Official control of watch-cases in Switzerland
In Switzerland, watch-cases made of precious metals are subject to strict official control and hallmarking, regardless of their origin. For other precious metal items, this control is optional. The Prezius digital application significantly simplifies managing these processes. Reduced fees apply to articles made of certified materials.
PREZIUS – The new numeric application of the Precious Metal Control
Prezius is the digital application of the Precious metals Control. It allows the partners to ask for services of the Precious metals Control and to follow their treatement over the ePortal. More information.
Apart from watch-cases, that is for all other precious metal articles, and multimetal goods, the control procedure is optional.
A single official hallmark will be used for all precious metals and all fineness standards, the “head of a St. Bernhard dog”:
The official hallmark bears the distinctive symbol of the Assay Office, which is positioned at the spot marked with an X.
International conventions
Official controlling and hallmarking of articles made of certified material
The official controlling (conformity testing) of articles made entirely of certified materials is less costly than the controlling of articles of unknown origin. The Ordinance on the Collection of Fees and Supervisory Levies for Precious Metals Control (PMC-FeeO; SR 941.319) takes this fact into account by granting a reduced fee for conformity assessments for articles made of certified materials (Art. 6 and Annex no. 1 PMC-FeeO).