Watches NOT made in China and NOT using Chinese parts??

I think that goes not only for watches, but many things in this world. For better or worse, China has become the place that actually builds things.

I think you are mistaken about Russian watches. I listen to some Russian watch Youtubers and heard them mentioning importing some Chinese parts by Russian manufacturers.

Very good question. As someone who remembers where Covid came from, I have a dislike of the CCP, and do not like to buy made in China. My issue is not with the Chinese people, just the murderous commies in power!

Not sure you’ll find any. Swiss Made req is like 60% German made has even more loopholes last I checked.

American Made is actually far more stricter, but there is nearly nothing that can actually carry that title/ moniker (not to be confused with “assembled in America”)🙃

I think Nomos claims 95% of their watches are German made/sourced, and Ollech & Wajs claims in the 90% range for Swiss sourcing. But, odds are some portion of either materials or parts of literally any watch are sourced somewhere in East Asia (PRC or otherwise).

Pre 1980s/vintage might be your best bet if you want to avoid Chinese watches or any watch with Chinese sourced parts. I can’t image many Swiss/Japanese/US/rest of world watches pre 1980s would have any connection to China, what with the whole country in the throes of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution!

I think Vostok sources material from non-Russian sources - even if the parts manufacturing and assembly might be in house.

Glashütte Original manufactures about 95% in-house; the leather strap I know is sourced from Louisiana, USA. I could not say for sure NO parts come from China, but I think the chance is pretty low.

I would say “Nomos”.

German is your best bet. Glashutte original produce their own parts for the most part right down to the screws.... BUT pretty significant are still made externally including their clasps.

But the reality is pretty much any commodity has passed through China and there are very few ways to get around that. I'm not sure why you would want to anyway?

Norqain claims their Wild One model is 100% Swiss made

A lot of Chinese manufacturing is shutting down as countries bring back factories or move them to other Pacific rim countries.

It seems everybody is forgetting Japan.

At least Seiko makes everything in-house. Maybe Orient and Citizen too.

In Russia maybe Raketa.

In Germany, Nomos and a few others.

Nomos makes all components in house

Two words: Grand Seiko

And in the case of the 9F quartz, even the battery is in-house 😄

Nomos

The whole system has gone wrong, yes. That's not a reason to approve it or not trying to fight against it.

You dont have to agree with him, he may have his reasons. Are you telling us that you love every single country on earth?

Casual Sinophobia

Totally agree. At some point foreign machines, materials, or finished parts are coming into play in the supply chain. But, for CnC and specialized machinery - that does seem firmly in the Germany specialty wheelhouse and likely used by European manufacturers.

It seems I read hands and bracelet components are often the parts most sourced from East Asia from the firms doing the highest % Swiss or German sourced manufacturing. Probably due to economies of scale where one or two East Asian firms are making these components for the bulk of the watch industry.

You'll be paying a LOT for zero Chinese parts.

Think the big 3.

Rolex gets pretty darn close but I think there are two things they don't make in house, the lume and I think the sapphire crystal.

I'll counter with the fact that China let their factories use banned CFCs in such amounts that they SINGLE HANDEDLY made the ozone hole slightly bigger. They didn't stop until 2015/2016.... DECADES after the ban.

For the multitudes of reasons going wrong the Chinese economy is still in a tailspin and their watch buying appetite is falling off.

Thank you!

Its not the people, I am no racist, but their govt which abuses them and the environment and threatens the world. I would buy from Taiwan, the free republic of China anytime. Do not want my tax dollars going to an enemy state. I feel for the people stick in the PRC, North Korea, and the like. Many are like slave labor, nope, nit intentionally sending a penny to the peoples republic of China. You vote with your purchases and I do not vote for a government like that, not want to grow their economy so they can wreck the world.

I won't buy any of the Ali Express Chinese stuff. No Parnis or Pagani, etc. for me. But I would assume a little bit of my Steinharts - even though they're "Swiss Made" German watches - probably have seen the inside of China. Hopefully very little though.

It is pretty much inevitable as Communist China has been playing the long game for a long time and produces a vast majority of the world's goods. I hate that. But it is a sad fact.

Yes, I agree with you completely!

You aren't buying things from the government, you are buying them from Chinese companies and people, the same as anywhere else.

They also aren't your tax dollars. They are just your regular dollars, after tax.

When you buy from these companies , made of people, in the PRC they are in effect 50% owned by the government. I used to do business there, granted all manufacturers and I was dealing often what we called then the red army. If it was only just the individuals, I would feel different. When a business is large enough to be noticed, the state steps in. "You do vote with your dollars", but I was not referring to tax, but that is true as well. When our tax dollars are used to buy "x" from the PRC, it strengthens that government. The PRC has been stealing our technology, violating patents, using child and slave labor,...not that any country is an angel, but there are degrees. North Korea, the Peoples Republic of China I put one the opposite end of the spectrum from Taiwan and South Korea.