Certification

Methods of measurement

The OL are, to our knowledge, the only laboratories in the world to apply this standard industrially and to issue more than 1,000,000 official chronometer certificates per year. However, this represents only about 6% of Swiss watchmaking, highlighting the exceptional nature of the chronometer.
To this end, the watches are subjected to the strict test conditions described in the standard.

It is important to remember that these tests are entirely unrelated to a simulating behaviour when worn.

They are static tests in the laboratory, applied to timekeeping instruments and not to finished watches.
The results obtained give a snapshot of the operation of a timepiece at a given moment and attest to its intrinsic precision.

However, given their rigour, these tests are extremely selective and only the highest quality timekeeping instruments can aspire to passing them.
It is therefore a test of excellence, even though the behaviour of successful watches when worn will always be directly dependent on the wearers themselves.
In order to obtain the chronometer certificate, a timepiece must not only be made of the best quality components, but must also have been assembled with the greatest care by the best watchmakers and setters.
It is therefore a product with very high added value, clearly distinct from the standard quality watchmaking production.