In a move that I find similar to the push to preserve the integrity of wine appellations like Champagne, the
Swiss Watch Federation has
voted to crack down the term Swiss Made when it comes to watches. The move comes as a response to many foreign-made watches being stamped "Swiss Made" even if many of the components are foreign made and just assembled in Switzerland. The majority of the Federation (87 percent) voted for a new tougher proposal calling for at least 80 percent of mechanical watches and 60 percent of quartz ones to be done in Switzerland in order to qualify for the label. Some watchmakers say that the proposal would increase the costs of smaller companies and could force them out of the business. But larger companies for the most part support the move as a way to protect the integrity of the Swiss made label which is seen by consumers to be a mark of quality.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Zola Jul 10th 2007 1:19PM
A right medium to salvage typecast about national traits to give a better understanding of innovation.
http://www.criticblog.org/2007/07/10/are-swiss-watches-swiss-made/
Angel Gleed Jul 10th 2007 2:14PM
It is the company's obligation to do these steps because it is deceiving to be buying products that were branded as such and yet the materials were really not genuinely made from the said manufacturing company.It is like buying an original LV bag, and what will you feel if you found out that its just a great copy cat and you are just buying the "name" not the quality anymore. It is now about matters of integrity and service to their customers.
http://miamirealestateinc.org
Dmitry Paradis Jul 10th 2007 6:28PM
Angel: the issue here is not buying a copy cat bag, a more appropriate analogy would be buying a BMW with the fuel-pump gasket manufactured by someone else. How many gaskets per car are allowable to be outsourced, is the discussion. Watch components like mainsprings, balances, gears and pinions, cases and crystals, can be manufactured in other parts of the world for much less money to the (arguably) same degree of quality. I can see both sides of the issue, smaller bona-fide Swiss companies have to keep their cost down to compete, while bigger ones can absorb it. In any case, ultimately, it will be hard to regulate just how much of a watch is 80%, so I think it's largely a farce.
Zola: reading your article, it seems that you really have no in-depth knowledge or perspective of horology which makes you an inadequate critic. Apart from a few overlichéd stereotypes, you've failed to provide any relevant information whatsoever.