What is a Chronometer rating on a watch?
Simply put, a Chronometer is a rating for a watch in regards to its accuracy. However a Chronometer rating not only applies to wrist watches; it can also apply to pocket watches, marine and observatory chronometers and various other scientific timing equipment. The history of the Chronometer rating. For a wrist watch to be certified as a “Chronometer”, it must first go the non-profit company in Switzerland called the COSC which stands for Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres. The history of the COSC goes back to the end of the 19th Century, and was founded by five watchmaking states of Switzerland: Geneva, Bern, Neuchâtel, Vaud and Solothurn, together with the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FHS). Originally, a chronometer was used as a timekeeper that was precise enough to be used as a portable time standard, usually in order to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation Today there are 3 laboratories which now test the movements submitted by watch companies to
