Raising Bar the

Steven Crane

or decades, the mark of precision throughout the Swiss watch industry has been certification by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Insitute (COSC). This independent Swiss institution provides neutral and independent testing and certification for timekeeping accuracy, and is the only body in Switzerland that can grant the use of the term “chronometer” on a watch dial.

But Omega, a luxury watch company with a range of Cosccertified models, has upped the ante with the creation of the Master Chronometer Certification. In conjunction with the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (Metas), the brand has developed new benchmarks that subject its movements, as well as its completed watches, to eight Master Chronometer tests over 10 days.

Each watch must pass a range of criteria that replicate real-life wearing conditions, including immersion in water, fluctuations of temperature and exposure to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss.

While industry-standard COSC certification remains an integral part of Omega’s process, the new Metas testing effectively doubles the tried, tested and true standard for chronometers, giving Omega and other Swiss watchmakers the means to demonstrate the quality and timekeeping performance of their watches to a greater extent than ever before.

For the watch, this means overcoming magnetism, less friction within the movement, greater mechanical efficiency and outstanding chronometric performance over time.

For the customer, this guarantees that precision lasts longer and that there will be much longer intervals between the servicing of a timepiece. Omega is also providing customers with total transparency.