Chronometer Certification

[kmleffler]

I would like to know if TRF members think "Chronometer Certification" has meaning any more. Would you buy a Rolex if it was not certified? PP does not submit their watches, neither do other Swiss luxury brands, for certification and the German luxury brands cannot get chronometer certification. Seiko's certifies their Grand Seiko watches after the movements are installed and their requirements are more stringent then the Swiss. What do the members think.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by kmleffler

I would like to know if TRF members think "Chronometer Certification" has meaning any more. Would you buy a Rolex if it was not certified? PP does not submit their watches, neither do other Swiss luxury brands, for certification and the German luxury brands cannot get chronometer certification. Seiko's certifies their Grand Seiko watches after the movements are installed and their requirements are more stringent then the Swiss. What do the members think.

Today the now quite dated COSC test is mainly now for marketing,as today most any movement with very careful regulation could pass the test.And in many ways the COSC test is often meaningless as only the bare uncased movement is tested.Not even a dial,winding rotor or even the hands are on movement as special ones are used on the machine that Rolex has at the COSC. Yes Rolex has there own machine there because of the vast quantities of movements tested by Rolex.So when movement is shipped back to Rolex perhaps then stored for weeks, months, or even a year before its cased, a lot could happen to the movement and its doubtful but possible Rolex checks every movement again before being shipped world wide.And the COSC certification is only for the time of testing nothing more just to say its been tested. There is no guarantee movement will perform like on test for the movements life.Now Rolex will at normal service time regulate it to the Swiss COSC standard but in its life it could have to be regulated many times.Now the European Chronometer certification DIN standard, is far more meaningful and to a slightly higher standard than the Swiss. And there movements are tested in the case of the watch that it will have for its hopefully long life.

The European Din standard for chronometers are to a higher standard than the Swiss COSC standard below is the copy of the German Din chronometer certificate for my Dreadnought watch.This was a Timefactors limited edition if I remember just 200 watches that cost then just £400. As you can see +0.4 seconds a day,not bad for a so called humble ETA 2824-T2 movement,less than half a second a day and still the same today after several years of hard wearing.

[beshannon]

My non COSC 14060 runs within COSC spec.

I value actual performance over marketing any day

[Roller07]

COSC certification means nothing to me. I have 2 non COSC watches and 2 that are and all run extremely well within standards.

To me,COSC certification and in-house movements are nothing more than a marketing ploy to justify charging more for a watch.

I like ETA movements.

[77T]

COSC came about for a good reason and continues to offer a certification for makers who are lesser known. Rolex and PP are well known, but it is harder for upstarts to challenge their dominance without an independent authority to vouch that their movement is every bit as accurate.

[SeaDweller50]

Originally Posted by Roller07

COSC certification means nothing to me. I have 2 non COSC watches and 2 that are and all run extremely well within standards.

To me,COSC certification and in-house movements are nothing more than a marketing ploy to justify charging more for a watch.

I like ETA movements.

Totally agree although I have an ETA movement in my Seamaster and its chronometer graded. 2892A2 base movement and its been running at +1 sec a day for the last 6 years.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by 77T

COSC came about for a good reason and continues to offer a certification for makers who are lesser known. Rolex and PP are well known, but it is harder for upstarts to challenge their dominance without an independent authority to vouch that their movement is every bit as accurate.

The COSC was started in 1973 mainly because the yearly competitions before were being won by the Seiko Grand.After many complaints from the Swiss brands these competitions were ended and the COSC as we know it today was formed but now for Swiss watches only.Now the Japanese and European DIN standard for chronometer rating is to a slightly higher standard than the Swiss and movements are tested as a complete cased watch and not just the bare uncased movement.

[TonyD]

Just because it was COSC certified once does not mean it will stay in spec for any amount of time. Doesn't really mean the movement is any "better" than some other movement. I expect within a year it will drift one way or the other. Stuff happens.