COSC Gets a New Look and a New Direct-to-Consumer Mission

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the agency that guaranteed your watch’s accuracy and the tests it used to do it? Thanks to a new initiative by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, aka COSC), you may be in luck. 

The COSC was founded in 1973 as the organization responsible for testing Swiss-made watches for accuracy, durability, and precision in order to certify them as chronometers according to the international ISO 3159 standard. Watches that pass the gauntlet of COSC tests carry the proud designation of “Certified Chronometer” on their dials. The testing regimen used to arrive at the prestigious certification, and the standards associated with it, have been well known to the more than 60 watch manufacturers that submit watches to COSC, but up until now have remained largely hidden from the end consumer. Now, after more than 50 years of service to the Swiss watch industry, COSC is on a mission to enhance its visibility to the public — to become, in the organization’s words, “a brand in its own right, not just a certification label.”

To this end, COSC will be rolling out a new logo and signature, a new website, a “content-rich” newsletter, and an active social media presence. It will also, in cooperation with its partner brands, introduce new certification cards for watch customers that will display precise testing data on that customer’s specific watch. With this new direct-to-consumer approach, COSC, says, partner brands (which include heavyweights like Rolex, Omega, and Breitling) will also benefit, as buyers’ direct access to their watches’ test results will lead to greater transparency and thus more trust in the brands’ quality control. 

“It’s not just about redesigning a logo; it’s about showcasing what we do best — fine watchmaking — alongside our client brands,” explains Andreas Wyss, Director of the COSC. “Certified by our three independent laboratories and 160 operators, we uphold the highest standards of precision and excellence. We serve a shared customer, ensuring they receive timepieces of unmatched quality. By certifying precision, embodying excellence, and making it known [emphasis mine], we contribute to the global reputation of the Swiss watch industry.”

You can get a glimpse of COSC’s new identity and mission on its Instagram page, which launched today. And you can read more about the watch industry’s chronometer testing standards in this article.