We did the research to find watches made right here in the USA, looking across a variety of categories from casual to formal and more. Below are our findings along with extensive details on each brand, tips to help you find the country of origin when you’re shopping, and information on where some of the biggest watch companies are actually made.
Complete List of Watch Brands Made in the USA
S&B (Smith & Bradley) makes tactical, dive, and casual watches. They are super intense about their product development too. For example, to come up with their SANS-13 Tactical Sport Watch, they interviewed hundreds of members of law enforcement and the armed forces to uncover all of their non-negotiables in a watch. Similar to Shinola, S&B watches have a Swiss movement. Use the code ALLAMERICAN to get 10% off your entire order.
The timepieces from Vortic Watches are truly one of a kind. Since they are all handmade, each one has its own unique style to it. Once they are sold, they are gone forever. Check out their American Artisan series of watches for timepieces that use 100% US-sourced components.
Weiss Watch Company handmakes unique timepieces that each take 60 hours to create. All materials are carefully selected and the founder, Cameron Weiss, is Swiss-trained. Unfortunately, they use Swiss movements, but that’s pretty standard for this industry in America.
DuFrane is a cool watchmaker out of Austin, Texas, that is handcrafting unique timepieces in a bunch of styles. No matter if you want a dive watch, something to dress up with, or a GMT variety – they have you covered. Note – some of their materials are imported, but that’s pretty common in this industry for U.S. manufacturers.
Shinola is a relatively new watch factory out of Detroit, MI. They have only been making wristwatches for men and women since 2011, but they have gotten darn good at it over that time period. They use a Swiss movement in the watch; otherwise, it is sourced in the USA.
Devon is a U.S. manufacturer that makes some of the most unique watches on the market, and they don’t even call them watches! The Tread 1D is one of the signature “time belts” that Devon produces, along with many other stylish designs. Rather than having dials run clockwise, Devon uses essentially conveyor belts moving horizontally and vertically across the watch face to display the time. They even have a watch themed after Darth Vader from Star Wars. If you want your watch to stand out in the crowd, this is the “time belt” to do it with – and it will cost you.
Martenero launched in 2014 and makes bold, modern watches for men. They release different collections throughout the year and they sell out quickly, so if you are interested in these watches, sign up for their email newsletter to be notified of the next drop.
Detroit Watch Company was founded in 2013 by a husband and wife team and makes luxury watches. They assemble everything in Detroit and source some materials domestically, but use Swiss mechanical movements in their watches.
Oak & Oscar produces some awesome handmade watches out our their Chicago, Illinois facility. Everything is handmade and they have a huge selection of band options for their staple watch styles. Note – they also use some Swiss components.
RGM got started in 1992 and handmakes unique luxury timepieces out of their small town in Lancaster County, PA. They put a ton of care into every step of the production process, and even do repairs and trade-ins. Heads up – they use some foreign components, the same as most American watchmakers.
SēL Instrument Watch Corporation is a watch manufacturer based in Tucson, Arizona, that makes all of their watches right there in their facility by hand. They prioritize performance over everything, so you’re getting a watch that will last a lifetime (and probably beyond that if you take care of it).
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Watches
How to Find Watches Made in the USA
Along with showcasing American made watches, we want to help you shop smarter. Let’s dive into the watch industry—from where the materials come from to figuring out labels and how to spot great watches crafted in the USA. First, let’s chat about what “made in the USA” really means and how to wrap your head around it.
What Does “Made in the USA” Mean?
Before you start your search for a US-made watch, it is important to understand what “made in the USA” means. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defines “made in the USA” as a product that is “all or virtually all” made in the United States. This means that all major components and manufacturing processes must take place in the USA.
For more information on the FTC’s guidelines, check out our “made in the USA” labeling guide.
Materials
The first step in finding your US-made watch is to research the raw materials used in the product. While you can certainly find watches made in the USA using US materials, many of the intricate parts and movements of luxury watches are produced in Switzerland. With that said, it is definitely possible to find watches made on US soil. By understanding the source of the materials used, you will be more successful in finding the perfect US-made watch!
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is commonly used in watches as it is highly resistant to rust and does not corrode. Thankfully, finding US-made stainless steel is not too difficult. The USA is one of the world’s largest steel manufacturers and is behind only China, Japan, and India.
However, since countries like China do produce the vast majority of steel and stainless steel, it’s worth keeping an eye out to ensure you are truly buying an American product. It’s especially important to buy American-made steel when you take into account the quality of the product. American-made steel is three times stronger than Chinese-made steel.
Ceramic
Ceramic is often used in watches as the material has a hardness that even stainless steel cannot compete with. Watches made with ceramic also do not show any signs of wearing even after years of use! Generally, watches made with ceramic are made with zirconium dioxide.
China is the biggest ceramic producer in the world, producing around 50% of the world’s ceramics. The US does not produce nearly as much, but with enough research, you should be able to find US-made ceramic watches.
Titanium
Titanium is a popular material used in watches as it is lightweight, durable, and great for underwater use. 90% of the USA’s titanium supply is imported. Because of the high reliance on imports, it will be much more difficult to find a titanium watch than a watch made of other materials. Unfortunately, even though the USA does produce some titanium, the small amount is primarily used in medical applications and pigments in paint and plastics.
Glass
Glass is used in watch faces as a protective covering. Glass production in the USA is sizable but not really comparable to glass manufacturing giants like China. China produces around a quarter of the world’s glass, and there is a limited number of big glassware companies in the US, so you may be likely to come across foreign-made glass. So, double-check the country of origin of the glass as well in order to find a true US-made watch.
Labeling
Now that you have a good understanding of the raw materials used, it is essential to look at the product’s labeling. According to Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the United States Code, all imported materials must be labeled as such with the country of origin. This means the labels will help weed out foreign-made products. When looking for a US-made watch, look specifically for the “made in the USA” label, as this label is protected by the FTC.
Even though the FTC protects the use of the “made in the USA” label, there is no pre-approval process. In fact, it is up to the companies to determine whether their product meets the requirements to use the label. With that being said, the FTC does investigate complaints, so it is up to the consumer to report any incorrect usage of the label to the FTC.
Watch out for confusing and misleading labels that trick consumers into thinking the product is made in the USA. For example, labels such as “assembled in the USA” or “designed in the USA” are commonly used but mean that only a portion of the manufacturing actually takes place in the USA. Other labels to watch out for include “made in America” or “made in the USA with imported materials.” Lastly, watch out for the use of the American flag sticker on labels and packaging, as this is not regulated and does not always mean that the product is made in the USA.
Other Tips
Here are some more things to check to help you find a watch made in the USA.
Check the Company’s Website
A watch made in the USA is a huge selling point, so if this is the case, this should be advertised proudly. Go to the company’s website and check the “About Us” section or the product page. You should see some information regarding the product’s country of origin there. If you can’t find it, it is important to remember that there are no requirements to list the watches’ country of origin on any online or promotional materials, only on the physical product itself. So, silence generally means the product is not made domestically.
Check Online Shopping Sites
Online shopping websites, like Amazon, will usually state the country of origin on the product information section of the product page, so it is a good idea to check this out. If you can’t find this information, you should also check out the FAQ section to see if someone has already asked a question regarding the country of origin of the watch you are looking at.
Call the Manufacturer
If the previous tips fail to deliver the information you seek, the next thing to do is call the manufacturer directly. They will be able to answer your questions about the origin of the materials and the country of production of the watch you are after.
Watches Not Made in the USA
During our research, we came across several big watch brands that are not making their watches in the USA. Please see the full list below and where they’re made – we’ll continue updating this as we do more research.
- Rolex – Made in Switzerland.
- Bremont – Made in the UK.
- Timex – Made in the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, France, India, and Switzerland.
- SEIKO – Made in Japan.
- Hamilton – Made in Switzerland.
- Longline – Made in Switzerland.
- Swatch – Made in Switzerland.
- Breitling – Made in Switzerland.
- Rotary – Made in Switzerland, Japan, and China.
- Cartier – Made in Switzerland.
