What Does “In-House” Really Mean? The Movement Dilemma in American Watchmaking

As an independent American watchmaker, we have taken on one of the most difficult challenges in the industry, not just building something beautiful and mechanical here in the United States, but doing so with substance. That means tackling questions of sourcing, craftsmanship, and transparency head-on. One of the questions we get often is this: Is your movement in-house? Or sometimes: Is it a manufacturer movement or a generic one? And in the world of American watchmaking, where the industry infrastructure is nearly nonexistent compared to Switzerland or Germany, the answer is rarely as simple as a label.

What most collectors do not realize (and frankly, what many brands would prefer they never find out) is that the definition of in-house has been stretched, bent, and polished over the years into something almost meaningless. In Switzerland and Germany, there are entire companies that exist for the sole purpose of making mainplates, bridges, and components for other manufacturers: brands that still turn around and proudly stamp in-house on their dials or press materials. Sometimes those parts are delivered partially finished, sometimes fully complete. The reality is, even within the most respected regions of high horology, the idea that a single brand is doing everything under one roof is more of a marketing story than a manufacturing one.

And when we talk about American watchmaking, the challenge is even greater. Unlike Europe, we do not have rows of specialized factories producing jewel settings, gear trains, or balance assemblies for us to lean on. Every part we do here has to be considered: who will make it, how will it be finished, what equipment is needed, and how do we keep the standard as high as we demand. As a result, every American independent watchmaker faces this dilemma: do we try to reinvent the wheel and build everything from scratch at great cost, or do we build strategically, using a hybrid approach that balances integrity with sustainability?

So what are we really talking about when we say in-house, manufacturer, or generic?

• A generic movement is typically a proven, mass-produced caliber from a supplier like ETA, Sellita, Miyota, or Seiko. These movements are reliable and serviceable, but they are also widely available. Many microbrands and even some larger brands will use them, often with minimal or cosmetic modification.
• A manufacturer movement is often a design that is exclusive to a brand, or a movement that is significantly customized from an existing base caliber. This could involve new bridges, new gear layouts, or new finishing techniques. The brand may work with a movement supplier or engineering partner to produce it, but they often control the architecture and finishing, even if they do not physically manufacture every single part.
• An in-house movement, at least by the strictest interpretation, means the brand designs, produces, assembles, and finishes nearly every component themselves: gear train, escapement, bridges, plates, the works. But here’s the catch: almost no one does this. Even industry titans outsource hairsprings, mainsprings, jewels, and more. So while in-house sounds good on paper, it rarely means what most people think it does.

At our brand, we have chosen to pursue the manufacturer movement route. Why? Because it allows us to design a caliber that reflects our values (traditional craftsmanship, real American labor, exceptional finishing) while still being realistic about what can be built in today’s industrial landscape. Our components are not plucked off a shelf. Our bridges, wheels, and dials are drawn from the ground up, and our finishing is done by hand, one piece at a time. We believe this route provides the best of both worlds: originality and quality, without falling into the trap of overpromising something that no one really delivers.

We also believe in transparency. If we use a third-party supplier for a component, we will tell you. If we build something ourselves, you will see the craftsmanship in every bevel, every plate, every polished screw. What matters most to us is not the label, but the execution: the soul of the piece, the honesty of the work, and the way it wears, ages, and tells time.

So next time someone asks, Is it in-house?, we suggest a different question: Is it well made? Does it tell a story worth telling? Is it honest in what it claims to be? Because if it is, then it is probably worth wearing, no matter what the marketing says.

And for us? We are proudly manufacturing our movements, because we believe that making something exceptional means knowing where to put your time, your energy, and your craftsmanship. Not chasing a label, but creating a legacy.

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