“Swiss made” is the legal label that marks a watch as Swiss. Swiss rules set out what a watch must meet before it can carry the words. Under the stricter rules from 2017, at least 60% of the cost of making the whole watch must be incurred in Switzerland. The movement must also be cased there.
What does a watch need to qualify as Swiss made?
The ordinance sets out rules for both the watch and its movement. For a watch to qualify, its movement must be fitted into its case in Switzerland. Besides the cost rule for the whole watch, the movement has a rule of its own. A movement counts as Swiss when at least 60% of its manufacturing costs are incurred in Switzerland. Meeting these rules does not mean every part comes from Switzerland. A watch can qualify as Swiss made and still not be made entirely there.
Where it comes from
Most countries mark their goods in the “Made in Switzerland” style. Swiss watches instead carry the words “Swiss made”. This wording became official in the late 1800s. For watches, the label is governed by an ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council that dates from December 1971. The watch industry later asked for changes to it. As a result, the ordinance was partly revised in June 2016.
How did the rules change in 2017?
In June 2013, the Swiss parliament approved a new “Swissness” law. It tightened the rules behind the label, and the stricter rules applied from 2017. Under the older rules, a movement counted as Swiss if at least half of its value, not counting assembly, was produced in Switzerland. The new rules raised that bar. A movement now needs a Swiss share of at least 60% of its manufacturing costs. The same threshold now applies to the watch as a whole, not only to its movement.
Not to be confused with
A watch can have a Swiss movement without qualifying as Swiss made overall. Such a watch may say “Swiss Movement”. It may not show “Swiss made” or the short form “Swiss Movt” on its case or dial. The difference matters when reading a dial. “Swiss Movement” speaks only about the movement inside. “Swiss made” means the watch as a whole has met the rules.
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