The State Of American Watchmaking In 2025

Formerly A Watchmaking Powerhouse, The United States Is Still Home To Serious Watchmakers If You Know Where To Look

By Benjamin Lowry

In the United States, it means something to be “American-made”, especially within the W.O.E. community. However, the realities behind “Made in the USA” have led to challenges for American brands seeking to celebrate the United States’ once proud horological traditions. So if you’re looking for an American-made watch, what are your options in 2025?

In this Dispatch, we’ll discuss the current state of watchmaking in the United States, prefaced by a necessary exploration of the standards required for something to earn the “Made in the USA” designation in comparison to other prominent watchmaking nations.  

(Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)

While there are challenges, the state of American watchmaking is not all doom and gloom, and many brands are doing big things in the United States that are worthy of celebrating. If buying a watch with US roots is important to you, this article serves as a primer for how to make informed buying decisions. It’s an admittedly imperfect science, but for each of the brands we cover, we’ll attempt to quantify the level of US manufacturing taking place.

“Made In The USA”

A technician assembles movements in Shinola’s Detroit factory. (Photo Credit: Detroit Free Press)

Whether we like it or not, determining how “American” a watch is can be daunting, an issue further complicated by brands who use clever language in the interest of marketing and, ultimately, self-preservation. For the most part, these efforts are not malicious and are instead an attempt by brands to celebrate their American heritage while not running afoul of the legal definition of “Made in the USA”, which is more extreme than the standards enforced in many nations.

“Made in USA” means that “all or virtually all” the product has been made in America. That is, all significant parts, processing, and labor that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. - Federal Trade Commission

The FTC’s hard-line policy is in stark contrast to Switzerland’s standards for the official “Swiss-made” designation, which requires only 60% of a watch’s manufacturing costs to be incurred in Switzerland, with at least 50% of its components by value (including the movement) having originated in Switzerland. There are other provisions, but the key is that many watches from around the world, including Swiss watches, are allowed to have significant input from other countries—including China—while watches hoping to be considered “Made in the USA” must conform to the “all or virtually all” standard.

It’s easier for watches to be “Swiss-made” than it is to obtain full “Made in the USA” status. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)

Considering that essential movement mechanical movement components like mainsprings and jewels are not currently manufactured in the US, “Made in the USA” is an all but unreachable standard for US-based watchmakers at the moment, but it wasn’t always this way.

A Brief History Of US Watchmaking

Once upon a time, watchmaking in the United States was a big deal. In the late 1800s, companies clustered around the Industrial Revolution hotbed of Waltham, Massachusetts implemented new ideas to industrialize watchmaking, leaning into pioneering mass production principles based on interchangeable and replaceable components. In late 1800s Switzerland, individual watchmakers in the Jura Mountains were still hand fabricating every component of a single watch, start to finish, one at a time, at a laborious rate. American watchmaking was miles ahead.

In an act of corporate espionage, the Swiss industry responded by dispatching agents to the United States to study Waltham Watch Company in Waltham, Massachusetts. With an open mind and a new grasp of mass production principles in watchmaking, the horological spies returned to Switzerland to revolutionize Swiss watchmaking, gaining back the ground lost to the United States by the early 1900s.

Jacques David (left) & Theo Gribi were the Swiss “spies” sent to the United States to learn about American watch manufacturing.

The final blows to American watchmaking would come with the Great Depression and World War II. The stock market crash ensured few people could afford luxury items such as watches, and WWII meant that many American watch factories switched to making military equipment to aid the war effort. All the while, the neutral Swiss were free to ramp up production and marketing to fill the void in a way the Americans would never come back from.

Along with Japan and Germany, Switzerland has pretty much been at the head of the watchmaking pack ever since.

However, the past few years have seen a significant increase in interest in American watchmaking and a growing number of companies trying to revitalize America’s former watchmaking glory. Here is a list, in no particular order, of people and brands we think are notable in this new resurgence of American watchmaking.

Note: Some great American watch companies rely on Asia for manufacturing and production, and there is nothing wrong with that, but for this list, we are sticking to brands that do an above-average amount of manufacturing, assembly, and/or testing in the U.S. as well as brands that otherwise have something unique that sets them apart. This is not intended as a complete or exhaustive list, and if there are other brands you believe we missed, we welcome your feedback in the comments.

Weiss Watch Company - Nashville, Tennessee

(Photo Credit: Weiss Watch Company)

Inspired by a lifelong fascination with watches, Cameron Weiss pursued his passions by enrolling in an apprentice-style watchmaking program. After learning the ropes, Weiss cut his teeth working for renowned watch brands Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, honing his skills before setting off on his own with Weiss Watch Company in 2013. The brand has gone from hand-finishing watches at the Weiss family dining room table to a proper workshop in Nashville, Tennessee, with several landmark models, including the American Issue with a Weiss-made movement, and the bespoke Executive Issue featuring American-sourced gold.

(Photo Credit: Weiss Watch Company)

With a collection that combines complete movements sourced from Switzerland with other calibers that are “workshop made” by Weiss from both in-house and imported components, all of Weiss’s watches are meticulously assembled and tested in the United States and start around $2,500.

RESCO Instruments - Coronado, California

(Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)

Moving to a brand close to our community, we have RESCO Instruments, which was founded by Robert Smith, an active duty Navy SEAL at the time, back in 2009. Given the founder’s line of work, the watches are extensively tested and used by Team Guys after being assembled and tested in the United States by the brand’s full-time watchmaker at RESCO’s Coronado headquarters. There are a wide variety of customization options as well as both quartz and automatic options for many of RESCO’s models.

As a note, RESCO is heavy on maritime-related iconography with a trident on the seconds hand and many of the case backs, but we would argue the brand isn’t only for SEALs but rather intended to celebrate the legacy of the Naval Special Warfare community with solid utilitarian dive watches that start around $1,000. If you’re looking for an interactive sales experience, RESCO is also an approachable small American business, and pretty much anyone can call to chat with Rob and/or his wife about watches or to place an order. Of note, RESCO also has a robust unit watch program.

Shinola - Detroit, Michigan

(Photo Credit: Shinola)

One of the more complicated names in the US watchmaking conversation is Shinola, which was founded in 2011 by Tom Kartsotis, a co-founder of Fossil, the mall watch giant. Bent on bringing back US and specifically Detroit manufacturing for watches, leather goods, bicycles, and more, Shinola unveiled its Runwell collection of watches in 2013, catching on with prominent wearers including President Bill Clinton. However, all was not as it seemed, and the FTC quickly stepped in to limit Shinola’s “Made in America” language and marketing slant, ordering the company to more accurately portray its timepieces as assembled in the United States from foreign components.

President Bill Clinton has been a passionate Shinola supporter.

After, Shinola pivoted to “Built in Detroit” language that the FTC also did not enjoy, arguing that it meant more or less the same thing as its previously challenged “American-made” claims. In any case, Shinola does assemble watches in the United States from what we can tell, and the brand’s efforts to create jobs in Detroit and bring manufacturing back to the United States are noble. With quartz models starting well under $1,000, Shinola is a brand to consider when looking for a watch with at least some American and even presidential caché.

RGM - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

(Photo Credit: RGM)

The proverbial O.G. of modern American watchmaking, Roland G. Murphy launched the eponymous RGM watches in 1992. His interest in horology was spawned in high school when Murphy worked half days at a local clock company. This led him to pursue watchmaker training in Switzerland before taking a job with Hamilton back in Pennsylvania, eventually working his way up to Technical Manager, a role he maintained until the launch of RGM.

The hand-made tourbillon on RGM’s Pennsylvania Tourbillon. (Photo Credit: RGM)

With a stated goal “...to offer not only the finest watches made in the USA but the finest watches available”, RGM machines movement components, utilize centuries-old lathes for finishing, and dabbles in high complications including the tourbillon. Despite certain essential components still coming from Switzerland, from a movement perspective, RGM makes some of the most American watches in existence, currently offering no less than four “in-house” movements in various watches throughout its collection in addition to Swiss calibers. As you’d expect, RGM’s watches embody serious watchmaking and come with price points to match, starting at just over three grand with more pedestrian Swiss movements.  

Barrelhand - San Ramon, California

Barrelhand’s Project One was introduced in 2020 as a limited series of only ten watches priced at $30k. (Photo Credit: Barrelhand)

Likely the most modern and avant-garde brand making watches in the United States today is Barrelhand, a small-batch producer of watches leaning into 3D printed technology as well as designs that are way out there for most. Started by former NASA researcher Karel Bachand, Barrelhand released their first watch, the Project One, in 2020 as a limited series of only ten watches at $30k apiece. It was a showcase of the possibilities of 3D printing, featuring the world’s first 3D printed movement bridge, as well as a crown release system, chapter rings, and lugs all fully 3D printed in titanium.

The Barrelhand Monolith is theoretically intended for astronauts. (Photo Credit: Barrelhand)

We are assume certain movement components come from elsewhere, but significant design and manufacturing are taking place in the United States. The brand’s second watch, the Monolith, is designed around a theoretical space travel use case and also leans heavily into 3D printing while coming in at a more reasonable but still serious $8,750. It’s not going to be for everyone, but we see Barrelhand as a more industrial American take on something like Urwerk or Richard Mille.

Oak & Oscar - Chicago, Illinois

(Photo Credit: Oak & Oscar)

Within the microbrand/independent world, a few American upstarts are doing more than just drop shipping, and Oak & Oscar, based in Chicago, Illinois, is one of them. Founded by Chase Fancher in 2015, Oak & Oscar has a full-time watchmaker on staff who meticulously assembles each watch, a lot more than the average startup watch brand can say. Oak & Oscar’s collection centers around watches that could stand alone as a person’s one-watch collection, at times integrating helpful complications like a GMT or chronograph.

(Photo Credit: Oak & Oscar)

In keeping with the brand’s Chicago roots, all Oak & Oscar watches can be ordered with leather straps made by Horween Leather Company, the home of Shell Cordovan. For watches hand-assembled in Chicago using mechanical calibers coming from Switzerland, the price points aren’t out of hand either, starting around $1,600 for the time-only Olmsted 38 on a Horween leather strap. Oak & Oscar has also dipped its toe into the unit watch space, with a prior limited run for the US Secret Service.

Mk II - Wayne, Pennsylvania

(Photo Credit: Brock Stevens)

MK II was founded way back in 2002 by Bill Yao as a provider of watch parts including dials and hands intended for modifying watches from other brands, including Seiko’s SKX diver. Success in this venture led Mk II to evolve into a fully-fledged brand specializing in creating re-imagined second comings of some of history’s most important tool watches. Mk II, which is pronounced “Mark Two”, is military parlance for something like a second version or edition, meaning the brand's designs are intended not as replicas but rather updates with modern specs, manufacturing standards, and subtle design changes.

Diving with the Mk II Fulcrum 39. (Photo Credit: Geoff Gerrits)

For the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Mk II has the Stingray. For the Benrus Type I, the Paradive. For the Omega Seamaster 300, the Project 300. And, for the Mil-Sub, the Fulcrum 39 we recently tested underwater in the Florida Keys. It’s easy to call Mk II an “homage brand”, but there’s a lot more going on here, and if the speed with which Mk II’s watches sell out is any indication, plenty of people get it. Prices start around $1,000.

SēL Instrument - Tucson, Arizona

The OmniDiver Xos 42 from SēL feels almost like a concept watch. (Photo Credit: SEL Instrument)

Part watch brand, part new approach to how a watch should look in general is SēL, a brand founded by Andrew McLean in Tucson, Arizona in 2013. Where Barrelhand is all about 3D printing, SēL’s thing is CNC machining, and you can tell from looking at the brand’s watches, most of which are hulking industrial designs made from titanium and steel. The movements are standard Swiss calibers (both quartz and mechanical options exist), but virtually everything else is being manufactured in the United States.

Impressive for a brand of its size, SēL makes all of its dials in-house. (Photo Credit: SēL Instrument)

This is another case of a design ethos that isn’t going to be for everyone, but the specs are certainly there with SēL’s watches, with the OmniDiver Xos 42 provides a staggering 2000 meters of water resistance as well as proprietary shock resistance tech, paired with in-house luminescent material, in-house dials, cases, and bracelets, a proprietary bezel click mechanism, and a lot more. We talk about the Use Your Tools ethos all the time, and SēL’s watches look and feel more like tools than most while starting around $4,800 for the aforementioned OmiDiver.

Vaer - Venice Beach, California

(Photo Credit: Vaer)

Vaer was started by two friends in California, in the way that a lot of small brands start, sourcing parts and almost complete watches from overseas. They quickly moved to a more USA-centric business model, assembling many of their watches stateside while being refreshingly transparent about which watches come from where. Vaer has also recently adopted the USA-built AmeriQuartz movement in some of their watches to create what they call “...the most American quartz watches on the market (measured by source origin value)”.

(Photo Credit: Vaer)

With price points starting at $200 and even less in some cases, Vaer is a solid option for anyone looking to celebrate at least some level of American watchmaking on a budget. Although the brand has a few questionable designs and is currently sporting a sprawling online catalog that is challenging to grasp, the fact that Vaer is focused on moving things towards American-made earns them a spot here.

J.N. Shapiro - Los Angeles, California

Shaprio’s dials are made using a traditional rose engine, a special type of lathe. (Photo Credit: J.N. Shapiro)

Josh Shapiro, a history teacher by trade, got his start tinkering with watches around his dining room table. This led him to an interest in 100-year-old engine-turning machines used to create traditional patterns such as guilloché on watch dials for other watchmakers. The success of these dials, using the same techniques used by watchmakers hundreds of years ago, led Shapiro to found his brand back in 2018. Soon after, Shapiro moved into producing complete watches and, beyond a few key components from Switzerland, complete movements, meaning these watches are crafted virtually 100% in the United States.

Shapiro’s watches are among the most beautifully decorated being made in the United States. (Photo Credit: J.N. Shapiro)

Meticulously made by hand at the rate of about 30 pieces per year, Shapiro’s watches are expensive and the kind of thing few of us will ever see, let alone own. It’s hard enough to try to enter the more affordable end of the watch industry with an American-made ethos, and harder still to see someone go after the traditional, high-end corner of the market traditionally controlled by some of Switzerland’s biggest names. Whether you’re a buyer for something like this or not, you have to respect what Shapiro has set out to do.

Vortic - Fort Collins, Colorado

(Photo Credit: Vortic)

One of the more unusual options on our list is Vortic, a brand with a core competency of taking vintage pocket watches from former American brands like Illinois and Hamilton and converting them into wristwatches in its Fort Collins, Colorado base. Given that many of these older pocket watches are completely American and whatever new modifications are taking place in the USA, one could frame an argument for Vortic’s collection being among the “most American” watches on offer, an intriguing point of differentiation compared to the other names on this list.

(Photo Credit: Vortic)

Of course, stemming from pocket watches means Vortic’s watches are typically large and sometimes very large, with certain models coming in at 45mm in diameter. In addition, Vortic’s watches aren’t cheap with most coming in around $4k or more. After a five-year legal battle with Hamilton, which is backed by the Swatch Group, Vortic also managed an important legal victory defending its ability to re-engineer and sell modern wristwatches built from vintage Hamilton watches that continue to carry Hamilton’s signature. This likely astronomically expensive legal battle shows Vortic’s determination to carry out its unique mission in the USA.

Of interest to our community, John Krasinski wears a Vortic Military Edition in some episodes of Jack Ryan on Amazon.

The Future Of American Watchmaking  

As this list of brands indicates, there have been big steps made in the last decade or so to rejuvenate American watchmaking, but there’s still a long way to go to reclaim the once-proud US watchmaking tradition of the 1800s if such a thing is even possible. In any case, for buyers for whom American provenance is a key factor, any discussion of where to look for an “American watch” is nuanced, and complicated. Doing your research is key. The brands presented here are not intended as a complete picture of American watches but rather a jumping-off point for further research into the US watch industry.

For the moment, a 100% American watch satisfying the “Made in the USA” standard does not appear to exist, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t great options displaying a range of levels of US roots. Switzerland, Japan, and Germany may be the key watchmaking nations of the moment, but the United States is also on the map and quickly growing. At W.O.E., celebrating US-based brands and suppliers is an important aspect of our ethos, and we are excited to see where this resurgent American watchmaking industry can go.

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