Watch subcontracting in Geneva
CLD Design SA is an independent watch subcontractor based in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. In our workshop we carry out case assembly, crystal bonding, movement assembly, casing and final inspection, with one file per batch. Each operation can be ordered on its own, on your components, or as part of a full project.
Assembly and inspection operations
We are not part of any watch group. A brand launching a model, a watch house outsourcing a step during a production peak, or a subcontractor that has to deliver a finished watch can hand us one of these operations, or all of them.
Case assembly
Fitting the crystal, crown, caseback and bracelet. Every component is checked before it is fitted, tightening is carried out to the required torque and each stage is followed by a visual check.
CaseCrystal bonding
Sapphire or mineral crystals bonded to case middles and casebacks, with UV-curing adhesive or in a temperature-controlled oven, then checked under the stereo microscope.
CaseMovement assembly
From the bare movement to the complete sub-assembly with dial and hands fitted, to the level you specify.
MovementCasing
The movement is fitted and secured in the case. Casing ends with a water resistance test, followed by a functional check.
WatchFinal inspection
Visual inspection of the case, functional test of the movement and instrumented water resistance test, to your specifications.
WatchPolishing and jewellery work on case components, which come before assembly, are described on our watch case polishing and finishing page. For a watch whose project we run from the first drawing, see Swiss watch development, from drawing to after-sales.
Final inspection: values and lead time
Final inspection is the last operation before the batch goes back to you. It covers the case, the movement and water resistance, with the values below. No part that has not passed inspection leaves the workshop.
What the water resistance standards require is explained in our journal: Watch water resistance: what ISO 22810 and ISO 6425 require.
Work carried out in the canton of Geneva
The operations on this page are carried out in our workshop in Plan-les-Ouates. When machining is part of the order, it is carried out by our partner workshops in Plan-les-Ouates; our prototyping and industrialisation page explains how we order it and check the parts.
For a Swiss made watch, casing and final inspection must take place in Switzerland; a Geneva provenance claim and the Geneva Seal (Poinçon de Genève) have conditions of their own. We do not award any certification.
A first order, step by step
- First contactYou describe the operation, the components and the quantities, by e-mail, by phone or with the form at the bottom of this page.
- QuoteScope of operations, quantities and indicative lead time.
- Batch receiptComponents are registered on arrival and the batch file is opened.
- ProductionOperations carried out in our workshop, with a visual check at every stage.
- Final inspectionTo your specifications, with the inspection values given above.
- DeliveryPackaging and return of the batch, with the inspection report if you asked for it.
Frequently asked questions about watch subcontracting
What does a watch subcontractor do?
It carries out some or all of the operations that lead to a finished watch, on behalf of a brand or another workshop. At CLD Design, that ranges from a single operation, such as casing one batch, to the full development of a watch, from the case design to after-sales service.
Which operations can be outsourced in Geneva?
In our Plan-les-Ouates workshop: case assembly, crystal bonding, movement assembly, casing and final inspection, described on this page. Jewellery work on case components and polishing are presented on their own page, as is the after-sales service we provide for brands. For a new model, we also take on the design and engineering of the case, and the prototyping and industrialisation work that comes before production. A client that does its own polishing can hand us casing and final inspection only.
Do you handle one-off pieces or production runs?
Both. There is no minimum batch for the operations carried out in our workshop: an independent brand can have a few pieces assembled; a watch house can send us work during a production peak. For a project that includes machining, the quantity is set in the quote. Inspection and batch documentation stay the same in every case.
Can I supply my own machined parts?
Yes. You can send us cases, casebacks, crowns and crystals from your own suppliers, together with the movement, dial and hands, and hand us only the operations you need. Every component is checked before it is fitted. If you would rather we had the parts machined, machining is carried out by our partner workshops in Plan-les-Ouates, and the parts are checked on arrival in our workshop, before finishing.
How does a first order work?
In six steps: first contact, quote, batch receipt, production, final inspection and delivery. The quote sets the scope, the quantities and an indicative lead time; the batch file is opened as soon as the components arrive.
How is confidentiality ensured?
We never name the brands we work for, on this site or in our sales communications. A non-disclosure agreement is signed on request before any technical exchange, and we do not discuss ongoing work outside the company.
Let’s discuss
your project.
Tell us which operation you want to outsource: components, quantities, assembly level and the checks you expect.
Chemin du Pré-Fleuri 15
1228 Plan-les-Ouates
Switzerland