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Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast
The word "superlative" was first added to Rolex dials about 60 years ago. As Peter says, it's just marketing jargon.
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Have to agree the COSC has only been around since 1973 Now before the Swiss COSC was started in 1973 they used to have Observatory testing competitions and they were to much higher standard than today's Swiss COSC. Now during the entire 23 years of testing these Observatory tests,just 5093 wristwatches were submitted for certification, and only 3253 were passed, about 64%, today around 96% pass the COSC test first time a big difference now truth be told today with careful regulation most any movement could pass todays test.Back in the 1960-70s just a few manufacturers participated, and only Omega and Patek did so every year. The other brands. were: Rolex, Zenith, Longines, Movado, Vacheron & Constantin, Ulysse Nardin, Cyma and Favre-Leuba, along with numerous independent professional watchmakers.
That was until the Seiko Grand come on the scene and started to wipe the floor with the Swiss mechanical watch industry.Now in those days only 2 brands in the + 23 years of the competitions submitted movements of only serial production for retail sale(Seiko and GP).All other movements were specially made movements just for the competition test and not then for retail sale.
Now Seiko first entered the competition,with other watches from all over the world,including most of the Swiss high end brands.But then for a much higher standard than todays COSC,the Astronomical Observatory Authorisation Chronometer Standard (+/- 2/3 seconds/day) Out of many watches submitted only two passed this test a Seiko Grand just a production model, and Giraud Peregaux this time a specially build for the test model.And in the late 1960s there were only two companies, who could sell watches, passed astronomical observatory authorisation Chronometer in those days,just Seiko and Giraud Peregaux.As the Japanese had dominated the tests in the very late 1960s and the two preceding events the early 1970s.And in 1972 many of Swiss watch manufacturers demanded the end of the observatory competitions,and it was ended in 1973,now thats when the Swiss COSC was founded but run by the Swiss for the Swiss brands only I wonder why.
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