" appear in full, and be written in the same type-face, of identical size and colour, as the word "Swiss".

Material Extent of the Use of the Word "Swiss"

The word "use" is understood in a broad sense: it not only covers the application of the above-mentioned designation to the watch, but also, according to Section 3 § 5 OSM:

• the sale, offering for sale or putting into circulation of watches bearing such an indication;

• the application of this designation to signs, advertisements, prospectus, invoices, letters or commercial papers.

Particular Cases Wristlet

The "Swiss made" indication may only appear on a wristlet if it is of Swiss manufacture and if the watch is also Swiss. A wristlet is considered to be Swiss if it has undergone an essential manufacturing operation in Switzerland and if 50 percent of the production costs originate in Switzerland.

When a Swiss wristlet is attached to a watch manufactured abroad, it may only bear a reference to the word "Swiss" if this designation clearly shows that only the wristlet is of Swiss manufacture (for example, "Swiss wristlet").

Case

The "Swiss case" indication on a watch case betokens that the case is of Swiss manufacture. A case is considered to be Swiss if:

• it has undergone an essential manufacturing operation in Switzerland (stamping, turning, or polishing);

• it has been assembled and inspected in Switzerland; and

• over 50 percent of the manufacturing costs (excluding the value of the material) are due to operations carried out in Switzerland.

When the "Swiss case" indication appears on the outside of the case, and the watch is of foreign manufacture, the origin of the movement or of the watch must also be affixed to the outside of the watch.

"Swiss Quartz" Indication

This indication is often illegally affixed to the outside of the watch, especially by foreign manufacturers wishing to show that the quartz movement used is of Swiss origin. But, according to the OSM, the use of this indication on the outside of the watch signifies that the watch is Swiss.

"Swiss Parts" Indication

This marking indicates that the movement is composed of movement-blanks which have been manufactured in Switzerland, but assembled abroad. This indication may only appear on the movement, and never on the outside of the watch.

NOTE : Some content reproduced from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry website.