Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about IndependentWatchmaking.com and how it's built.
What is IndependentWatchmaking.com?
IndependentWatchmaking.com is a free, regularly updated catalogue of independent watchmakers, watch brands, and manufactures worldwide — from legendary masters and AHCI members to one-person artisan workshops and accessible microbrands. Each listing includes founding date, location, estimated annual production, price range, official website, social links, and a researched history of the maker.
What qualifies a brand as "independent" on this site?
A brand is excluded if it's owned by one of the major luxury/watch conglomerates (Swatch Group, Richemont, LVMH, and others), or if it's independently owned but has grown to an industrial scale more consistent with an established house than an atelier, or if its output is primarily homage watches rather than original design. Full detail is in our curation methodology.
Why isn't Rolex, Patek Philippe, or Richard Mille included?
These houses are independently owned but operate at a scale — production volume, revenue, workforce — that puts them among the industry's largest established manufacturers rather than independent ateliers, which is the specific category this catalogue documents.
Why isn't a Swatch Group, Richemont, or LVMH brand included?
Those brands are owned by one of the major conglomerates rather than independently owned, which is the first and simplest exclusion criterion. A full list of excluded groups and brands is published in our methodology.
A brand on your exclusion list looks pretty small — why is it excluded, and why are Christopher Ward or Yema included despite their size?
A few brands are larger in scale than most of this catalogue but are included because they've invested seriously in genuine in-house manufacturing (in-house calibers, in-house tourbillons) rather than relying on modified third-party movements. We treat "independent" as a combination of ownership and genuine manufacturing depth, not headcount alone — full reasoning for each exception is documented in our methodology.
How is each listing researched, and how do you keep it accurate?
Every listing is built from the brand's own materials plus specialist watch press (Monochrome, SJX, Hodinkee, Revolution, and others), cross-checked across sources, and written as an original multi-paragraph history rather than a copied product description. Listings are revised as brands release new work, change ownership, or as we catch and correct errors.
I noticed an error, or I'd like to suggest a watchmaker for inclusion — how do I do that?
Email indiewatchmaking@gmail.com with the brand name and, if possible, a link to their official site — or, for a correction, a note on what needs fixing and a source if you have one.
Is IndependentWatchmaking.com affiliated with, or paid by, any brand?
No brand can pay to be included, or to influence what its listing says. Brands may in the future have the option to add supplementary features to their own listing, but the editorial content — the history, the facts, the description — is never for sale.