Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is a time zone that displays the same time as that set by UTC.
Keystone
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.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Milei orders Argentina’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization
This content was published on
Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has announced plans to pull the country out of the Geneva-headquartered World Health Organization (WHO).
‘Europe’ initiative halts signature collection to focus on Swiss-EU treaty
This content was published on
The initiative sought to embed Swiss-EU relations in the Federal Constitution, but the organisers have now stopped signature collection.
Swiss study sheds light on link between obesity and metabolic diseases
This content was published on
ETH Zurich researchers collected cells from overweight individuals to identify biological markers that raise the risk of metabolic diseases.
Swiss retail sector sees slight decline despite strong online sales
This content was published on
Black Friday, which performed well in some areas of Switzerland, and Christmas sales could not make up for the losses of previous months.
Over 6,000 Swiss companies go bankrupt but start-ups see growth
This content was published on
Switzerland recorded a spike in bankruptcies last year, but there was also a rise in new start-ups. Trends varied significantly by region and sector.
Basel greenlights funding for Eurovision Village 2025
This content was published on
MCH Group Ltd. is set to receive CHF1 million ($1.1 million) for the Eurovision Village at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel.
Geneva researchers discover potential for targeted cancer drug delivery
This content was published on
Researchers in Geneva have discovered how some bacteria inject dangerous enzymes into cells, potentially enabling targeted drug delivery to cancer cells.
Macron denies involvement in Nestlé Waters scandal
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron denied any “agreement” or “collusion” with the Swiss company Nestlé over the bottled water scandal on Tuesday.
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.