How Mechanical Watches Are Made: Inside Luxury Watch Manufacturing

Frequently Asked Questions About How Mechanical Watches Are Made

From raw brass and steel to a finished timepiece accurate to seconds per day — the mechanical watch manufacturing process is one of the most demanding in all of precision engineering. Here are the most commonly asked questions, answered with authority.

How many parts does a mechanical watch have?

A standard mechanical watch contains more than 100 individual components of varying shapes and sizes. An automatic calendar watch contains approximately 200 parts. Watches with complications such as a tourbillon, perpetual calendar, or minute repeater can contain significantly more. The world’s most complex mechanical watches have over 1,000 individual components.

How long does it take to make a mechanical watch?

The production of a standard hand-wound mechanical watch involves more than 1,000 individual manufacturing steps, carried out on nearly 1,000 high-precision machines and instruments. From raw material to finished product, the process typically spans several weeks to months depending on the complexity of the watch and the size of the manufacture.

What materials are used to make a mechanical watch?

The principal materials include leaded silver-bright steel bar (for gear shafts and screws), leaded brass bar (for barrel wheels and hour wheels), nickel-silver bar (for ratchet wheels), free-cutting steel strip (for lever plates), high-quality carbon tool steel strip (for gear wheels), brass strip (for dials and hands), stainless steel (for cases and casebacks), and synthetic sapphire crystal (for modern watch glasses). All raw materials must pass strict incoming inspection before entering production.

What is the most difficult part of a watch to manufacture?

The escapement system — comprising the lever plate, lever fork, and balance staff — is considered the heart of the watch and the most demanding to manufacture. The balance staff, as fine as a human hair, must be ground to a diameter of just 0.085 mm with a tolerance of −0.005 mm and a surface roughness of Ra 0.025–0.05 μm. Every component is inspected under 40× to 50× magnification. The quality of these three components directly determines the timekeeping accuracy of the finished watch.

How precise is watch manufacturing?

Watch manufacturing operates at tolerances measured in thousandths of a millimetre. Transmission hole diameters are held to ±0.005 mm; hole centre positions to ±0.008 mm; concentricity to ±(0.007–0.008) mm. Surface roughness on critical components reaches Ra 0.025 μm — smoother than a mirror. The smallest holes in a watch plate can be as small as 0.5 mm in diameter.

What is a jewel bearing in a watch?

Jewel bearings are synthetic ruby or sapphire inserts press-fitted into the watch plate and bridges at pivot points. Because synthetic rubies are extremely hard and smooth, they dramatically reduce friction at the gear shaft pivot points, improving accuracy and longevity. The number of jewels in a movement (typically 17–25 in a standard mechanical watch) is often cited as a quality indicator.

Why do watches need heat treatment?

Steel components in the watch movement must be quenched and tempered to improve mechanical properties and hardness. The balance staff, for example, oscillates more than 20,000 times per hour and must function reliably for one to two decades without fracturing or bending. Heat treatment uses protective atmosphere bright quenching and tempering to prevent surface decarburization or oxidation. Critical components also undergo metallographic analysis after heat treatment.

How are watch dials made?

The dial material is brass strip. After die blanking, a 300-tonne press stamps out the dial blank. The dial then undergoes foot soldering, silver plating, brushing, diamond-tool engraving, gold plating, printing, and finally an anti-glare coating to protect against discolouration. The entire process involves dozens of precision operations before the dial is ready for assembly.

What is a watch manufacture?

A manufacture (from the French manufacture horlogère) is a watch company that produces its own movement components in-house, rather than purchasing them from external suppliers. A true manufacture produces its own gear trains, escapements, plates, and bridges. With the exception of the mainspring, hairspring, jewel bearings, and shock absorbers — which are typically supplied by specialist component manufacturers — all other parts are made internally.

How is a finished watch inspected before sale?

The finished product inspection station conducts a comprehensive 13-day inspection of every watch in accordance with technical standards and factory inspection procedures. This includes 12-day timekeeping rate inspection in 6 positions, continuous running inspection, amplitude inspection, and appearance inspection. Only watches that pass all inspections are released for shipment. Throughout production, a strict system of self-inspection, mutual inspection, and specialist inspection is observed at every stage.

How does watch assembly work?

Watch assembly is performed in clean, air-conditioned rooms at 18–25°C with relative humidity not exceeding 70%. All components are thoroughly cleaned before assembly. Dust and corrosion — the “hidden enemy” of watches — can cause a watch to stop or run erratically. Many components must not be touched by bare hands. The balance wheel and hairspring are individually graded and matched by grade number to ensure correct isochronism. The entire assembly process is governed by precise clearance specifications measured in hundredths of a millimetre.

What makes a skeleton watch special?

A skeleton watch removes material from the main plate and bridges to expose the movement within, allowing the wearer to observe the gear train, escapement, and balance wheel in motion. It is the ultimate expression of the watchmaker’s art — every component must be finished to the same standard on all visible surfaces. Our Men’s 42mm Skeleton Automatic Watch lets you witness the 1,000-step manufacturing process in motion on your wrist.

Where can I find a precision mechanical watch that honours this tradition?

At Aorawa Time, every piece in our collection reflects the heritage of precision watchmaking:

• Men’s 42mm Skeleton Automatic Watch — see the movement of time itself through an open dial.
• Men’s Full Diamond Octagonal Luxury Watch — precision engineering meets uncompromising luxury.
• Vintage Leather Apple Watch Band — handcrafted quality for the modern wrist.