Fake Rolex Watch Craftsmanship – Officially Certified Chronometer

“Officially Certified Chronometer” is a Rolex watch mark and an official certification of the watch’s precision. It is also closely linked to the brand’s intrinsic values, just like the words “Oyster” and “Perpetual” are engraved on the dial. But what is the meaning of this quality mark? What is its origin? And why is it used to explain the concept of “superlative chronometer”?

As we all know, all Oyster Perpetual watches today are superlative chronometer watches. The words “Officially Certified Chronometer” on the surface confirm this and symbolize the brand’s unremitting pursuit of excellent precision timekeeping, making fake rolex a pioneer in developing precision watches as early as the early 20th century.

In 1910, one of Rolex’s swiss models became the first watch in Switzerland to receive the official chronometer certification. In 1914, a similar Rolex watch was awarded the “Class A” chronometer certification by the famous Kew Observatory in the UK.

The brand has fully explained the meaning of this famous title at every critical moment in its pursuit of precision clocks, and it was not until around 1957 that the title was finally finalized. It went from the initial word “Chr,” odometer,” to “Officially Certified Chro, “meter,” and finally to the “Superlative Chronometer Officially Cer.” field.”

Definition of a chronometer

Let’s first review the definition of a timepiece. A chronometer is an officially certified, highly accurate timepiece that deviates from the actual time by less than a few seconds per day. Currently, the maximum deviation of a men’s mechanical watch movement is limited to four seconds slow or six seconds fast per day, with an accuracy rate of 99.993%! An independent organization must approve this accuracy through rigorous testing for 15 days and nights. Only movements that meet the standards can be awarded a chronometer certificate by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).

Official certification

Chronometers imply official certification, so why must they be specifically marked? Historically, there have been different naming rules for “chronometers,” the official definition was originally “a watch that is accurate enough to obtain an official rating certificate.” This shows that watchmakers can issue certifications for chronometers themselves, and this process involves the risk of fraud. To ensure the quality of clocks, Rolex chose to submit its watches for official certification regardless of the cost and extra time required. The brand changed the engraving on the dial from “Chronometer” to “Officially Certified Chronometer” in the late 1930s to mark this distinction.

“Extreme” precision

In 1951, official certification became a mandatory standard. This was a victory for Rolex, as the brand has produced nearly 90% of officially certified chronometers since 1927. At the same time, each Rolex watch was accompanied by a red lacquer seal with the words “Officially Certified Chronometer.” However, when official certification became the sales norm, the brand’s precision timepieces lost a critical advantage. As competitors continued to improve, Rolex aimed to obtain “certificates of superior performance” to distinguish itself. According to the old rules, a certificate with “excellent results” was obtained if the movement’s accuracy was proven excellent in the test. In the early 1950s, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf’s determination to get “certificates of superior performance” continued unabated. In January 1959, he wrote: “We have reached the point where we must obtain all the “certificates of superior performance”!” He concluded: “This will increase the reputation of Rolex day by day.”

Finally, an essential innovative technology made this goal possible. In 1957, Rolex introduced a new generation of movements with outstanding chronometric performance, called the 1500 caliber, with a balance wheel equipped with a gold fine-tuning screw (now replaced by a star-shaped fine-tuning nut). Its chronometric results were three times higher than the standard for obtaining a certificate. To demonstrate this extraordinary quality, Rolex conceived the “Superlative Chronometer” concept.

A tribute to the Day-Date watch

The name was later added to the inscription on the dial, forming the world-famous “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified.” Although no specific date was recorded, this updated inscription was believed to have first appeared on the dial of the prestigious Day-Date watch, launched the previous year, in 1957.

The “Superlative Performance Certificate” was finally discontinued in 1973 with the establishment of the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). This organization brought together the official watch rating centers and jointly established new standards: the movement test had only two results, either meeting the stricter criteria than before or failing to meet the standards. However, what remains unchanged is that this title conceived by Rolex is a symbol of the pursuit of excellence and a testimony to the brand’s status as a pioneer in precision timekeeping.