Geneva Seal

The Geneva Seal (English), Poinçon de Genève (French), or Genfer Siegel (German) is the official seal of the City and Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. When a variation of the official seal is applied to wrist watch movements, the Geneva Seal is the quality seal of the Watchmaking School of Geneva and it has an official purpose as defined by the law.

The term is often mistakenly translated from the French as the "Geneva hallmark", as the word poinçon means "punch" and is the word used for hallmark. However, a hallmark is an official mark attesting to the fineness of a precious metal object. In this context the German translation of hallmark, which is "stempel" or "stamp" may be helpful to foster an understanding of and distinguish the terms. The motif of the Geneva Seal is the seal of the Canton of Geneva. This becomes evident when one translates its name from the German. As the reader may recall the official languages of Switzerland are German, French, Italian and Romantch (used in that order). But this issue about the translation is still a matter of debate because the term used by Timelab is the "Hallmark of Geneva". (Timelab is an organization which is composed of a centre for certifications(Hallmark of Geneva, COSC, Sport time-keeping) and a centre for Research and Development.)

The Geneva seal in horology (watches), is a certification reserved for wrist watch movements made in the City or Canton of Geneva. Although it is concerned mainly with the finishing and decoration of the watch movement, it is considered a high accolade in the industry. Precision testing, though not mandatory, is an option in the inspection process.

Read more about Geneva Seal:  General Overview of The Geneva Seal, The Key Points of The Enabling Statute, The Translated Text of The Specific Regulations For Geneva Seal Watch Movements

Famous quotes containing the words geneva and/or seal:

    Wise men read very sharply all your private history in your look and gait and behavior. The whole economy of nature is bent on expression. The tell-tale body is all tongues. Men are like Geneva watches with crystal faces which expose the whole movement.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    What is the seal of liberation?—No longer to be ashamed in our own presence.
    Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)