From design to final production, the manufacture of a watch involves a great many phases requiring skills and technical resources that are equally numerous and diversified.
Depending on the type of product (mechanical or electronic watch), a greater or smaller number of phases may be required, to say nothing of the countless quality controls performed at each stage of the manufacturing process.
Workmanship, finishing and timing by hand are also particularly important in the manufacture of mechanical watches, especially when they incorporate complications (such as a chronograph, striking mechanism or tourbillon). On the other hand, production in large series requires the automation of certain processes, both for component manufacture and for final product assembly.
Regardless of whether they are craft watchmakers producing just a few dozen timepieces or multi-brand groups selling several million watches, all Swiss watch manufacturers share the same values: quality, precision and fine workmanship.