The BEDAT &C° logo represents a figure eight. This “8” is also the watch company’s maker’s mark. It was registered on February 10th 1997 at the Precious Metals Control Central Bureau. Each part carries this mark, thereby guaranteeing its Swiss origin for all BEDAT &C° Watches. The figure eight is a universal symbol of perfection and infinity. It is the number of cosmic equilibrium, meaning the order of the universe, the harmony between the earthly kingdom and the heavenly kingdom. It is often used to depict the hourglass, a sign of the passing of time. Within the Chinese culture, the meaning of the figure eight goes well beyond that of universal order, since it is a lucky number symbolizing prosperity. In Cantonese, “eight” is pronounced “fa”, exactly the same pronunciation as a character meaning “to get rich”! It is found in many cultural signs such as: the eight ministers of the Chinese Empire, the eight cardinal points, the eight cosmic mountains, etc. The figure eight is also found in the Bible, in Buddhism and in Hinduism. The following are just a few examples among hundreds of others: The eight steps of the stairway leading to the outer courtyard of the Temple. The eight creative words of the Verb spoken in six days. (Genesis). Eight is the number of chakras: seven linked to the physical body, as well as the “Chakra of the Soul”. Buddhists have eight symbols of longevity including the infinite knot with no beginning and no end. To free oneself from desire and from the cycle of reincarnations, Buddha taught a “noble eight-fold path” enabling one to reach Nirvana. The lotus flower is symbolically represented with eight petals. Yoga comprises eighth stages, the eighth being that of ecstasy. Vishnu has eight arms. Finally, in mathematics, the symbol of infinity is represented by an 8 lying on its side ∞.