- Mandatory National Standard GB 44702-2024 for Watch Regulation Officially Implemented!

Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation (Standardization Administration of China) has approved the mandatory national standard - Provisions on the Limit of Harmful Substances in Watch Appearance Parts That Directly Contact Human Skin (GB 44702-2024), which was officially implemented on October 1, 2025.

This new standard clearly defines general requirements for watch appearance parts, including nickel release, decomposable harmful aromatic amine dyes, free formaldehyde, and heavy metal elements (lead, cadmium, mercury). In addition, for appearance parts of children's watches, the standard also sets forth additional limit requirements for migratable elements and phthalates. CIRS recommends that companies take prompt action to ensure that the content of restricted substances in their products complies with the limit values specified in the new standard, thereby safeguarding consumer safety and trust.

Specific Harmful Substance Limit Regulations are as follows:

It is worth mentioning that the current recommended national standard GB/T 41411-2022 "Children's Watches" was released by the State Administration for Market Regulation in 2022 and implemented in the same year. This standard not only sets requirements for electrical safety performance parameters such as operating temperature and voltage range but also includes restrictions on harmful substances such as heavy metals and specified plasticizers. The introduction of the mandatory national standard GB 44702-2024 "Regulations on the Limit of Harmful Substances in Watch Components in Direct Contact with Human Skin" now imposes stronger legal enforcement on the restriction of certain harmful substances. This transition from recommended to mandatory standards reflects the increasing emphasis on the chemical safety performance of such products at the legal and regulatory level.

In recent years, children's smartwatches, which combine functions like timekeeping, calling, and location tracking, have become popular. They appeal to children with their attractive designs and convenient social features. However, the market for children's smartwatches is varied in terms of brands and models, and the quality is inconsistent. Common safety issues include unstable positioning and signals, excessive electromagnetic radiation, and excessive blue light. Of paramount concern, however, are the environmental and safety issues related to the materials used in the watches and accessories. Over the past few years, as the children's smartwatch industry has rapidly developed, various local market regulatory authorities and consumer protection committees across the country have conducted random tests on products from different manufacturers and batches sold in the market. Many of these tests have revealed non-compliance with relevant standards, including some well-known leading brands. Exceeding safe limits of harmful substances can cause skin allergies, reproductive and developmental harm, and increased risks of cancer and teratogenic effects, especially in children. The introduction of these standards will undoubtedly strengthen market supervision, raise public awareness, deter unscrupulous merchants, and provide strong support and guidance for the healthy development of the industry.

CIRS Testing is equipped with the testing capabilities for GB 44702-2024 and welcomes inquiries or applications for testing to manage product compliance risks.

If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via test@cirs-group.com.