Collective responsibility mark
The collective responsibility mark is a specific mark reserved for use on watch-cases and must be registered with the Central Office for Precious Metals Control. It can be used by several manufacturers to mark their compositions if they are members of the same organisation or professional association.
PREZIUS – The new numeric application of the Precious Metal Control
On 1st of May 2024, PREZIUS, the new digital application for the control of precious metals, has been released. It already covers the areas of official controlling and hallmarking as well as analysis / expertise, and will become the only tool for registering or renewing a responsibility mark in the future.
For this reason, and to ensure that the transition takes place smoothly and at the right time, we ask that you create a user account on the FOCBS electronic portal. You will find all the necessary instructions at this link.
The collective responsibility mark is a specific mark reserved for use on watch-cases and must be registered with the Central Office for Precious Metals Control. It can be used by several manufacturers to mark their compositions if they are members of the same organisation or professional association.
Each authorised manufacturer receives a personal control number which is incorporated into the registered image of the mark. As shown in the following example, the letters ‘XXX’ are replaced by the corresponding number.
Registration of a collective responsibility mark
The registration or renewal of a collective responsibility mark is carried out in the same way as for responsibility marks, but the organisation or association applying for registration must also submit the following documents:
- The regulatory document for the use of the stamp in question
- The list of the individual manufacturers, each with:
- First and last name or company name
- Personal control number
- Place of registration and residence
- Date and signature of the applicant or their representative
Information for the registration of a responsibility mark
Obligation to notify
The owner of a collective responsibility mark must inform the Central Office for Precious Metals Control of any changes affecting both the legal information originally required for the registration of their mark and any changes relating to the regulatory document and the list of manufacturers. All necessary information must be kept up to date at all the times.
Registration and renewal fees
The fees for registering or renewing a collective responsibility mark as well as the period of validity are the same as those for a responsibility mark (CHF 800 for 20 years). However, there are additional fees for each participant listed in the above-mentioned register in the amount of CHF 200.-. The same fee is payable for each new participant and for each renewal.