{"id":11270,"date":"2024-08-08T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kapoorwatch.com\/blogs\/?p=11270"},"modified":"2024-08-08T13:07:24","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T07:37:24","slug":"guide-what-are-cosc-and-metas-certified-watches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kapoorwatch.com\/blogs\/guide-what-are-cosc-and-metas-certified-watches\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide: What Are COSC and METAS Certified Watches?"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

If this article finds you, or vice versa, chances are you\u2019re comparing two sporty chronographs but miffed between two terminologies: \u2018METAS\u2019 and \u2018COSC\u2019 certification. We\u2019re here to give you a crash course on these two cr\u00e8me-de-la-cr\u00e8me chronometry certifications and what they mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term \u2018crisis\u2019 commonly accompanies \u2018Quartz\u2019 for good reason \u2013 they were inexpensive, battery-powered, bulk-manufactured, but most importantly, far more accurate than their mechanical counterparts at the time. This significantly rocked the Swiss mechanical watch industry, as movements were prone to irregularities caused by magnetic fields, gravity, temperature, or force. To regain industry trust, watch\/movement certifications were introduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine, if you will, a white-coated laboratory in the heart of Switzerland where watch movements undergo a battery of tests for fifteen consecutive days. Tested for shock, magnetism, temperature, and gravity resistance, all in pursuit of quality and reliable mechanical meticulousness. Survive this, and you\u2019ve achieved \u2018COSC Certification\u2019 \u2013 the first of two hallmarks of sheer horlogerie accuracy, met by merely 6% of all Swiss watches. The second is \u2018METAS Certification\u2019, which is more stringent in tests with an even lesser success rate, representing its benchmark of perfection as the true epitome of mechanical timekeeping accuracy. Even though maisons today have internal seals of accuracy, they still submit their movements and watches to these independent testing institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shedding light on who these precision-obsessed testing bodies are, what goes into their certifications, their differences, and why they matter, here\u2019s a crash course on COSC and METAS Master Chronometer Certifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COSC (Contr\u00f4le Officiel Suisse des Chronom\u00e8tres)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\"COSC<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Timepieces exist to tell us what time it is, not what it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right from the age-ol\u2019 chronometers that revolutionised maritime navigation to contemporary antimagnetic movements capable of withstanding the electromagnetic onslaught of the modern age \u2013 horlogerie\u2019s eternal mission has been precision. This was precisely the emotion that led to the Contr\u00f4le Officiel Suisse des Chronom\u00e8tres (COSC) founding in 1973. At the time, the industry sought a standardised, high-grade accuracy hallmark that could help regain consumer confidence against their Quartz competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The COSC certification process involves rigorous testing of exclusively watch movements over a 15-day period. During this time, the movements are evaluated on their daily rate, rate variation, and timekeeping across different positions and temperatures. Watches that pass these tests are engraved with the \u201cChronometer\u201d designation and revered as bastions of accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this time, the movements are subjected to various conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n