The Geneva Seal

History of the Geneva Seal. The first historical record of a watch being built in Geneva was in the year 1554. Geneva rapidly became the watchmaking capital of the world. By the end of the 18th century, around one third of Geneva's working population was involved in the watch industry. It became a practice to engraved the word 'Genève' on the movements made in the city.

In 1873 the Society of Watchmakers was formed. The Society persuaded Geneva's Grand Council to set up an inspectorate to examine and certify the best mechanical watch movements. In 1886 legislations was passed that only watches that passed would thereafter be allowed to bear the the 'Poinçon de Genève' or Geneva Seal, which was symoblized by the coat of arms of the City of Geneva.

Current use. The Geneva Seal is still in use today to to identify timepieces built following Geneva’s traditional watchmaking standards. In order for a movement to qualify to be marked with the Geneva Seal, it must fulfill all 12 criteria of the regulation. Of course, it must also be built in the canton of Geneva.

The 12 criteria:

1. The good workmanship of all the parts of the caliber, including those of the additional mechanisms, must be in conformity with the requirements of the office of voluntary inspection of the watches from Geneva. Steel parts must have polished angles and their visible surfaces smoothed down. Screw heads must be polished, with their slots and rims chamfered.

2. The entire movement must jeweled with ruby jewels set in polished holes, including the going train and escape wheel. On the bridge side, the jewels must be olive-drilled with polished sinks. The jewel of the center wheel on the main plate is not required.

3. The hairspring should be pinned in a grooved plate with a stud having a rounded collar and cap. Mobile studs are permitted.

4. Split or fitted indexes are allowed with a holding system except in extra-thin calibers where the holding system is not required.

5. Regulating systems with balance with radius of variable gyration are allowed perovided they meet the conditions in No. 1 above.

6. The wheels of the going train must be chamfered above and below and have a polished sink. In wheels 0.15 mm thick or less, a single chamfer is allowed on the bridge side.

7. In wheel assemblies, the pivot shanks and the faces of the pinion leaves must be polished.

8. The escape wheel has to be light, not more than 0.16 mm thick in large calibers and 0.13 mm in calibers under 18 mm, and its locking-faces must be polished.

9. The angle traversed by the pallet lever is to be limited by fixed banking walls and not pins or studs.

10. Shock protected movements are accepted.

11. The ratchet and crown wheels must be finished in accordance with registered patterns.

12. Wire springs are not allowed.

What is interesting is that unlike, certification by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres which provide standards for time precision, the Geneva Seal is concerned with the quality of the craftmanship of a movement, and not its time keeping accuracy. Small things, like the manner in which steel parts are finnished is the focus of the Geneva Seal, and not how well the watch tells time.

Current controversy. Historically, Patek Philippe has submitted all its movements for certification for the Geneva seal. Unconfirmed reports are that Patek Philippe plans to stop having it watches certified for the Geneva seal, as it believes other brands are using Geneva seal as a mere marketing tool and simply building around the 12 criteria, without regard to the quality of the rest of the movement and the watch itself. This defeats the very purpose of the Geneva seal. For nearly a decade now, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, have been lobbying for higher standards to no avail.

In addition there is also the issue of some watch manufacturers placing the Geneva seal on the dial or bezel of the watch, instead of being discretely engraved in the movement.