Hi Cisco,
Sorry but I think you're just wrong about what a seal is. There's no notion of independant body in a seal. Nor does that signify that such a seal has to be opened to any other make!
A seal means that the company or the body applying its seal guarantees its authenticity and compliance with the name, the values linked with the name,....
When a king was applying its seal the meaning was that the seal was the proof of origin, transfering through the seal a share of its grandeur, its power.
Take a seal for what it is, a reinforced signature.
I'm sorry but I don't understand the following part of your answer:
"Parmigiani Fleurier created an interesting seal for the same reasons as
Patek, not happy enough with the Geneva seal. Chopard LUC and Bovet (I think)
followed it. If they were unhappy why did they follow it?
Putting on a decoration the requirement to make a Patek Philippe? That is what it is."
And I strongly disagree with the end:I loved what I read of Thierry Stern interview. I love Patek products, the 5970p or the 5131j are just marvels that no other brand can compete with.
But this seal is a complete joke, and one of very bad taste."
You may want to consider that there may be a meaning that you didn't get!
You may want to realize that on the contrary taking unprecedented commitments towards the customers is unlikely to show any kind of disrespect!
You may want to acknowledge that words like "dummies" or "complete joke" or "very bad taste" are too negative and strong to be accepted here without justifying their use by any kind of explanation or valid demonstrattion.
If you really love what you read from Thierry Stern, you should think about reading carefully the full content of the Patek Philippe Seal on the Patek Philippe website.
Dje