mechanical watch

Tightening Restrictions On Swiss Made Watches

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.

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Tags: mechanical watch, swiss made, timepiece, watch, watch movements, WatchMovements

Diaphane One Swatch

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

We recently saw the Fossil Twist which combines an inexpensive watch with a touch of watchmaking craft. Swatch, the popular maker of quirky plastic watches takes craft one step further. Their new mechanical watch is the Diaphane One. The watch has a revolving movement which is visible from both the front and the back and makes two full turns each hour. It has blued steel hands and an 18K pink gold flange, bezel and crown and a brown leather strap. Swatch hasn't forgotten their roots, the watch is mounted in a plastic case. The Diaphane One is a limited and numbered edition of only one hundred pieces and sells for around $3,000.

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Tags: diaphane, mechanical watch, swatch, timepiece, watch