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"Swissness" No legal requirement for "Swiss Made"

Thomas Carey

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6/3/13
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I am guessing many here will feel as I do that "Swissness" is Swiss for B.S....At one time I believe they wanted to go to a 80% requirement which I support.

Instead after 6 years they up it 10%. Already many are crying fowl over it. Well the Swiss have the world believing in their precious "Swiss Made" label. Despite the fact very little is really Swiss. Plus they charge a premium for it.

I say put it to 80% and let it really mean something. Which would inflate their prices so high that the rest of the world would finally say F that I am getting a Seiko or some such. =)
 

Thomas Carey

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Ahh for those of you thinking this from the guy that claims his upcoming watches are American made.

We do not claim that. We just state assembled in the U.S. and we do hope to up the American content as we grow.
 

trailboss99

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"Swiss Made" is a joke, total marketing bullshit.
So a little more of the value must now be Swiss, so what? With the disparity in wages betwixt Switzerland and China all you need do is assemble the movement from mostly Chinese parts and a Swiss balance assembly and it's a Swiss watch.

We all know companies such as Hamilton, Longines, Ebel and Cartier all make case sets and bracelets in China not to mention the scandal a couple of years back when a certain top tier Swiss maker (whom shall remain nameless) was caught trying to smuggle 1000s of China made ETA clones into the country complete with ETA markings.

No other country set such low standards for "Xxxx Made" as the home of watchmaking. It may sound reasonable to some but when you realise it's 60% of value and not content almost anyone can see it's a total con.
 

Luthier

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30/9/09
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I like this comment:
"Given that I'm not aware of any Gold, Platinum or Diamond mines in Switzerland does this mean that an 18ct yellow gold Patek Philippe with diamonds set bezel cannot claim to be 'Swiss Made' as more than 60% of the value will not be Swiss in origin?"
:rofl:
And here's absurd:
"To date, the watch industry complies with a 40-year-old directive that says that at least 50% of the value of the watch movement, not including the strap, case, glas and dial, must be Swiss."
Excuse me, what else in the watch??? Movement???
:picard:
 

trailboss99

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You have it Luth, 50% of the value of the movement must be Swiss made. Not 50% of the movement, 50% of it's value.
 

trailboss99

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Sorry, it's never been publicly stated who it was and I'd rather not be sued and shut down as a result of doing so.
 

Thomas Carey

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You have it Luth, 50% of the value of the movement must be Swiss made. Not 50% of the movement, 50% of it's value.

Not only that and correct me if I am wrong but they can take that movement. Mary with all Chinese parts and as long as that final work is done in Switzerland. They have then been able to call it Swiss.

So they up 60% but what if they just decide that "Swiss Movement" now counts for more than it did? That or the Swiss labor?
 

txrob779

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The ShopNBC seller who shall remain nameless :rofl: pppfffftttttttttt Sell em Tim
 

Thomas Carey

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rhymes with?

I have worked with people who are Swiss and inside the industry when I have done some social media work etc for other brands.

It was often alluded to me that there are questionable things being done with those Swiss ETA movements. They would tell me that they have long been hearing rumor's but no one seemed to know for sure...

The one thing I learned is that "Swiss Made" is nothing more than an effort to re-brand components mostly sourced from other countries. It's a big Swiss con to be blunt. Also I found that the German laws were even more lax..
 

trailboss99

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Not only that and correct me if I am wrong but they can take that movement. Mary with all Chinese parts and as long as that final work is done in Switzerland. They have then been able to call it Swiss.

So they up 60% but what if they just decide that "Swiss Movement" now counts for more than it did? That or the Swiss labor?

Yup, it all depends on what value you put on things. Since the case, dial, bracelet and crystal are exempt all that is really needed is to assemble a China made movement in Switzerland using a Swiss Balance assembly and assemble it into your China made case set, dial, crystal and bracelet, do your testing & QC in Switzerland and you have exceeded 60% on a value basis with ease.
 

trailboss99

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The ShopNBC seller who shall remain nameless :rofl: pppfffftttttttttt Sell em Tim
Not sure WTF you are on about Rob but if you are alluding to a certain maker after I made it plain I didn't want that to happen . . . .
 

Capt. Obvious

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No other country set such low standards for "Xxxx Made" as the home of watchmaking. It may sound reasonable to some but when you realise it's 60% of value and not content almost anyone can see it's a total con.

You're wrong there. LOTS of other industry sections behave in EXACTLY the same manner.

Example.
Leather goods and clothes from most HIGH end "Italian" fashion labels such Gucci, D&G, Prada etc... use not only imported leather and fabrics, but also illegally employed workers and Chinese factories abroad. They exploit black market, have a bag made for $19, then sell it for $1900, if not more.

It is SCANDALOUS and DISGUSTING the kind of margins they make, hence why I boycott luxury firms.

This information is out there on YouTube from an ITALIAN documentary
called "Schiavi Del Lusso" (slaves of luxury).

So when you buy ANYTHING that costs $1000, know that the manufacturing value of that item closer to €50 (about 1/100).

And when you get something at 50% off, the manufacturer is STILL making a pretty hefty profit!
 

Luthier

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If you, folks, only know, how many "Swiss" brands are made in China, and only assembling (usually installing the completed mov't with dial and hands into the case) done in Switzerland. Gosh, Rolex make their SS cases in China!!!
 

Thomas Carey

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6/3/13
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You're wrong there. LOTS of other industry sections behave in EXACTLY the same manner.

Example.
Leather goods and clothes from most HIGH end "Italian" fashion labels such Gucci, D&G, Prada etc... use not only imported leather and fabrics, but also illegally employed workers and Chinese factories abroad. They exploit black market, have a bag made for $19, then sell it for $1900, if not more.

It is SCANDALOUS and DISGUSTING the kind of margins they make, hence why I boycott luxury firms.

This information is out there on YouTube from an ITALIAN documentary
called "Schiavi Del Lusso" (slaves of luxury).

So when you buy ANYTHING that costs $1000, know that the manufacturing value of that item closer to €50 (about 1/100).

And when you get something at 50% off, the manufacturer is STILL making a pretty hefty profit!

The heck of it is when you try to tell people the truth they either don't care or just don't believe a word of what you are saying. I have tried several times in the past. Now I just don't bother trying. :facepalm:
 

trailboss99

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You're wrong there. LOTS of other industry sections behave in EXACTLY the same manner.

Example.
Leather goods and clothes from most HIGH end "Italian" fashion labels such Gucci, D&G, Prada etc... use not only imported leather and fabrics, but also illegally employed workers and Chinese factories abroad. They exploit black market, have a bag made for $19, then sell it for $1900, if not more.

It is SCANDALOUS and DISGUSTING the kind of margins they make, hence why I boycott luxury firms.

This information is out there on YouTube from an ITALIAN documentary
called "Schiavi Del Lusso" (slaves of luxury).

So when you buy ANYTHING that costs $1000, know that the manufacturing value of that item closer to €50 (about 1/100).

And when you get something at 50% off, the manufacturer is STILL making a pretty hefty profit!


Yes I'm aware of that but they are not doing it totally legally (as far as calling it Italian Made goes) and we are talking state laws regarding what it takes to be called "made in Xxxx" not what the markup of a product is.
 

Capt. Obvious

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The heck of it is when you try to tell people the truth they either don't care or just don't believe a word of what you are saying. I have tried several times in the past. Now I just don't bother trying. :facepalm:

It's because many people strive to acquire those things and they dont want to hear that they are striving for nothing, or, even worse, that when they bought that bag for $5000, they were RIPPED off!!!

Its a huge business, nobody wants it dismantled.

I say, GOOD FOR THOSE IN THE KNOW!!!