Wouldn't You Think There Would Be...

More watch movements from other countries ?..It's GREAT having the
Swiss, Japanese, Chinese, Russian movements etc. ! However, couldn't
or shouldn't there be more movements from around the world ? Whether
they be from the U.S. or ANY other country for that matter. It just seems
strange because there are countless watch companies from all over the
world that you would think would be able, or want to have their own
watch movements ! Any thoughts ?

Great question AT. I never gave it a thought. Is it a cost issue? a logistics issue? I really don't know. Very GOOD question!!!

Northwestguy wrote:

Great question AT. I never gave it a thought. Is it a cost issue? a logistics issue? I really don't know. Very GOOD question!!!

Thanks NWG ! I think it could be all of the above sir !..Still it would be nice to
have even more options I think. Imagine there being a bunch of movements to choose
from ! Comparing them and seeing how good these various watch movements from different
countries and companies would be ! Almost like the Olympics of watch movements !

Put a man on the moon.......put a movement in a watch!

Interesting question....just off the top of my head, the law of economics seems to take place....e.g. good old USA Elgins etc...I have one...if you read about such companies, they went the way of the dodo bird....cheaper brands come into the market and force older ones to fold their tents....
TIme keeping is an old, old tradition and the Europeans have given us its inventions. Of course China had its own time keeping devices much older than the West but were never developed to the same degree. So we now are enjoying the fruits of the European designed time movements.
Then Japan opened up to the west during the Meiji era of 1863 and imported British, German and USA made clocks, copied their designs and movements starting with Hattori/Seiko.....well you know the end result!
First, it was mechanical movements used, then in the 1980s, Seiko introduced the quartz watch and almost decimated the mechanical market, lowering costs per watch so that almost everyone could afford a watch. Seiko continued to experiment and innovate with movements as in their AGS / Kinetic movement.
Jumping forward into the Millenium now, it is Sea-Gull Tianjin factory which produces the largest number of mechanical movements!!!!
Of course, Citizen's umbrella branch of Miyota quartz movements had become the generic cheap movement for many watch companies to buy and insert into their cheaper watches.
Seiko/Epson has their own TMI company specializing in Seiko quartz movements and sells millions around the world. Of course, robotics and cheaper labor cost make it efficient to churn out such movements.
Last year I read an article in TIME about how millions of dollars are spent buying watch movements but that the economic climate due to the USA economy had stalled many investors from buying such movements.
SO, to partly answer your question, who/what country can compete with huge invested economics? The Russian companies are making a comeback however with their own watches. But cheaper Chinese movements are creeping in everywhere! Again , the law of economics....cheaper parts equals more profit......does any of this make sense???

Wow ! Cool history lesson ! Thanks ! Thian, the whole economics thing does make sense.
It's just that maybe companies could still have some of their own movements too ! Instead
of the same few countries making movements for just about every watch !..In a way, to add to
the economics theme. It might also be that it's just easier to use existing movements for watch
companies. These countless watch companies have become content doing what they have been
doing for so long, that it's almost like they have forgotten that they could actually make their
own movements if they wanted. It's pretty interesting to think about !

Well, sounds fine and dandy ....to make one's one movement...but it is so costly. Just ask Noah how much time, effort and cost he put in to just designing his Tsunami case!!! His innovation was to design it to fit two Seiko movements...the 7s26 and the 6R15 , I think....He made 100 special edition cases, ordered his movements and had them assembled for him. And he is not a full company with millions in the bank.
Trying to improve a past movement is very hard. Of course new materials, new scientific ideas, new methodologies to the movements are not easy!!
I teach English to Panasonic RandD engineers, who are the creme of the crop guys all with PhDs in their fields. We do not discuss their projects due to secrecy of course (! haha!)....but I get glimpses now and then on what they are working on......
Imagine a watch factory/company trying to improve/make their own movements different and more exciting and more accurate!
I think the next quantum move in timekeeping will be wholey a new concept....
There was an article about a RandD from Washington? where a person has a device around his neck and to tell time, he projects the time image onto anything around !!!! like someone's Tshirt, a wall etc........this was just a demo concept though.....

And what about atomic timekeeping devices!? I just read that some guys have found an even more accurate atomic time method of timing sub atomic particles by freezing them??? still in the concept stage though...but they did manage to isolate a rare particle ....amazing....

Great points Thian ! I'm looking forward to these new methods and concepts
for timekeeping too ! For now though, it's just seems odd that more watch
companies, especially BIG watch companies, from any country don't make movements
also !..For example, imho a company like Timex could have had watch movements of
their own available to other watch makers ! I wouldn't expect smaller watch companies
like Kobold, or Serket to make their own watch movements though !..Just thought it
would be cool to see different movements from different countries, that would be
on par with Swiss, Japanese etc movements ! Movements that say made in the U.S.
Canada, England, France, Italy, Spain, or any country. Movements that would be another
option for watch companies to use, and movements that watch people like us could look
forward to seeing also !