Watch brand rebuffed in federal court over sponsorship

 The luxury watch company Montres Breguet is not allowed to use the words "Depuis 1775" when sponsoring TV programs. According to the Federal Supreme Court, stating the year of foundation constitutes an inadmissible advertising statement. The Lausanne judges thus supported the previous rulings of the Federal Office of Communications and the Federal Administrative Court. Swatch subsidiary Montres Breguet had already sponsored the TV broadcast of the "Concours de musique de Genève" on several occasions. In each case, it was identified as a sponsor with the logo "Montres Breguet - Depuis 1775". The Federal Court has now ruled that references that go beyond the recognizability of the sponsor or its activities are inadmissible. The reference to the year of foundation serves the purpose of advertising, because the company thereby refers to its traditional and proven watchmaking art.
This advertising restriction does not constitute an inadmissible encroachment on economic freedom, the Lausanne judges went on to say. The advertising industry has sufficient special forms of advertising to attract the attention of the public despite the acceptance crisis for commercials.