After 125 years, the Poinçoin de Genève has been upgraded for the 21st Century
The Poinçoin de Genève or Geneva Hallmark (it is a stamped ‘hallmark’ rather than a ‘seal’) was created by the Swiss Canton of Geneva over 125 years ago to differentiate their esteemed haute horlogorie timepieces from the tide of cheap low-quality being marketed using the ‘Geneva’ name. It was one of the world’s first initiatives to combat counterfeiting.
The requirements for a timepiece to merit the hallmark, and it is an actual stamp in lead, were written into Geneva Canton law—a fact that gave the distinction gravitas, but also made it more difficult to change.
To qualify, the movement—and it was movements that were controlled, not watches— had to be made in Geneva canton to the accepted best practices of the time (1886) with regards to hand finishing (polish, bevels, decorations) and technical details including the fixation of the balance spring. Until 2009, the Poinçoin de Genève was administered by the Geneva Watchmaking School; however, it is now under the auspices of TimeLab, a private foundation that is also responsible for COSC testing in Geneva.
New requirements
The new requirements for the Poinçoin de Genève take effect in June 2012. The major changes, most of which are in addition to the existing obligations, now require testing on the complete working watch rather than just a static movement. Watches seeking certification must be assembled, cased and adjusted in the canton of Geneva by companies registered in Geneva. All movement and some case components are first certified before assembly. The cased watch is then tested for water-resistance, accuracy and power reserve. Precision is tested over a week in simulated real-world conditions regarding temperature and positions. The watch cannot have gained or lost more than one minute after the seven-day test.
The new Poinçoin de Genève is great news for the collector in terms of the confidence an independently certified high quality watch inspires, but may lead to increase price tags as it takes approximately 40% more time—an expensive item in Geneva—to create a watch to Geneva Hallmark standards than one that isn’t. Some of the bigger brands committed to the Poinçoin de Genève are Vacheron Constantin, Chopard, Roger Dubuis and Cartier so watch to see if their pricing rises to match their now-certified high quality.
