What does "Swiss Made" really mean?

[thecoinopcollector]

I think I read in "Watch Times" a few months back that all that is necessary for a watch to bear the "Swiss Made" mark is that 51% of the parts be made in Switzerland and the final screw be installed in Switzerland. If this is true, and according to the article I think they implied the following happens with some Swiss watches. Parts are shipped to some 3d world country where 49% non Swiss parts and 51% Swiss parts are assembled and then the watch is returned to Switzerland for the last screw to be inserted. Anyone know if this is in fact accurate and what brands do this. I believe Rolex is 100% parts and assembly in Switzerland.

Marc

[ohlins]

it's at least 50% of the value of the parts......... not at least 50% of the parts.......

there is a clear difference between the 2.....

[leopardprey]

I believe Rolex is 100% parts and assembly in Switzerland.


No one has been able to prove this, and Rolex will not verify or deny. There is a rumor, that some of Rolex watch parts are outsourced in China.

[JJ Irani]

According to the little brochure that comes with the watch, SWISS MADE quite clearly means that the product has been ENTIRELY made in Switzlerland - end of story.....and you can take that to the bank!!

[Felly Jr.]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

and you can take that to the bank!!

A Swiss Bank of course!

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Felly Jr.

A Swiss Bank of course!

....but of course!!

[Big B]

Currents standards set forth by the Swiss require that 50% of the value of the watch be made in Switzerland. Keep in mind that a movement made in China for $25.00 US could have three screws worth $25.00 US and you therefore have a watch that is 50% Swiss made! Rumor has it that the Swiss are revising their standards to require that 100% of the watch be produced in Switzerland to have the Swiss Made mark on future timepieces. Whether or not they must be assembled in Switzerland is up in the air.

[ohlins]

Originally Posted by Big B

Whether or not they must be assembled in Switzerland is up in the air.

it's firmly on the ground..... pls read the underlined text

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..

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.

[Psmith]

This is a good article (quite long) that seems to cover the subject quite well...

http://www.fhs.ch/en/swissm.php



Cheers

[SS Oyster]

"In Switzerland, the law determines the criteria to use the 'Swiss Made' indication on watches, for which there are three conditions: the watch has to have a Swiss movement, the movement has to encased in Switzerland and the watch has to be quality controlled in Switzerland." According to Paichot, Swiss law is valid in several other countries, like Germany, France, Spain, Slovakia, Czech Republic and a few more, courtesy of bi-lateral agreements.

The US, however, is different, because the conditions are determined by the US Customs Administration. According to US law, only the movement has to be Swiss for it to be called "Swiss Made."

"For our Federation, this is a big problem," Paichot added. "Under US rules, you can put a Swiss movement in a watch in China or Hong Kong, ship it to the US and call it 'Swiss Made,' and there is no way for the retailer or the customer to know the difference."