Editor’s note: Timekeeping standards are suddenly cool again. Omega has been steadily touting the benefits of their Master Chronometer certification, Patek has their own standards, and Rolex recently upped their game with the Superlative Chronometer Standard. But what is it? This article from a while back explains everything you need to know. Since 1951, nearly every watch leaving Rolex’s Geneva facility has been a certified Chronometer, and from 1957 onwards, Rolex has been using the term ‘Superlative’ on their dials to describe that their watches don’t just meet Chronometer standards, but exceed them. Design purists might bemoan the resulting text-heavy dials that declare an Oyster to be ‘Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified’, but Rolex’s nigh-unimpeachable reputation for quality and accuracy has a lot invested in these words. In fact, in late 2015, the brand quietly updated their Superlative Chronometer Standards to make them even more stringent. Design purists might bemoan the resulting text-heavy dials that declare an Oyster to be ‘Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified’, but Rolex’s nigh-unimpeachable reputation for quality and accuracy has a lot invested in these words. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on a steel Daytona or a recent Datejust 41, Rolex guarantee your watch is accurate to -2/+2…
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