Method for testing the rate of an electronic watch with a time base device on test equipment, the time base device being configured to be capable of changing from a normal operating mode to a test mode, and comprising at least one watch module powered by an energy source, the watch module comprising a quartz resonator connected to an electronic circuit provided with a reference oscillator directly connected to the quartz resonator to provide a reference signal to a divider circuit having a number D of divider stages, where D is an integer number equal to or greater than 1, the divider circuit being controlled by an inhibition circuit controlled by an inhibition value (N CT) and providing a timing signal with a divided frequency for the control of at least one electric motor (10, 11) or of a time display device, characterized in that the test method includes the steps of: - in a first step, measuring the frequency of the reference signal from the reference oscillator in a first number M of measurement periods without inhibition, where M is an integer number, which is equal to or greater than 1, and each measurement period is defined between two pulses of the timing signal, - in a second step, acquiring the inhibition value (N CT) for the inhibition circuit, the inhibition value (N CT) being a P-bit binary word, where P is an integer number equal to 16 bits, which is provided to the inhibition circuit, in order to inhibit a certain number of pulses in the divider circuit, and measuring the frequency of a signal related to the reference signal with inhibition in a second number N of successive measurement periods with inhibition, where N is an integer number, which is equal to or greater than 1, the inhibition circuit acting on a second divider stage of the divider circuit during the N measurement periods, 8 high-order bits of the inhibition value N CT [15..8] being first of all transmitted to the inhibition circuit to act during one or more of the N measurement periods, whereas 8 low-order bits N CT [7..0] of the inhibition value are transmitted to the inhibition circuit to act during one or more successive remaining periods of the N measurement periods so as to determine the inhibition value by knowing the reference signal frequency, and - in a third step, calculating the exact rate frequency of the time base device via a dedicated algorithm in the test equipment based on the measurements of the first and second steps after M + N measurement periods, which defines a measurement cycle. - in a first step, measuring the frequency of the reference signal from the reference oscillator in a first number M of measurement periods without inhibition, where M is an integer number, which is equal to or greater than 1, and each measurement period is defined between two pulses of the timing signal, - in a second step, acquiring the inhibition value (N CT) for the inhibition circuit, the inhibition value (N CT) being a P-bit binary word, where P is an integer number equal to 16 bits, which is provided to the inhibition circuit, in order to inhibit a certain number of pulses in the divider circuit, and measuring the frequency of a signal related to the reference signal with inhibition in a second number N of successive measurement periods with inhibition, where N is an integer number, which is equal to or greater than 1, the inhibition circuit acting on a second divider stage of the divider circuit during the N measurement periods, 8 high-order bits of the inhibition value N CT [15..8] being first of all transmitted to the inhibition circuit to act during one or more of the N measurement periods, whereas 8 low-order bits N CT [7..0] of the inhibition value are transmitted to the inhibition circuit to act during one or more successive remaining periods of the N measurement periods so as to determine the inhibition value by knowing the reference signal frequency, and - in a third step, calculating the exact rate frequency of the time base device via a dedicated algorithm in the test equipment based on the measurements of the first and second steps after M + N measurement periods, which defines a measurement cycle.