Stories

In 1999, Breitling became the first Swiss watchmaker to make the brave decision to have every timepiece—mechanical and quartz—certified as a chronometer. 

The move was meant to certify the watches’ billing as “Instruments for professionals,” the brand’s tagline at the time; brave because qualifying isn’t easy. To be certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), each movement must be individually tested for 15 days, in five positions, at three different temperatures. 

By the end of this gruelling battery of tests, mechanical movements must be proven to keep time accurately to within -4/+6 seconds per day, and less than half a second a day for quartz. Only 5 percent of watches produced in Switzerland are chronometer certified. Breitling’s decision to test every watch meant it would also have to engineer its production according to COSC standards—and that would require a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. 

In 2001, then-owner Theodore Schneider built the Breitling Chronometrie, an investment that ensured it could deliver on its commitment. The facility was designed to combat two of accuracy’s main foes: moisture and dust. With medical-grade ventilation systems, the air is replaced every 10 minutes, creating an environment where precision is paramount.

Today, Breitling’s internal standards for its manufacture movements surpass even COSC’s strict criteria. That means a 16-year aging test protocol comprised of around 60,000 shocks at 500G, over 100,000 crown winds, millions of oscillating weight turns, and nearly 6,000 chronograph pusher tests. 

After a 10-month trial by ordeal, a Breitling watch emerges with approximately a thousand checks under its belt. Excessive? Perhaps. But, for Breitling, that’s just another day at the office.