The COSC is 50 years old

Exactly 50 years ago, on Thursday 13 September 1973, the founding assembly of the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, (commonly known under its abbreviation, COSC) was held at the Château de Neuchâtel, and the statutes of the new association were adopted by delegates from the watchmaking cantons, representatives of the main watch manufacturers, and members of the watchmaking organisations, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry and the Swiss Chamber of Watchmaking.

Over the past five decades, the COSC has earned an unrivalled reputation for certifying the precision of mechanical and quartz watches. Through rigorous procedures and strict evaluation criteria, the institution has established world-class precision standards for Swiss watches. Watchmakers have had to comply with these strict requirements in order to be certified, which has contributed to the excellence and renown of Swiss watchmaking as a whole.

In 1976, the Horology Committee of the International Organization for Standardization, set up in 1964, adopted a standard for “wrist-chronometers with a spring balance oscillator”. In Switzerland, it was adopted the same year by the NIHS. In 2009, a technical revision of the standard was adopted. This became the basis for the certification applied by the COSC.

Over the years, the COSC has become much more than just a precision certification body. It has become a symbol of quality, know-how and expertise in the watch industry. Watches bearing the COSC label are recognised and appreciated throughout the world for their precision.

Today, the COSC is composed of three “observation offices” in French-speaking Switzerland, located as close as possible to watch manufacturers and operating seven days a week, 350 days a year, coordinated by the management team based in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Between them, they certify more than two million units per year.

Public authorities play an important role in the concrete structure of the COSC, since the premises of the three official observation offices belong to them, and the staff of these offices come under the authority of the commune (Le Locle, Saint-Imier) or the canton (Biel/Bienne), depending on the case.

The three observation offices (BO) are practically replicas of each other: each is dedicated to the same work, has the same equipment, similar systems and applies identical procedures.

In all, the equivalent of about 60 full-time staff (and around seven auxiliaries trained by the COSC) work in the observation offices. Most of them are specialised operators.

The success of the COSC is perfectly illustrated by the number of timepieces submitted over the last 50 years. The record number of timepieces tested by the end of 2022 will be 2,428,849 and 2,325,768 certificates issued. The percentage of failures and other reasons for refusal is only 3.8%. This result confirms the excellence of Swiss watchmaking expertise. The number of applicants at the end of 2022 was 56 Swiss manufacturers, which also demonstrates the unifying aspect of the COSC.

Behind each certificate issued by the COSC lies a great deal of hard work, extremely meticulous care and an unbridled passion for watchmaking. The COSC technicians perform demanding tests on each watch submitted for inspection. Every movement or watch is scrupulously checked and every detail meticulously examined to ensure that the watch meets the highest standards of precision.

It is this constant quest for excellence and self-surpassing that has enabled the COSC to become an international benchmark. Swiss watchmakers have consistently innovated and perfected their watches and movements to meet COSC requirements. They have succeeded in combining tradition and modernity, keeping the soul of Swiss watchmaking alive while incorporating the latest technological advances.

Year after year, the COSC continues to accompany the evolution of Swiss watchmaking by broadening its field of action. It certifies not only mechanical watches, but also quartz watches according to its own specifications. It also contributes to the reputation of watch brands by helping them to promote their certified products, thereby boosting consumer confidence.

To mark the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, a book has been published on the social and economic history of chronometry, from the 18^th century to the present day. Written by Pierre-Yves Donzé, historian and professor at Osaka University, the book is available from Alphil.

October 05, 2023