Recently, the famous watchmaking brand Omega and Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology held a press conference in Geneva’s Cité duTemps, announcing that they will launch a new Watch certification process. In 2015, Omega will test the brand’s watches equipped with master coaxial escapement movements. Swatch CEO Nick Hayek, Dr. Christian Bock, head of the Federal Institute of Metrology, Stephen Urquhart, Omega President, Raynald Aeschlimann, and Andreas Hobmeier, Vice Presidents attended the press conference.
After welcoming media reporters and guests, Mr. Stephen Urquhart reviewed important technical milestones in Omega’s long history, including the brand’s anti-magnetic mechanical movement that can withstand 15,000 Gauss in 2013 (this movement is also used this year On the Master Co-Axial Watch launched by Omega earlier this year). He explained that more and more magnetic interference in daily life would affect the performance of the watch, and then a short film showed how Omega can overcome this huge challenge in the watchmaking industry.
Mr. Nick Hayek pointed out that, for a long time, the Swatch Group has been a leader in the development of the Swiss watch industry and the “Made in Switzerland” label. The continuous innovation results have made the development road more stable, and he is very satisfied with it. Subsequently, he added that the Swatch Group will continue to maintain the leading position in the Swiss watch industry, and establishing a cooperation with the Federal Institute of Metrology will be a wise strategic move next.
Mr. Nick Hayek believes that COSC (Swiss Official Observatory Certification) has long been an industry standard and specification that needs to be strengthened, and this has become increasingly apparent in recent years.
It is expected that the first Omega Master Coaxial Watch with a new official certification mark will be released in mid-2015. The most significant difference between the new certification and the previous one is that it will test the finished watch (not just the movement).
The head of the Federal Institute of Metrology, Dr. Christian Bock, introduced the important role played by the Institute of Metrology in the Swiss federal government-the Federal Institute of Metrology is the backbone of the government in all matters related to measurement. Dr. Christian Bock also said that compared to the previous, the new certification process not only provides Omega, but also all Swiss watchmaking brands with a greater degree of opportunity to prove the timing performance of their products. More importantly, he pointed out that the Federal Institute of Metrology is a completely independent organization. There is no discrimination and prejudice. It only measures neutrality to ensure that it is not affected in any way. In addition, the cooperation with Omega is not exclusive, and other brands will have the opportunity to get the same certification services.
According to Mr. Raynald Aeschlimann, Vice President and International Sales Director of Omega, the Federal Institute of Metrology is an important part of the Swiss Federal Government. The choice of such an independent body to perform measurement and certification proves Omega’s courage, just like opening a single brand boutique, The transparent bottom case reveals the same as the patented movement. ‘All of these define Omega. We opened a single brand boutique to allow consumers to explore every detail of their beloved watches up close. The transparent design is also an important part of the brand’s history, and this time it is completely independent. The new ‘Made in Switzerland’ certification ensures the quality of every watch with an imprint, not just for Omega, but an important milestone for the entire industry. ‘
Andreas Hobmeier, the vice president in charge of brand production and procurement, detailed the various tests that Omega Master Coaxial Watches need to pass to obtain official certification. Watches participating in the accuracy test will be placed in an environment with a magnetic force of more than 15,000 Gauss with a daily tolerance range of 0 to +5 seconds. At that time, the owner of the Omega Master Co-Axial Watch will be able to learn the parameters of the certified watch online or through a smartphone.
When finally answering the media representative’s question, Mr. Nick Hayek said that at present, the innovative test certification procedure adopted by the Omega Master coaxial escapement is unparalleled, and the need for new standards will promote the development of other brands. ‘And this,’ he said, ‘will promote the entire industry-not just Switzerland, but also China, Japan and other countries with a history of innovation. The most important thing is that consumers will benefit from it. Therefore, this is really a good thing for the long-term development of the industry. ‘