Hallmarks · By country
Swiss hallmarks
Swiss marks are most often met on watch cases, where they date the case far more precisely than the movement inside it does.
- Marking since
- 1880
- Gives a year
- No
How the system works
National marks were introduced in 1880 and revised several times, using head and animal figures alongside fineness numbers. A Helvetia head is the form most often encountered on gold cases of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
The marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Helvetia head | Swiss gold, particularly watch cases, from 1880. |
The standards
| Figure or mark | Fineness and use |
|---|---|
| 750 | 18 carat gold. |
| 585 | 14 carat gold. |
| 800 | Silver. |
| 925 | Sterling silver. |
Dating a swiss piece
By which mark form is present, against a Swiss reference. The revisions of 1880, 1888 and 1934 are the useful boundaries.
Where the marks will not give you a year, date the piece from its construction instead: the catch, the metal, the setting and the cut of the stones. That method is set out in how to date antique jewelry.
Where people go wrong
- A gold watch case and its movement frequently have different dates and different origins. The case mark dates the case only.
- Swiss marks on jewelry, as opposed to watch cases, are much less common and are easily confused with French ones.
Other countries
United Kingdom · Ireland · France · Germany · Denmark · Sweden · Norway · Finland · Netherlands · Russia and the Soviet Union · Austria and Hungary · Italy · United States · Mexico · Portugal · Spain · India · China and Hong Kong · Japan · Turkey and the Ottoman Empire · International marks