Patek Philippe – Quality Worthy of Its Own Seal

The Poincon de Geneve, or Geneva Watch hallmark, has long been a symbol of prestige for luxury watch makers. Available only to watches that meet certain standards – one of which is being fabricated in the Geneve canton – it has been a mark of quality for more than 120 years. But at BaselWorld 2009, Patek Philippe announced that they would be abandoning the seal, in favour of their own quality mark.

This announcement comes amid more widespread skepticism about the value of the seal in today’s market. Indeed , the hallmark is seen by some as outdated and fairly irrelevant, given the number of exceptional watches that do not qualify for it because of geography alone. Not only that, the testing that the watches undergo is primarily visual. The hallmark was conceived to root out poor-quality imitations that could be distinguished by aesthetics alone, rather than to promote the most accurate. Small watchmakers also rail against the fact that technological improvements mean even production line movements can qualify, which do not have the same accuracy that handcrafted watches (which are meticulously fitted and adjusted) reach.

Patek Philippe has something different in mind with their new seal. It will vouch for the quality not only of the watch’s movement, but for case, strap, dial and numerous other components, along with the aesthetic appeal of the watch. The seal will also vouch for the accuracy of the watch, going above and beyond the Geneva Seal. They can do this because they produce all their components in-house, not just the movement, and so their seal guarantees the quality of the finished watch, with strict accuracy tests being imposed on all models. In fact, with the inaccuracy limits below being imposed upon all their watches, their standards are tighter than the COSC require in order for a watch to obtain chronometer status, with tourbillon watches having even tighter regulations, as you might expect:

Given the already outstanding reputation of Patek Philippe, not to mention the rigorous testing that they have announced, it isn’t too hard to see how they can afford to move away from a prestigious mark and form their own. In a few years, no doubt, no one will think twice about the switchover, other than to take it for granted. For connoisseur watch lovers, the Geneva Seal already conveys very little. With that being the case, what lies in store for the Poincon de Geneve?

Certainly, if it wishes to retain its reputation into the future, it will need to come up to date. The high quality watchmakers are no longer limited to the Geneve region. In fact, German-based and founded watchmaker A. Lange and Sohne’s Cabaret Tourbillon has just won Watch of the Year 2009 at BaselWorld in the Men’s watch category. In this fast-shrinking world, a seal that focuses on craftsmanship throughout the world will have greater relevance, rather than shutting out all but a few based upon the chance of their location.

As for Patek Philippe, their watches have always been built to the highest quality; a fact this seal will only confirm.