Disrupting trust in the watch market
We at zrhbrg. are convinced that Blockchain technology will reduce the cost of trust.
Thereby, the technology allows also disruptive progress in the protection of counterfeit goods, especially Swiss watches. Actually, the amount of counterfeited Swiss watches produced was nearly double the amount of authentic ones in 2020, which sets the scene we are in.
Today we are proud to announce that together with our partner @adresta.ch, we create an immutable and unforgeable digital passport for your watch bought on zrhbrg.
The passport proves authenticity and your rightful ownership. Your digital asset is stored on the Swiss Trust Chain, a Blockchain infrastructure based in Switzerland.
We are happy to receive your thoughts and feedback.
Happy reading,
Your zrhbrg. team
Blank, fake and incomplete certificates
Vintage watches often lack important data on the original papers, making it impossible to authenticate a watch using the certificate. This is due to the fact that in the past, certificates were primarily used for warranty claims, and less for authentication ‑ as counterfeits did not exist at that time. Also, paper certificates ‑ like paper money ‑ are easy to fake.
Giving old watches a new identity.
So we asked ourselves: “how might we store the identity of a watch in a tamper‑proof way so that it allows authenticating the watch”? Luckily, we were not the only ones asking this question – we met Adresta, a technology start‑up from Zurich. Together, we developed a process to ensure outstanding quality of the watches on our platform. Thereby, a watch goes through several checks before it is curated:
1. Proof of Existence 🗂
As we curate Swiss watches from past eras, we need
to make sure that these watches have actually
existed. To do this, we research and replicate the
history of the watch with consulting archive data.
Once this proof has been successfully established, we
begin the process of authenticating the watch.
2. Proof of Authenticity 🔎
Next, we make sure that the watch is genuine. The
authenticity check is carried out by a licensed
watchmaker. This determines whether the
components of the watch and the movement are
genuine. Data comparison of the reference, caliber,
and serial number of the watch with archive data are
parts of this proof.
3. Proof of Quality 📏
In the proof of quality, we analyze the condition of the watch. In its highest condition, the watch was a stored value and was never worn. Or it was already worn by several generations and thus bears certain traces. Perhaps parts of the watch have been replaced in the course of revisions. This all has an influence on the valuation of the quality.
After we have done these three checks, we tokenize the watch and store it alongside other core data on Adresta's forgery‑proof platform. This is how we create a digital passport for the watch. This digital passport, stored on the Swiss Trust Chain, accompanies the watch throughout its lifetime, building its history and creating trust and transparency by proving authenticity and ownership. ⛓
One tick ahead.
There are some goods that are strongly associated with Switzerland: Chocolate, cheese, banks ‑ and of course watches. But only vintage watches carry the history of our country.
We’ve made it our mission to bring forgotten, unique, and historically significant Swiss watches to the market. The fact that they are no longer produced makes them true rarities and gives them the appropriate air of exclusivity. These watches were made with a level of craftsmanship and attention to detail that is hard to find today. Given the high quality standards of Swiss watchmaking, these watches were made to last for generations. This is what we at zrhbrg. mean by quality. And it is precisely these qualities that they want to make accessible to the world.
Digital progress in the Swiss watch market means sustainable success that will allow Swiss history to be carried into the future for the long term in an increasingly digitalized world. With Zurichberg not being too far from the Crypto Valley, this use case is representative of the potential that blockchain technology can offer for Switzerland and its cultural values of trust, transparency and security.
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