Watch Brand

How Much Does It Cost To Start A Watch Brand? (In 2024)

Pat Walls

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Updated: July 21st, 2024

Looking to start a watch brand?

But curious about:

how much it costs to start a watch brand?
what are the typical watch brand startup costs?
or the actual cost of starting watch brands?

Well, we have the data to prove it, supported by real watch brands and how much they actually cost to start.

Let's go over it.

What is the average cost of starting a watch brand?

Based on our data reported by actual watch brand founders, the average cost of starting a watch brand is between $5,000 and $180,000.

Additionally, our data shows that the the median startup costs for a watch brand are around $8.5K.

Remember, though, not all watch brands are the same - and neither are people's budgets. It's important to distinguish between different levels or types of watch brands

Real World Examples: How much does it cost to start a watch brand?

We asked real watch brand founders and business owners how much it actually cost to get started?

Here is what they said:

Steven Elliot Ng

Founder of Elliot Havok ($150K/month)

"I launched my first project Dash Wallets and in two months, it was successfully funded with $64,000+."*

Steven is the founder of Elliot Havok and Dash Wallets, businesses that focus on luxury watches and minimalist wallet solutions, respectively.

Read this case study

Read by 5,623 founders

Steve Christensen

Founder of NOVO watch ($20K/month)

“For the next few semesters and throughout my masters program I would sit at the back of the class drawing designs, emailing people from China and sending money to unknown people in hopes I would see my ideas turn into reality. When I finally got my first products, I was hooked.”

Steve Christensen is the founder of Novo Watch, a handmade watch business that specializes in using reclaimed materials such as military tanks and train tracks.

Read this case study

Read by 5,746 founders

Christian Zeron

Founder of Theo & Harris ($150K/month)

"I invested the only money I had and bought $10,000 in inexpensive, unsexy watches."

Christian Zeron is the founder of Theo & Harris, a vintage watch business that generates over $2 million in annual sales.

Read this case study

Read by 14,750 founders

John Pietrasz

Founder of Delray Watch Supply ($320K/month)

"I started this business with my partner, Federico Iossa (popular from the YouTube series ‘Federico Talks Watches’) 20 months ago with $4,000 in a kitchen, and now see sales of over $3.3 MM annually, at the age of 28."

John Pietrasz is the founder of Delray Watch Supply, a tech-driven luxury watch dealer that focuses on the true watch collectors, casually known as “watch geeks.”

Read this case study

Read by 13,788 founders

Ronnie Teja

Founder of Branzio ($25K/month)

"When I started I remember I had like $5k in a bank account, and I was literally interviewing to be the Director of Web for a local outdoor retailers."

Ronnie Teja is the founder of Branzio Watches, a men's fashion watch business that designs in Vancouver and manufactures in China.

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Read by 23,700 founders

Chema Echanove

Founder of Hakuna ($110K/month)

"We thought it would be easy. Although we had no experience in opening an E-Commerce, we collected approximately € 30,000 from my parents and siblings to start the business. With that small budget we have had to set up the web, produce the first collection and cover all the marketing costs to launch the first ad campaigns."

Chema Echanove is one of the co-founders of Button Watch, a watch business known for its unique interchangeable cotton straps that fasten with a button.

Read this case study

Read by 9,911 founders

Marcus Taylor

Founder of Bruder Watches ($1.5K/month)

"We will expect to break even around August from our initial start-up cost of around $17,000."

Marcus is the Co-Director of Bruder Watches Ltd, a watch business that has seen a fantastic appetite for their new range of timepieces despite starting at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read this case study

Read by 7,010 founders

Pablo

Founder of Chronoexpert ($480K/month)

"In terms of cost and investment, developing the platform was the highest initial budget by far, and marketing came later. We are really capital efficient, but there are some areas where we need to invest, and this is why we raised our first and only funding round."

Pablo is the founder of Chronoexpert, a luxury watches marketplace that reached a revenue milestone of 2.5M€ in under three years.

Read this case study

Read by 7,222 founders

Enjoyed reading these real world examples?

Our platform is full of case studies of successful watch brands that you can learn from.

Starting a watch brand - what you should know:

Creating a watch brand involves several variables that can significantly affect your costs.

Design and Prototyping Costs

If you opt to work with established designers and prototyping firms, expect costs to start at around $10,000 and can go upwards of $50,000 depending on the complexity of your design. Utilizing existing designs or minimalist concepts can substantially reduce these expenses to around $5,000.

Manufacturing and Materials

The choice of materials used in your watches can widely vary your expenditures. Stainless steel cases may cost around $30 to $60 each in bulk, while titanium or ceramic cases can push costs up to $100 per unit. Additionally, Swiss or Japanese movements can range from $25 to $200 per unit, significantly impacting your overall budget. Budgeting for a minimum order quantity typically required by manufacturers can further increase initial costs to a minimum of $20,000.

Marketing and Branding

Effective marketing is essential to break into the competitive market. Budget at least $10,000 for initial branding efforts such as logo design, website development, and high-quality photoshoots. Comprehensive marketing strategies including social media advertising, influencer partnerships, and email campaigns might increase your budget to around $50,000 or more, depending on your target audience and breadth of your campaign.

Legal and Administrative Costs

Don't overlook the legal and administrative fees involved in establishing your brand. Trademark registrations, both in your home country and abroad, can cost between $1,000 and $5,000. Additionally, setting up a professional website and establishing corporate protocols can add another $2,000 to $10,000 to your startup costs.

Taking these factors into account will help you more accurately prepare for the monetary demands of launching a watch brand.

Potential Costs of Starting a Watch Brand

Starting a watch brand involves a wide array of costs that cover everything from materials and labor to marketing and distribution. Below is a detailed breakdown of these potential costs.

Cost Category	Description	Estimated Cost Range
Product Design	Hiring designers for watch design	$5,000 - $20,000
Prototyping	Creating prototypes before mass production	$1,000 - $5,000 per prototype
Material Sourcing	High-quality materials for watch components (steel, leather, etc.)	$10,000 - $100,000
Manufacturing	Production costs for making the watches	$50 - $500 per unit
Quality Control	Ensuring each watch meets quality standards	$1,000 - $10,000
Branding & Packaging	Logo design, packaging design, and materials	$1,000 - $10,000
Website Development	Initial development of an e-commerce website	$5,000 - $20,000
Website Hosting	Ongoing hosting fees for the e-commerce site	$100 - $500 per month
Marketing	Online ads, social media promotions, and influencer partnerships	$1,000 - $50,000
Legal Fees	Trademark registrations, contracts, and legal consultations	$2,000 - $10,000
Office Rent	Physical office or studio space	$500 - $5,000 per month
Employee Salaries	Hiring staff for various roles (design, marketing, customer service)	$30,000 - $100,000 per year
Tools & Equipment	Tools for assembling and testing watches (screwdrivers, testing machines)	$5,000 - $20,000
Shipping & Logistics	Costs for shipping products to customers and managing logistics	$1,000 - $10,000
Inventory Storage	Warehousing costs for storing inventory	$500 - $2,000 per month
Trade Shows	Participation in industry trade shows and events	$500 - $10,000 per event

By carefully estimating and planning for these costs, you can more effectively budget and manage the financial aspects of launching a successful watch brand.

Part of

Starting A Watch Brand: Everything You Need To Know

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