This week, the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), announced that the alpine nation is for the first time contributing to the keeping of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) with one of the world’s most accurate atomic clocks.
UTC is the time standard by which the world’s clocks and time zones are set and does not adjust for daylight savings. It is set by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPMExternal link) based on data from some 350 atomic clocks in more than 60 laboratories around the world.
Keeping UTC precisely accurate and coordinated also requires data from about a dozen hyper-accurate atomic clocks called primary frequency standardsExternal link [PDF]. Now, the BIPM has recognised the FoCS (Fontaine Continue Suisse) atomic clock, located in the canton of Bern and developed by METAS and the University of Neuchatel with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation, as a new primary frequency standard.
FoCS, one of the most accurate atomic clocks in the world, helps keep extremely precise time based on the frequency of the oscillation of excited caesium electronsExternal link between energy states. According to METAS, it is so accurate that it would take 30 million yearsExternal link for two clocks of its kind to display a difference of one second.
METAS notes that while accurate universal timekeeping is essential for maintaining other international measurement systems, such as the metreExternal link – defined as the length travelled by light in a vacuum over the course of 1/299 792 458 of a second – measuring time precisely is also indispensable for the proper functioning of systems like telecommunications and geolocation services.
More
More
Who should decide on turning the clocks back?
This content was published on
Swiss clocks will go back on Sunday, but changing them could soon be a thing of the past.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
Young undocumented migrants gain easier access to vocational training
This content was published on
Rejected asylum-seekers and young undocumented migrants in Switzerland will have easier access to basic vocational training from June 1.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Baselworld: Mechanical clocks make a comeback
This content was published on
A clock generally has three hands to indicate hours, minutes and seconds. How many legs should it have, and how much are you willing to pay for it?
Swiss luxury watches fail to meet environmental standards
This content was published on
The WWF has called on Swiss-based watch companies to take more responsibility for ecological and social impacts, notably the use of gold.
This content was published on
Le Coultre was the founder of the Electronic Watch Centre (Centre électronique horloger CEH) in the city of Neuchâtel, western Switzerland. Around 20 watch brands were behind the creation of the centre in 1962 with the goal of making a reliable analog quartz wristwatch. In 1966, the first prototype called Beta 1 was developed, setting…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.