Top 10 Chinese Watch Brands You Should Know in 2026

The Chinese watch industry has come a long way. For a long time, people thought "Made in China" meant low quality when it came to watches. That is a completely outdated notion now.

In fact, China is today a quiet powerhouse of horology, producing mechanical wonders and attractive everyday timepieces. It accounted for over 30% of the total worldwide watch sales. Chinese watch manufacturers have come a long way in improving their quality, accuracy, and design. A lot of them even challenge Swiss products at a much lower price, as low as 1/10th or 1/5th of the price.

For those interested in Chinese watch brands or considering starting their own brand with a reliable Chinese watch OEM, this list highlights the names that are relevant today.

Why China's Watch Game Changed

For decades, "Chinese watch" meant one thing on Western shelves: budget quartz, mall-kiosk stuff. That reputation is a thing of the past. Today, China operates the entire pipeline (case manufacturing, dial printing, hand assembly, movement manufacturing) all under one roof, as in Shenzhen and Tianjin.

That is the primary reason why many independent brands and startups choose to join with an OEM watch manufacturer rather than constructing their own factory. You get Swiss-level components, flexible order sizes, and a finished product without a seven-figure setup cost.

Let's get into the brands actually doing the work.

1. Foksy Watch

Foksy Watch may not be the flashiest name on a dial, but it’s a key player behind the scenes. Since its establishment in Shenzhen in 2006, Foksy has undergone a pivotal transition in 2019 to focus entirely on OEM/ODM services, supporting more than 1,000 brands in translating their concepts into reality.

What makes Foksy special?

● Low MOQs (as low as 50 pieces), suitable for startup brands and small brands.

● Full custom watch design, prototyping, materials, movement selection, packaging and logistics support.

● Stable QC process (20 steps in total, including AI inspection), with a defective rate of less than 1%.

● Experience with European brands and Shopify sellers who require a consistent quality and quick turnaround.

Foksy works with both quartz watches and automatic watches, using movements from Miyota, Seiko, ETA, and Chinese makers. If you are building a brand and need a flexible quality watch manufacturer that will grow with you, Foksy is designed to be part of the ride.

2. Seagull

Seagull (Tianjin Sea-Gull) Watch Factory is the oldest and largest watch factory in China. It started in 1955 and now produces millions of mechanical movements annually for many global brands, as well as selling its own watches.

Key points:

● Produces a variety of timepieces, ranging from simple automatic watches to chronographs and tourbillons.

● Known for the ST19 (which is based on the Swiss Venus 175) and the ST2130 (a workhorse automatic).

● One of the largest mechanical movement manufacturers in the world, by volume.

Seagull is ground zero for anyone studying Chinese watchmaking.

3. Beijing Watch Factory

Beijing Watch Factory specializes in mechanical high-end timepieces with careful finishing. It’s known for:

● In-house movements with decorative features such as Geneva stripes and perlage.

● Tourbillon, minute repeaters and enamel dials.

● More “classic luxury” feel than mass brands.

Beijing Watch Factory is a good choice if you are more of a traditional haute horlogerie-type watch but prefer a Chinese name.

4. Shanghai Watch Factory

Shanghai Watch dates back to 1955 and made China’s first mass-produced wristwatch. Today, it is a combination of heritage and modern designs:

● Famous for its Shanghai A581 and other vintage inspired models.

● Makes hand-wound and automatic watches. 

● Favored by those collectors who enjoy retro Chinese designs.  

Shanghai Watch proves that old factories can remain relevant through fresh interpretations of classic designs.

5. Peacock Watch Industry

Peacock, which was previously called Liaoning Watch Factory, was established in Dandong in 1957, is not a retail name but more like an engine room. It creates full mechanical movement systems (cases, dials, hands, bezels, works) and provides parts to microbrands around the world. It’s respected for:

● Solid mechanical movements such as tourbillons.

● Providing movements and cases to other brands.

● Expert engineering foundation with many years of production experience.

Peacock isn't as recognized globally as Seagull, but it is a challenging brand within China's watch sector.

6. FIYTA

FIYTA was established in Shenzhen in 1987 and became the most popular domestic watch brand in China, and the brand is characterized by space. FIYTA has provided watches for China's astronauts since 2003 and is one of just three brands in the world with a space-mission track record to date, along with Omega.

Highlights:

● Aviation- and space-inspired designs.

● Uses both in-house and high-grade external movements.

● Won design awards for aerospace themed collections (including Red Dot).

FIYTA is proof that a Chinese brand could connect technical performance to a clear story.

7. CIGA Design

While FIYTA is heritage, CI GA Design is pure disruption. CIGA was established in 2016 by Zhang Jianmin, an industrial designer, and had completely bypassed the playbook of the "traditional watchmaker" and directly aimed for design awards.

CIGA Design won the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) “Oscars of Watches” in 2021 with the Blue Planet model, making it the first Chinese brand to do so.

What sets CIGA apart:

● Bold, original designs (like the Blue Planet’s rotating Earth dial)

● Multiple Red Dot, iF, and German Design Awards

● Mix of accessible pieces and high-end tourbillons

For people who care about looks as much as mechanics, CIGA is a standout.

8. Atelier Wen

Two French friends studying in Beijing, a rainy Saturday in 2017, and a shared frustration with the West's continued underrating of Chinese craftsmanship. That's how Atelier Wen started. Robin Tallendier and Wilfried Buiron built a Hong Kong-based microbrand around one mission: to show the world what Chinese watchmaking artisans can really do.

Its pieces often feature:

● Clean dials with subtle Chinese motifs

● Reliable movements (often Seiko or Miyota)

● A focus on storytelling and refined details rather than flashy specs

Atelier Wen appeals to buyers who want something thoughtful and different from the usual sports-watch look.

9. Memorigin

Founded in Hong Kong in 2011 by William Shum, Memorigin bet on one of horology's hardest tricks: the tourbillon. This tiny rotating cage was invented to fight gravity's pull on a watch's accuracy, and traditionally, only a handful of factories worldwide can build one.

Key traits:

● Wide range of tourbillon models at different price points

● In-house developed tourbillon movements

● Strong presence in Asia, with growing global interest

If you’re curious about tourbillons but don’t want Swiss prices, Memorigin is worth a look.

10. San Martin

Founded in Guangdong in 2016, the brand grew that hobby into a real team producing dive watches and vintage-military homages.

San Martin has built a strong reputation among watch fans for high-spec dive watches at fair prices. It's become a go-to name for collectors who want a serious tool watch without a four-figure price tag. Known for:

● Solid 316L stainless steel cases

● Good lume, sapphire crystals, and reliable movements (Seiko NH, Miyota, etc.)

● Designs that echo classic divers but with modern build quality

For anyone hunting a dependable automatic watch with a diver vibe, San Martin often comes up in conversations.

How These Brands Relate to OEM/ODM Work

Not all of these brands do OEM watch manufacturer work for others. Some, like Seagull and Peacock, mainly supply movements and parts. Others, like FIYTA and CIGA Design, focus on their own branded pieces.

That’s where a dedicated custom watch partner like Foksy Watch fits in:

● You bring the idea (or pick from ODM designs)

● Foksy helps with materials, movement choice, dial design, and case finishing

● They handle sampling, bulk production, QC, and shipping

● You get a watch that feels like your brand, without needing your own factory

This model is especially popular with new European brands that want quality without huge upfront costs.

Conclusion

Today, China's watch sector spans from iconic watchmaking factories to award-winning design brands to flexible OEM watch manufacturer partners. When you're shopping for automatic watches or quartz watches, you have more options in different price brackets. For brand building, you can partner with a custom watchmaker such as Foksy Watch to manufacture your own collection without owning a factory.

It all comes down to finding the right partner for the right goal: heritage brands for their story and prestige, modern designers for their bold looks, and experienced manufacturers for reliable production and scaling.