Our Watchmaking

In Chuck Closes' words, “Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just get to work.” We show up everyday and work, whether or not we’re in the perfect mountaintop flow state. However, over the course of a project you would hope that you have some moments of real inspiration - a spark - when the dots of the story suddenly connect and align perfectly with the purpose of the watch, the color palette harmonizes, you solve a geometric surfacing puzzle while 3D modeling, build a relationship for a collaboration, or discover a new a promising material. These are the bursts of creativity that help you arrive at something worth making. Here are some of the tools we use to create that spark. 

STORY BUILDING

First, we like to build a world. What time period does the story happen in? Who are the main characters? What colors can you see? What materials resonate in this world? Who’s it all for? This world will change and evolve as the project does, hopefully converging towards a simple, clear message at the end of the project.

Moodboard for The Mackinac Yacht Timer Watch

SKETCHING

We start designing in the most analog way possible, pen and paper. The simplest of tools impose the fewest limitations. Any idea can quickly come to life and be shown and be shared. Some designers will fully flush out a project at this stage, others will only develop an inkling of an idea before moving on to more modern, digital tools.

2D CAD

Digital tools are great for precision and rapid iteration. Complex dial designs, for instance, are nearly impossible without them. You can also develop line drawings of the case, bracelet and strap. Front and side views will give you a sense of volume, despite the 2D nature. Although it’s a design tool, you are also beginning to speak the clear, defined language of manufacturing. Engineers can use some of these lines to make technical drawings and tooling, so it’s important to be careful and precise at this stage. 

Technical Drawings

3D CAD

Everything we make is custom. Designers have to define every surface and angle of every component of the watch case, dial, and bracelet - and make sure it all fits together. 3D modeling tools give us a way to digitally sculpt these parts; adding and removing digital material, similar to how you would in a machine shop, helps us to conceive of something beautiful and manufacturable.

COLOR, MATERIAL, FINISH

Color is emotional. Color can convey information. Color can hide or enhance design elements, and it can make or break a design. In tandem with color, surface finish also needs to be considered. A matte surface says something very different than a polished surface. A texture can tell a story better than words. Material selection is also important. A dive watch in bronze, or a racing watch in titanium are material choices that enhance the function of the watch - while some materials like mother of pearl or a natural grain leather, can enhance beauty and style.

PROTOTYPING

Using in-house tools, we can rapid prototype overnight to help us iterate towards the perfect shape and size of a watch case. Paper dials and straps can be allied to get a close approximation of the overall proportion of a watch. You eventually move on to prototyping with the factory. As the factory makes the first sample they learn how to manufacture the parts, and the designer gets a 1:1 working prototype in the end.

Digital Sketch

Our watches and straps are made by artisans, who have mastered the skills of watch assembly, movement building, precise testing, and fine finishing. We celebrate the essential role of these artisans, their care, and time-earned knowledge — after all, they bring watches of unparalleled quality to life. 

With meticulous attention to detail and commitment to craftsmanship, our artisans complete each timepiece with a touch that machines alone cannot replicate. They take pride in ensuring that each watch exceeds the quality standards we live and breathe by.

Some spaces just feel special. When you walk through the pressurized doors and into the only large-scale watch assembly operation in the United States, you immediately feel it. Wearing the “crocks, smocks, and finger cots” of a watchmaker, or the careful ensemble that allows one to meticulously craft and inspect each watch, you know you’re making something special. Every watch we’re ever produced, a million and counting, has arrived here as mere parts and exited as timepieces. 

Each watch is carefully calibrated and thoroughly tested. Although we aim for meaningful scale, we treat each watch as an individual, as represented by the unique serial number on every caseback. It represents the care we take with every watch and the unique story that will unfold once they find a home.

There is something magic about running an electrical current through a tiny quartz crystal. The current causes it to vibrate at a dependable frequency, which can then be used to tell a motor when to move the second hand forward at incredible accuracy. We assemble every quartz movement in our Detroit factory from Swiss and imported parts, giving it a unique origin story. You may have noticed the word Argonite on our watch dials. 

We use this to signify any movement that was completely assembled and tested in our factory, which is housed in the Argonaut Building in Detroit, designed by Albert Kahn and former home to General Motors [engineering and design departments.] The number that follows is the model number (e.g. Argonite-1069) in use by Ronda, our partner and Swiss movement supplier.

There aren’t many products still in mass production that have 100s of years of historical innovation. When looking at our watches, you witness that history combined with modern, precision manufacturing. What you see through the open caseback is there to do a certain job - the pallet fork, the balance wheel, the winding rotor and so many others. Our mechanical movements come from Switzerland and are made to be accurate, repairable, beautiful and fall into one of two categories: Automatic and Manual Wind.

Automatic movements can wind themselves using the kinetic energy of your everyday motions, which is transferred into a spinning rotor so that it can be stored in a tightly wound spring. This spring then powers the watch - no battery required. Manual wind watches gently ask you to wind them up, creating a more direct experience between you and your watch. Instead of a rotor, the energy is input through the intentional turning of the crown every one or two days.

In watchmaking, the case material is the cornerstone of both style and durability. Stainless steel, like 316L, is prized for its robustness and resistance to corrosion, capable of a polished finish that endures and can be revitalized over time. Titanium offers strength with a featherweight feel, ideal for sporty timepieces. 

Ceramic provides unmatched scratch resistance in vibrant colors, while Bronze develops a distinctive patina, recounting its wearer's journey. Each material choice speaks volumes about the watch's essence and the wearer's taste. Here are some of ours:

Designers spec each leather so that it pairs perfectly with the watch head, but that’s the easiest part. Leather cow hides enter our factory from the best tanneries in the US and the world, and leave as finished, premium watch bands. You may be surprised at how much detailed work goes into the making of a single leather watch band. 

Sourcing, inspecting, and cutting of the hides; skiving, layering, stamping, gluing; Hand and machine stitching; edge painting and final assembly. We take great care with each of these tasks so that the only thing you notice is how well it wears and how beautifully it ages.

Some people in the industry believe the only thing that really matters is a great dial.. It’s the first thing you notice. To make a good first impression, we have a wide variety of materials and techniques to make the dial “sing!” 

With only a couple of millimeters of depth to work with, you have to use every trick in the book to get there. Here are some of ours: