FLEURIER QUALITY FOUNDATION

The Fleurier Quality Foundation (FQF) is an independent watchmaking certification, created in 2004 in Fleurier, in the Val-de-Travers (canton of Neuchâtel). It has the distinctive feature of certifying the watch in its entirety — and not just the Movement —, by jointly assessing three dimensions: craftsmanship (quality of manufacture and finishing), performance and origin. The label requires that the majority of production be carried out in Switzerland, with an initially reinforced requirement on the origin of components. Candidate watches must first be certified chronometers, then undergo additional tests concerning reliability and behavior on the wrist, as well as an aesthetic Testing of the movement. More demanding than certifications focused solely on the movement, the FQF aims to guarantee the customer a timepieceTime achieved in every respect. It illustrates the trend in quality watchmaking to multiply labels attesting to Swiss know-how and origin.

The creation of the FQF brought together the manufactures linked to Fleurier — Bovet Fleurier, Chopard Manufacture and Parmigiani Fleurier, later joined by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier —, with the support of public authorities (the Swiss Confederation, the canton of Neuchâtel, the commune of Val-de-Travers). The certification process is organized into several cumulative stages: the watch must first obtain chronometer certification according to the ISO 3159 standard, then its movement must undergo the Chronofiable tests (aging cycle, shocks, magnetic fields, water resistance). Once cased, the finished watch spends 24 hours on the Fleuritest robotic simulator, synchronized by GPS; its precision must remain between 0 and +5 seconds per day. If successful, this process entitles the watch to bear the “FQF” hallmark. To learn more: Fleurier Quality Foundation.