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Well first lets not forget why the COSC was first formed and Rolex is the largest brand to have watches tested there, so large that Rolex have there own special testing machine there.The COSC test is now quite antiquated because only bare uncased movements are tested, and today IMHO its little more than a pure marketing ploy.As most movements today with a bit of patience and regulation could pass this test, but to regulate and each movement takes time, and time = money today plus the charge for testing each bare movement at the COSC.
And before the Swiss COSC was formed as we all know it today there was the Observatory testing competitions to a much higher standard than todays wartered down COSC test. And then during the entire 23 years of testing,only 5093 wristwatches were submitted for certification, and only 3253 were passed, about 64% pass rate.Today the first time pass rate at the COSC is around 85-90% with a million plus watches being tested anually.Now in those early Observatory testing days just a few manufacturers participated, and only Omega and Patek did so every year. The others were: Rolex, Zenith, Longines, Movado, Vacheron & Constantin, Ulysse Nardin, Cyma and Favre-Leuba, along with numerous independent professional watchmakers.
Now that was until the mechanical Seiko come on the scene and started to wipe the floor with the Swiss mechanical watch industry.Only 2 brands in the + 23 years of the competitions submitted movements of serial production for retail sale(Seiko and GP).All other brands were specially made movements just for the competition.and it was ended by the swiss in the early 1970s after two straight wins by the Japanese straight off the production line Seiko Grand.
Now Seiko first entered the competition,with watches from all over the world,including most of the Swiss high end brands.But for a much higher standard than the now Swiss COSC,the Astronomical Observatory Authorisation Chronometer Standard.Out of many watches summited only two passed this very very strict test a Seiko Grand just off the production line model, and Giraud Peregaux this time a specially build for the test model.And in the late 1960s there were only two companies, who could sell watches, passed Astronomical Observatory Authorisation Chronometer in those days,it was Seiko and Giraud Peregaux.As the Japanese had dominated in the late 1960s and the two preceding events, in 1972 some Swiss watch manufacturers demanded the end of the observatory competitions,and it was ended in 1973,thats when the COSC was founded.So when we all look at our Rolex watches running to plus or minus couple of seconds day. Just think back 30 odd years when a few companies had watches running more accurate than the present COSC tested watches.
And before the Swiss COSC was formed as we all know it today there was the Observatory testing competitions to a much higher standard than todays wartered down COSC test. And then during the entire 23 years of testing,only 5093 wristwatches were submitted for certification, and only 3253 were passed, about 64% pass rate.Today the first time pass rate at the COSC is around 85-90% with a million plus watches being tested anually.Now in those early Observatory testing days just a few manufacturers participated, and only Omega and Patek did so every year. The others were: Rolex, Zenith, Longines, Movado, Vacheron & Constantin, Ulysse Nardin, Cyma and Favre-Leuba, along with numerous independent professional watchmakers.
Now that was until the mechanical Seiko come on the scene and started to wipe the floor with the Swiss mechanical watch industry.Only 2 brands in the + 23 years of the competitions submitted movements of serial production for retail sale(Seiko and GP).All other brands were specially made movements just for the competition.and it was ended by the swiss in the early 1970s after two straight wins by the Japanese straight off the production line Seiko Grand.
Now Seiko first entered the competition,with watches from all over the world,including most of the Swiss high end brands.But for a much higher standard than the now Swiss COSC,the Astronomical Observatory Authorisation Chronometer Standard.Out of many watches summited only two passed this very very strict test a Seiko Grand just off the production line model, and Giraud Peregaux this time a specially build for the test model.And in the late 1960s there were only two companies, who could sell watches, passed Astronomical Observatory Authorisation Chronometer in those days,it was Seiko and Giraud Peregaux.As the Japanese had dominated in the late 1960s and the two preceding events, in 1972 some Swiss watch manufacturers demanded the end of the observatory competitions,and it was ended in 1973,thats when the COSC was founded.So when we all look at our Rolex watches running to plus or minus couple of seconds day. Just think back 30 odd years when a few companies had watches running more accurate than the present COSC tested watches.
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