One of my customers once told me this saying: ‘the job of the amateur is to underestimate the job of the professional’ – which seems to apply universally. Since there is quite a bit of interest in exactly how a watch is designed and built, I decided to introduce the steps in customizing watch. I get quite a few inquiries from people who want to make just one custom-made watch, without learning the process of customizing it.
First Step——design your watch
Obviously, at first, you have to decide roughly what the watch will look like and its basic characteristics. If you can draw, it’s better to draw rendering to display what your watch will look like. The pictures below are rendering examples.
And then you need to decide the material and size for every component of this watch; better to do a list in renderings. If you can’t draw renderings, you’d better to draw rough pictures and show your idea, so that we can understand what you want. (If you just want someone to help you do drawings, we have such service to draw renderings for you, the price is 300USD, also we will draw technical drawings for you.)
Here is a list of usual materials for every watch part for your reference.
Case: bronze/stainless steel/Damascus/Ceramic/Titanium/Meteorite/Carbon Fiber/18K gold
Glass: flat or domed, sapphire crystal or acrylic, mineral
Strap/bracelet/band: stainless steel/rubber/silicone/Nylon/Leather/Ceramic/18K gold
Buckle: usually Stainless steel
Dial: usually brass(can do the effect you want)/stone+brass
Hand: generally stainless steel/bronze
Crown: generally stainless steel ( Selita/ETA/Miyota/Seiko，etc)
Movement: choose the one you want.
Decide the components size.
The size of the components list: Case size/strap width/crown diameter/suitable buckle size
If you plan to custom package and make your own brand gift box, the below picture will be for your information.
Second step——send design and estimate
After you finish your design, next step is to send us it. Then we will estimate and discuss together with your side whether if the design can be resonable to produce well from the technical and the aesthetics. If it’s okay for these two facts, then we will quote it to you for prototype price and mass production price.
The cost is consist of tooling and prototype fee. Different material watch case is with different cost, different design has different cost. So we can’t directly provide prototype cost and bulk production cost to you without knowing your detailed design, please pay attention it.
Third step—— make prototype
After you finish the payment of prototype, we will arrange to make prototype for you. Firstly, we will draw renderings for you, you can check the renderings example above, something like that. After confirm it with you, we will move forward. Then, we will do next step-draw technical drawings and 3D drawings for you. As below pictures example for your reference.
The drawings include every parts details, the above pictures are just a part of them.
The 3D drawings as following.
The prototype lead time vary from design to design, from 50 days to 90 days. After we finish the prototype, we will show the client videos and photoes,finally delivering to clients to check.
Fourth step——ship prototype
After all prototypes are finished, we will arrange to ship prototype. About the shipping, clients can book delivery by himeself/herself or we can help to deal with. Generally, the shipping method will be UPS/DHL/FEDEX, shipping time will be about 5-10 days.
Fifth step—— produce mass production
If client confirm the prototypes are okay to do mass production, the client will be need to pay the deposit( generally is 80% deposit; if the fee is not much, will be 100% directly). Then we will arrange to produce mass production.
In this step, if client directly need to produce mass production.Before we produce mass production, we will do pre-production prototype(sample) according to client’s product document to confirm with client(can send it to client). If anything is no problem, the mass production will be started to produce.
MOQ and lead time
Stainless steel watch: 200pcs, about 60days
Titanium watch: 200pcs, about 90days.
Damascus watch: 100pcs, about 90days.
Carbon fiber watch: 100pcs, about 60days.
Ceramic watch: 500pcs, about 90days.
Meteorite watch: 50pcs, about 90days.
18k gold watch:20pcs,about 90days.
The MOQ vary from design, specific MOQ depends on your design. So if you need to know in detail, contact us: alber@billowtimewatch.com
WhatsApp:+86 136 3161 4246