Year over year, it’s becoming increasingly important for luxury brands to back their products with traceability for precious materials like gold and gemstones, both for regulatory and compliance bodies and for conscious consumers. Traceability has become a greater concern with the rise of counterfeiting and the growing demand for transparency in ethical material sourcing. We have seen several watch and jewelry brands taking matters into their own hands by establishing their own traceability programs, from Rolex to Breitling, as well as the entire LVMH group. Here, many brands are relying on the expansion of blockchain technology to create digital passports for their wares. However, one company is taking things even deeper to a forensic level.
In 2016, Haelixa started with a mission to streamline traceability within supply chains by developing a patented DNA-based technology to verify product origin and authenticity. “The first application of our DNA markers started at the supply chain level with raw materials,” explains Klemens Link, Haelixa’s Director of Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Protection. “We began with textiles but have since expanded into precious metals as well as gemstones. We can apply our DNA-based nanoparticles to rough stones directly at the mine or to rough gold directly at the refinery.”
On the other end of the spectrum, Haelixa can also implement its technology beyond raw materials and directly to finished goods. “Here, the value proposition is different,” clarifies Link. “Our initial business model was about addressing traceability throughout the supply chain, but securely marking entire products at the end of the production chain offers the ability to authenticate goods against counterfeiting.” Haelixa officially rolled out this version of its technology at the end of 2025, with Link spearheading the organization’s new Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Protection department. “The focus here is on luxury goods,” confirms Link, “and being a Swiss company, it made sense to focus on watches and jewelry.”
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, counterfeiting costs the global luxury sector an estimated $250 billion in annual losses. In Switzerland alone, the watch industry is estimated to lose $1.88 billion each year to counterfeiting. “Counterfeiting has become highly sophisticated,” Link emphasizes. “The quality is increasingly difficult to distinguish from the authentic product, and counterfeiters have expanded from the mainstream, top tier, most collectible brands – now any luxury brand could be at risk.”
When you think of DNA in living beings like plants and animals, we know it decays over time. Haelixa combats this with a patented encapsulation method that protects its DNA strands. So, how exactly does this nano-sized DNA technology work? “The application process is quite simple,” Link explains. “The DNA marker is applied through submersion in a carrier liquid, typically isopropanol, which evaporates without any residual residue. The biggest question we get asked is how this DNA marker will stand up to the lifecycle of a product, not just wear and tear, but through repairs or even refurbishing,” he continues. “We have our own in-house processes to simulate several decades of aging, and many of our clients have their own processes as well. Our technology has always withstood these tests.”
Of course, the application method is only 50% of the equation. There’s also the testing method. Thanks to Covid, we’re all acutely familiar with rapid PCR tests – that’s exactly the process Haelixa uses. Once the DNA-based nanoparticles have been successfully applied to a product, you simply swab the object with an individual-use, sterilized pad, insert the pad with the collected sample into the sample holder, place it in the provided testing machine, and receive your results within 30 minutes.
“We have clients we work with long-term who continually need unique DNA sequences for different products,” shares Link. “However, our business model is aimed at equipping brands with all the tools to track and authenticate their products on their own in perpetuity once they receive their DNA marker. They don’t need to come to us to complete testing – they can install the verification machines in their headquarters, service centers, or boutiques for rapid results.”
At the moment, Haelixa’s approach is B2B, serving individual companies, namely through their brand protection departments, as well as secondary market platforms and law enforcement agencies like border patrol and customs. However, in the future, the brand says it would be open to working directly with consumers who want a unique identifier for pieces within their individual collections to authenticate a sale or recover an item in the event of theft.
Today, there are a wide variety of resources available to help preserve your watch collection, from custom-designed safes to dedicated appraisers who can help you accurately determine the value of your timepieces and, of course, platforms like Hodinkee Insurance. It’s the sum of these tools that ultimately allows you to best safeguard your timepieces. With new options coming to market every year, such as Haelixa, it’s important to stay informed so you can determine the best way to protect your collection in the ever-changing landscape.
You can learn more about Haelixa by visiting the company’s website. Have additional questions about all the different ways you can safeguard your collection? We’re here to help, just send us an email at insurance@hodinkee.com. If you’re ready to start a policy, you can get a quote for your collection in just a few minutes. Click here to learn more and start an application for a free quote.
