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Good evening everyone!
This week, we will be bringing you our new series, "Things you're too embarrassed to ask about now." In this new project, we will explain the basics of luxury watches in an easy-to-understand way, for those who are not very familiar with luxury watches and those who want to learn more about them.
This is the 17th time
[ Introduction to Luxury Watches ]: " Manufacture "
Everyone who loves watches has heard of the term "Manufacture" at least once. When you hear the term "Manufacture", you probably get the impression that it's an excellent watchmaker that is particular about the craftsmanship of its watches. However, there are probably a surprising number of people who don't know exactly what it means! In this article, we will explain the meaning of "Manufacture" and the difference between it and "Etablisseur", so please enjoy until the end.
What is "Manufacture"?
A "manufacture" is a manufacturer that manufactures and assembles all parts, including the movement, in-house. Since they handle everything from case design to movement manufacturing, development and manufacturing are expensive and labor intensive, and the price of the watch itself tends to be high.
Since mechanical watches have small parts and require precision manufacturing, there has long been a division of labor between manufacturers specializing in parts, movements, and cases. The term "manufacture" in the luxury watch industry today is not strictly defined. As a result, there are many manufacturers who call themselves "manufactures" by modifying external movements to suit their own style.
However, in the luxury watch industry, manufacturers that can truly be considered a "manufacture" are those that produce all of the movement parts, such as the base plate, bridges, and gears, in-house.
What is a complete "manufacture"?
As mentioned above, even among manufacturers that call themselves "manufactures," there are very few that can produce all parts in-house. In particular, the "hairspring," the heart of the movement, is a very difficult part to produce, thinner than a hair and even the slightest deviation can cause the watch to not keep accurate time. The few manufacturers that can produce such advanced parts are called full "manufacture" manufacturers.
Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Rolex are some of the names that can be mentioned as fully "manufacture" manufacturers. Seiko, a watch brand that Japan is proud of, is also known as a fully "manufacture" manufacturer. Unlike Switzerland, where division of labor was the norm for watches, Japan had no history of division of labor, so it is said that Japan had the technology to develop and manufacture in-house from an early stage.
Difference from "Etablisseur"
The opposite of "manufacture" is the term "établisseur." "Etablisseur" refers to a manufacturer that does not manufacture its own watches, but instead purchases movements and parts from other companies and assembles them.
By entrusting the development and production of the movement to specialized manufacturers, it is possible to cut the costs of development and testing, which allows the price to be reduced. Another advantage of "Etablisseur" is that in the event of a breakdown, repairs can be made cheaply because parts are widely available.
For "Etablisseurs", there are cases where finished movements are purchased and used as is, and cases where semi-finished movements called "ébauches" are purchased and the brand makes its own improvements and adjustments before using them; the price varies depending on whether or not these improvements and adjustments are made and the extent to which they are made.
The movements used by many "Etablisseur" manufacturers are from "ETA." ETA is known for producing inexpensive, high-quality movements, and is used by many watch manufacturers.
Representative brand of "Manufacture"
Now let me introduce some of the representative brands known as "Manufactures."
1. [Patek Philippe]
Patek Philippe is known as one of the three biggest watch brands in the world. One of the reasons for this is the high level of technology in watchmaking. Patek Philippe's movements are not only beautiful to look at, but also have excellent precision and functionality. In addition, they have established their own quality standard called the "Patek Philippe Seal," and aim for the highest quality in terms of precision, exterior, and finishing methods.
2. [Audemars Piguet]
Audemars Piguet is one of the three biggest watch brands in the world, alongside Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. The Royal Oak is well known, but the brand's technical capabilities are also highly regarded. Since the founding of the brand, the company has aimed to manufacture not only movements, but also cases and dials in-house. In 2009, the company established the Manufacture des Forges, which consists of three buildings, and boasts one of the largest production systems in the Vallée de Joux, the home of watchmaking.
3. [Parmigiani Fleurier]
Parmigiani Fleurier is less well known than the brands mentioned above, but is known for its advanced watchmaking technology. It belongs to the same foundation as other companies that specialize in watchmaking, and collectively calls itself the Parmigiani Watchmaking Center, along with five other companies, including Erwin, which makes screws for movements, and Atokalpa, which makes escapements such as hairsprings.
4. Rolex
Rolex is one of the world's top brands in terms of both popularity and recognition. It is loved by watch enthusiasts all over the world, and one of the reasons for this is the presence of their in-house movements, which are also known as the pinnacle of practical watches. In the past, they made watches such as the Daytona, which used an improved version of the famous El Primero made by Zenith, but now all of their models use movements made entirely in-house, making them a "manufacture" brand.
5. Grand Seiko
The last brand we will introduce is Seiko, a Japanese watch manufacturer that Japan takes pride in. Among them , Grand Seiko, which can be said to be the pinnacle of Japanese wristwatches, is manufactured at the Shizukuishi High-end Watch Workshop, where all processes from parts manufacturing to assembly, adjustment, and shipping are carried out consistently. In pursuit of precision and reliability, Grand Seiko combines the latest technology with the craftsmanship of its artisans to produce watches with the highest level of precision in the world.
summary
This time, we explained about "Manufacture". What did you think?
In recent years, with the advancement of watch technology, there are more "manufacture" manufacturers than ever before. We encourage you to find your favorite "manufacture" manufacturer and try out a watch filled with their tradition and commitment.
Once again, I hope that this article will pique your interest in luxury watches!
see you!