SUPERSEDE is our latest watch project and the mechanical engine under the sapphire crystal is our all-new K2 micro-rotor calibre. The name SUPERSEDE was coined based on K2 superseding what we had deemed possible from a micro-rotor calibre and a watch at this price level. The goal is to continually push the limits of possibility and early prototypes are exceeding expectations.
Our exceptionally talented watchmakers/engineers have a lot of experience with movement regulation. Accuracy is always paramount, so for us a chronometer certification is the baseline we must reach. However, we realize that having a movement officially certified provides both peace of mind and a certificate unique to your watch’s performance. With SUPERSEDE, we would like to learn from you if this is important, but before you vote, read on to learn more about chronometer certification. If you have already voted, thank you!
Mechanical movements come from several parts of the world, most notably Europe, Japan and China. Switzerland is the most widely recognized leader in watchmaking due in part to government investment to retain it's watchmaking history and culture, however brands in other countries are taking steps to bring chronometer level value to their customer base. “Swiss Made” definitely has prestige on its side, guaranteeing a level of quality backed by chronometer certification that can be counted on for decades or even generations. This wasn’t always the case as America was a watchmaking leader in the 19th and first half of the 20th century. By the time Hamilton ceased US production in 1969 and became a Swiss company (now under the umbrella of the Swatch Group), Switzerland was undoubtedly the capital of fine watchmaking.
“Swiss Made” is a fairly broad term, however, and another important one is “COSC Certified” or “chronometer.” This guarantees that a Swiss movement meets strict accuracy standards within -4/+6 seconds per day. COSC is an acronym for Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) and is a non-profit organization formed solely to test Swiss only movements for accuracy. Those that pass are awarded a “chronometer” designation. So, a chronometer is simply a mechanical Swiss watch that is COSC certified. COSC has been functioning in its current form since 1973 with three laboratories in Biel/Bienne (just down the road from HORAGE), Saint-Imier/BE and Le Locle. Comparable organizations exist for different regions, such as the Glashütte Observatory in Germany and Observatory at Besançon in France, while Grand Seiko has its own testing facilities in Japan. A COSC certification is the best known stamp of approval for mechanical movement accuracy, however, and only 3% of all Swiss watches are certified annually.
Vote now for Chronometer Certification https://www.horage.info/supersede
What happens when a watch is sent to one of the Swiss labs for certification?
The movement is submitted uncased and fitted with a COSC-specific dial, that then goes through a stringent visual 15-day testing process. This includes testing in five different positions and three different temperatures: 8°, 23°, and 38°C. Each day the movement is fully wound and monitored for a 24-hour period. Depending on the protocol for the day the movement is left in a specific position and temperature, and then tested via cameras for an average daily rate. Accuracy can never exceed -4/+6 seconds per day. This falls under the ISO 3159 international standard for wrist chronometers with a spring balance oscillator. During testing, seven criteria are used.
• Average daily rate
• Mean variation in rates
• Greatest variation in rates
• Difference between rates in horizontal and vertical positions
• Largest variation in rates
• Variation depending on temperature
• Rate resumption
Two independent atomic clocks are utilized for measurement comparisons, which have accuracy ratings of one second per millions of years. You can say they replace the old regulator clocks of yore. Although over a million COSC certificates are issued annually, it again represents only 3% of all Swiss watch production.
Lenny overseas all regulation at Horage.
Given that such a small percentage of watches are certified, how necessary is it?
There are a couple of perspectives on this. With quartz and computer technology, mechanical watches are rarely used for official timekeeping, whether for sports, scientific applications, etc. Mechanical movements will never rival the accuracy of quartz technology from decades ago, let alone modern quartz movements that can be accurate to one second per year. That side of mechanical timekeeping has long been obsolete, so many feel that COSC certifications are little more than a gimmick. If a watch is 10 seconds off per day instead of 6, does anyone even notice? After all there are 86,400 seconds in a day, meaning 10 seconds per day has a deviation of 0.01% and 6 seconds has a deviation of 0.007%. So, it’s a fair question, but one that also misses a point.
A COSC certification not only guarantees a high level of accuracy, but quality as well. How is this possible?
Industrialized movement production ensures consistency through sound process engineering with a return result of reliability, better serviceability and for some better precision metrics over their manufacture counterparts. Chronometers typically are industrialized movements and at Horage the focus has been to blend the best of the industrial with the bespoke modularity and decoration of the manufacture world. Due to the stringent guidelines of COSC watch and movement makers only submit their best movements or standardize COSC across their production. At Horage we standardize COSC across production to ensure that all movements are regulated to the same . Of course, you’re also getting a guaranteed level of accuracy, which adds to the experience of wearing a mechanical watch.
If “Swiss Made” is important to you, also know that only Swiss Made movements can be submitted to COSC for certification. Regardless of the fact that time almost always surrounds us today – in your car, on your computer, on your phone – millions still depend on a mechanical wristwatch. As they say, “time is money,” so the more accurate, the better. And if you’re spending significant money on a timepiece, especially thousands of dollars, you’re going to naturally demand the best performance from the movement. That’s what you get with a COSC certification. A guarantee of accuracy and performance, which in turn guarantees overall quality. This is not only a plus for the consumer, but it keeps moving brand and industry benchmarks forward.
All of HORAGE’s movements – K1, K2 and K-TOU Tourbillon – meet the accuracy standards of a chronometer (-4/+6 seconds per day). COSC certification doesn’t make one movement more accurate than another, but we again realize that it provides peace of mind to our community. All are built to the same standard, which is a rarity in the industry, especially at the price points HORAGE offers. A certified chronometer might be preferable to many, but when it comes to HORAGE, you know you’re always getting the best, regardless of a COSC certificate.
Head on over to the SUPERSEDE page and vote yes or no for chronometer certification before we move onto dial colors. https://www.horage.info/supersede
Feel free to reach out in the comments. It would be great to hear from you as I am a new addition to the Horage team of contributors.
Erik Slaven
For me COSC isn't an essential factor in the buying decision as I know what goes into the testing. The fact that they only test the movement outside of the case and they don't even have the rotor on makes the testing useless from my perspective. Movements can be altered or knocked after being sent to COSC when they get cased, therefore some may no longer fall within the testing parameters. METAS is a far better standard to truly show the accuracy of a watch, and not a movement. Have you guys checked out the new chronometer testing offered by The Horological Society of New York?