At its general meeting, the FH decided to propose the strengthening of the ordinance of the Federal Council concerning use of the name Swiss for watches, the famous Swiss made ordinance.

Held at the Hôtel Elite in Biel on 28 June, the 2007 general meeting of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry was marked above all by the willingness of delegates to revise the Swiss made ordinance and their conviction that this indication of origin is of great value in the eyes of consumers around the world.

The current regulations have been subject to criticism for several years, particularly within the industry, where they are deemed to be too lax. However in legal circles, too, it is felt that they no longer fully cover the legal remit specified in the law on trademarks. Consequently, to protect the reputation and credibility of this label and to safeguard the trust the public has in it, the FH and its organs concluded that it was necessary to tighten the criteria of origin in respect of Swiss made. It was these considerations which won the approval of a large majority (87%) of FH members at the general meeting of 28 June.

While the FH is aware that this is a delicate matter, due in particular to problems concerning the supply of watch components, it sees no other solution than a tightening of existing provisions in order to uphold the value of Swiss made in a watchmaking context. A transition period is however envisaged. It will therefore be up to players in the industry to use it wisely to ensure compliance with the label once it has been revised.

It is certainly worthwhile here to sum up the projectA