TicTacTalks ForumPosted by YvesOdier
August 2, 2006 - 09:33AM cet
IP : 81.53.122.133
Email : yves.odier@wanadoo.fr
Poinçon de Genève - 'The Geneva Seal' Geneva has long been home to the finest watchmakers in the world. Watch making was first recorded in the city of Genève in 1554, and rapidly became central to Geneva's society and economy. By the end of the eighteenth century, around one third of Geneva's working population was involved in the horology industry, and the engraving of the word 'Genève' on the movements of watches finished in the city soon came to indicate a superlative level of quality and craftsmanship. The Society of Watchmakers was formed in 1873 to better formalise the ongoing search for excellence in watch making. The society persuaded Geneva's Grand Council to set up an inspectorate, drawn from the city's Ecole d'Horlogerie (School of Horology), to examine and certify the best mechanical watches. Thus was born the 'Poinçon de Genève' – (the Geneva Seal), and today, the Geneva Seal still sets the most demanding standards for watch making in the world. As a sign of the most rigorous standards of workmanship, 'the Geneva Seal' is stamped on all the mechanical movements (manual and self-winding). The hallmark on a watch movement certifies that it conforms to the highest official standard of traditional Geneva watchmaking. For traditional connoisseurs, the tiny seal with the Geneva arms (the eagle and key) means one thing: workmanship of outstanding quality. It was instituted by the State of Geneva in 1886 in order to provide a guarantee of the origin and the craftsmanship of clocks and watches made in Geneva. The criteria include 12 technical absolute requirements* which are related to the manufacturing of the movement. Only manual and self-winding mechanical movements can be awarded the 'Côte de Genève' (Geneva Seal). The Geneva Seal: Criteria: Horologers who are awarded the Geneva Seal must meet the following criteria. 1A*:- The workmanship of all the calibre's components, including those of the additional mechanisms, must meet the requirements of the office for optional inspection of Geneva watches. 1B*:- Steel parts must have polished angles and their visible surfaces smoothed down. Screw-heads have to be polished, with their slots and rims chamfered. 2:*- All movements should be fitted with ruby jewels with polished convex-shaped holes for all train and escape wheel pivots. On the bridge side the jewels should incorporate a polished counter sink. A centre wheel jewel hole in the base plate is not required. 3:*- The balance spring should be pinned up in a grooved plate with a stud having a rounded collar and cap. Mobile studs are allowed. 4:*- Split or fitted indexes are allowed with a holding system except in extra thin calibres where the holding system is not required. 5:*- Regulating systems (balances) with variable radius of gyration are allowed provided they comply with criteria one (A) and one (B). 6:*- The wheels of the going-train have to be chamfered above and below and have a polished sink. In wheels 0.15 mm thick or less, a single chamfer is allowed on the bridge side. 7:*- In wheel assemblies, the pivot shanks and the faces of the pinion leaves have to be polished. 8:*- The escape wheel has to be light, not more than 0.16 mm thick in large Calibres and 0.13 mm in calibres under 18 mm, and its locking-faces have to be polished. 9:*- The angle traversed by the lever is to be limited by fixed banking walls to the exclusion of pins or studs. 10:*- Movements fitted with shock-proofing are accepted. 11:*- The ratchet wheel and the crown wheel should be finished according to registered patterns. 12:*- Wire springs are not accepted. This info is gathered from publications published by: Patek Philippe Yves.
