Just recently the Fleurier Quality Foundation announced a fifth quality mark in order for timepieces to be stamped with the official Fleurier seal. Unfamiliar with the other four existing requirements or what exactly the seal means? The seal has been used for nearly a decade now and it is one of the most rigid certifications for Swiss watches. The current criteria are as follows:
- Precision, measured by the COSC --the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute.
- Durability and reliability, measured by Chronofiable tests.
- Precision when worn, tested by a 24-hour test on a Fleuritest simulator developed by the Foundation.
- Technical and aesthetic quality which correspond to the requirements of the haute horlogerie.
In other words, it's not easy for watches to receive the seal. The new criterion requests that the timepieces be 100% manufactured in Switzerland, which makes sense considering it is a seal of Swiss approval. The new requirement is proof, "all the operations – the development, manufacture, assembly, and control of the watch head and its components, have been carried out in Switzerland, with the exception of non-tooled materials."
The new criterion is probably the easiest to achieve compared to the others. Currently the seal has been stamped on the likes of Chopard and Vaucher. It's no easy feat, but it's one that every Swiss watchmaker desires.
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