Make your own

Several of the largest movement makers say openly that they supply other brands. A Japanese maker founded in Ginza in 1987 describes "designing, developing, and producing a diverse and innovative range of watch movements for clients across the global watch industry".^{[TMI (own site)]} Citizen's movement arm states that "MIYOTA has been supplying movements to brands around the world since the 1980s."^{[Miyota (own site)]} A Swiss maker describes producing movements "with Swiss precision for famous watch brands worldwide".^{[Ronda (own site)]}

All of them publish a great deal: full calibre catalogues, technical drawings, dimensions, parts lists, user manuals, discontinued-product guidance. None of them publishes a price or a statement of who may become a customer. One does publish a minimum order: Miyota's own product page for its Caliber 9015 states "Minimum unit order : 1000pcs per each model" alongside a two-month-plus lead time.^{[Miyota (own site)]} This page did not originally record that figure; it was found and added in a later session (see the corrections log), so the honest statement is that a movement supplier's minimum order can be published on an individual calibre's own page even where the supplier's general FAQ says only that prices and minimums "vary". The route to buy is still to contact sales in every case examined.

Two silences are worth naming precisely. ETA (the Swatch Group's movement maker, and the subject of a long and widely-discussed history of restricting outside supply) says on its own site only that it "develops and produces quartz, mechanical and Swatch watch movements",^{[ETA (own site)]} and states nothing whatever about supplying brands outside the group, in either direction. This Codex therefore records no position for ETA rather than repeating the account that circulates elsewhere.

Seiko is the other. Its group describes itself as "one of the few fully integrated watch manufacturers",^{[Seiko Group (own report)]} which is a claim about making for itself, not for others. Third-party movement supply does surface in Seiko's own filings: its annual securities report records that a Hong Kong subsidiary "engages in sales of watch movements",^{[Seiko Group (own report)]} without saying to whom. Time Module, quoted above, is the group company that states the business plainly.

"Swiss Made" is not a marketing phrase; it is a condition of Swiss federal law, and the law is short enough to read. Under the ordinance of 23 December 1971, a watch is Swiss if its technical development is carried out in Switzerland, its movement is Swiss, that movement is cased up in Switzerland, its manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland, and at least 60% of the cost of manufacture is generated in Switzerland.^{[Swiss ordinance RS 232.119]} A separate article applies a second test to the movement itself, including that at least 50% of the value of its components is of Swiss manufacture, excluding assembly.^{[Swiss ordinance RS 232.119]}

Three further provisions matter to anyone labelling a watch. If the watch is not Swiss, Swiss designations may still be applied to a Swiss movement inside it, but only "à condition qu'elles ne soient pas visibles de l'acheteur de la montre", on condition they are not visible to the purchaser.^{[Swiss ordinance RS 232.119]} The marking "Swiss movement" may appear on a watch containing one, with the word movement spelled out in full and in type identical in size and colour to the word Swiss.^{[Swiss ordinance RS 232.119]} And the case has its own test: at least one essential manufacturing operation (stamping, machining or polishing) performed in Switzerland, assembled there, inspected there, and 60% of its cost of manufacture generated there.^{[Swiss ordinance RS 232.119]}

Importing into the United States. Watches are singled out in US customs regulation: the marking requirements on them "are intensive and require special methods".^{[US customs regulation]} The operative rule sits in the tariff schedule, and it is specific. A movement or case may not be entered "unless conspicuously and indelibly marked by cutting, die-sinking, engraving, stamping (including by means of indelible ink), or mold-marking (either indented or raised)".^{[HTSUS Ch. 91]} Watch movements must be marked on a bridge or top plate with the country of manufacture, the name of the manufacturer or purchaser, and the number of jewels in words; watch cases on the inside or outside of the back with the country of manufacture and the name of the manufacturer or purchaser.^{[HTSUS Ch. 91]}

Read that second requirement again if you are starting a brand: the name that must appear may be the purchaser's rather than the factory's. The customs regulation adds that the name used may be a registered trade name, that a trade mark alone will not satisfy it, and that the purchaser meant is the importer.^{[US customs regulation]}

Precious metal cases sold in Switzerland. A second obligation attaches to the cases themselves, and the wording is deliberately broad: "All watch-cases in gold, silver, platinum or palladium, of foreign or local manufacture, sold in Switzerland, are subject to control and compulsory official marking."^{[Swiss customs]} Of foreign or local manufacture: having the cases made abroad does not avoid it. Such articles must also carry a responsibility mark registered in Switzerland, for which the published registration fee is CHF 800 per mark, valid for twenty years.^{[Swiss customs]}