Once overshadowed by Swiss and Japanese giants, Chinese watch brands are now emerging as serious contenders in the global horological arena — combining scale, innovation, and increasingly refined craftsmanship.
In 2024, China produced over 806 million watches, accounting for more than 60% of global output. This kept China as the biggest watchmaker in the world. The total value of these watches was around $9.6 billion. That year, about 174,068 people worked in China’s clock and watch industry. [1][2]
While Swiss imports (especially Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Omega) remain aspirational status symbols, Chinese watch brands are beginning to craft a different narrative — one that combines affordability, design innovation, and national pride.
Below, I highlight the top Chinese watch brands that are poised not only to dominate domestic wrists but to capture global attention.
Did you know?The pre-owned luxury watches market in China is projected to reach $7.15 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 10.4%. By 2035, China’s watch market is expected to be worth $55.3 billion. [3][1]
Table of Contents
14. Naviforce
Founded: 2012Price Range: $15 – $60
Popular Models: Naviforce NF9117, NF9197
Competitive Edge: Mastery of high complications
Naviforce offers a broad range of watches that blend military-inspired designs with modern aesthetics. Features like water resistance, chronographs, and glowing hands make the watches both practical and stylish.
With over 1,000 SKUs, the brand provides plenty of choices to suit different tastes and styles. It launches dozens of models each year and frequently updates color variants and materials to match seasonal and fashion trends. [4]
Their product lineup includes quartz, digital, solar-powered, and mechanical watches. They have also expanded their product line to include smartwatches, such as the Naviforce NT11.
13. Pagani Design
Pagani Design PD-YS018
Price Range: $40 – $150+
Popular Models: PD-1661, PD-1644
Competitive Edge: Premium build at budget price
Pagani Design combines aesthetic appeal with functional features, making their watches popular among enthusiasts seeking value for money. It focuses on “homage” designs, allowing customers to enjoy the style of luxury watches without the associated cost. [5]
The company mainly produces automatic and quartz watches that mimic the design language of premium brands like Rolex, Omega, and TAG Heuer. It stands out by using surprisingly high-grade materials (sapphire crystals, ceramic bezels, Seiko or Miyota movements, and stainless steel cases) while keeping retail prices under $150 in most cases.
The brand’s success is largely built on transparent e-commerce strategies. It sells primarily through platforms like AliExpress, Amazon, Shopee, and its own website, where detailed specs and unboxing videos help establish trust.
12. SKMEI
Skmei Wheels Rolling Creative Watch
Price Range: $10 – $40+
Popular Models: Skmei 1251, 1384
Competitive Edge: Massive product range
Skmei is one of China’s most prolific and recognizable watch brands in the affordable digital and analog-digital segment, distributing its products to over 160 countries.
The company targets the mass market with fashion-oriented, multifunctional timepieces. Its extensive product range, encompassing over 4,000 SKUs, ensures that customers have a plethora of options to choose from, catering to various tastes and preferences. [6]
Skmei produces nearly 1 million watches each month and releases dozens of new models every year, often experimenting with bold, sporty aesthetics or mimicking popular styles (such as G-Shock-inspired or minimalist smartwatches). This wide variety ensures constant consumer engagement and adaptability to trends.
11. Peacock Watches
Peacock Black Hole Central Tourbillon
Price Range: $300 – $6,000+
Popular Models: Tourbillon Skeleton Series, Double Axis Tourbillon
Competitive Edge: Mastery of high complications
Peacock is a lesser-known but highly respected Chinese watch manufacturer. It has expertise in manufacturing tourbillon movements. It has also developed double tourbillons, skeleton complications, and high-accuracy mechanical movements.
Unlike many modern Chinese brands that focus on entry-level, mass-market timepieces or homage models, Peacock has consistently emphasized high-grade mechanical craftsmanship, often targeting a niche audience that values precision and complications.
The company’s use of high-grade materials, like 904L aerospace-grade steel, and intricate design elements, such as hand-guilloché dials, further distinguishes its timepieces in the market. [7]
Peacock operates largely as both a brand and an OEM. Many international and domestic brands source mechanical movements, particularly tourbillons and complicated calibers, from Peacock due to its long-standing reputation for reliability and engineering.
10. Parnis Watches
Parnis Miyota Power Reserve
Price Range: $90 – $250
Popular Models: Parnis Skeleton Mechanical, GMT Power Reserve
Competitive Edge: Homage variety
Parnis Watches emulates the aesthetics of high-end brands at a fraction of the cost. The company designs watches in-house, sourcing components from reputable manufacturers and assembling the final products in its Guangzhou facility.
Their watches visually mimic Rolex Submariners, Panerai Luminors, IWC Big Pilots, and Omega Seamasters. They typically feature automatic mechanical movements sourced from Seagull, Miyota, or Seiko (NH35), and occasionally even offer Chinese tourbillon movements.
The brand covers a wide range of styles: dive watches, pilot watches, dress watches, GMTs, skeleton models, and chronographs — all mimicking luxury brands but with Parnis branding.
9. Lobinni
Lobinni 16066
Popular Models: Lobinni L5016, Retro Series
Competitive Edge: Visual sophistication
Lobinni sits in the higher tier of domestic timepiece manufacturing. It is known for its refined aesthetics, strong mechanical offerings, and elegant European-inspired designs.
Despite its Chinese origins, the company uses branding cues (such as Italian names for collections, ornate fonts, and classical dials) that evoke a European heritage feel. Lobinni watches have a formal, dressy look and often include automatic movements with visible features like open-heart displays, moonphases, and calendar windows.
What distinguishes Lobinni from other Chinese brands is its sharp focus on finish, presentation, and aspirational branding. From its packaging to its visual marketing, the brand presents itself like a European luxury watchmaker, focusing on sophistication and exclusivity.
8. Cadisen Watch
Cadisen C8224
Price Range: $100 – $250
Popular Models: Cadisen C8093, C8185
Competitive Edge: Entry-level mechanical watch appeal
Cadisen makes affordable automatic and quartz watches that blend traditional styling with modern, minimalist aesthetics. Though not as long-established as legacy Chinese watch brands like Seagull, Cadisen has made a name for itself over the past decade through aggressive digital marketing, e-commerce strategies, and eye-catching value-for-money mechanical models.
Cadisen uses trusted Japanese movements like Miyota and Seiko’s NH35 in many of its mechanical watches. It also incorporates premium materials like sapphire crystal and stainless steel — features usually seen in more expensive watches.
Its strength lies in offering mechanical and automatic watches that look like they belong in the $400–$700 category, but often cost a fraction of that.
7. Ebohr
Price Range: $200 – $2,500+
Popular Models: Explorer Series, Speeding Series
Competitive Edge: Affordability with style
Ebohr watches are known for their elegant designs, reliable performance, and affordability, making them a popular choice among consumers seeking value without compromising on style.
The company has several specialized centers, including a technical center, a design and R&D center, and a precision manufacturing center. It also has a strong distribution network, with 31 fully-owned branches across Mainland China and nearly 3,000 sales points, including direct-sale stores, authorized dealers, and boutiques. [8]
Ebohr is part of Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Ltd., which gives it strategic benefits like access to global markets and resources. While Ebohr mainly sells in China, it has slowly expanded into international markets, especially in Asia and the Middle East, targeting price-conscious consumers.
6. Beijing Watch
Model BG301001
Price Range: $300 – $5,000+
Popular Models: Type 1 Reissue, Beihai Park Retro Watch
Competitive Edge: Techniques like cloisonné enamel and hand engraving
Founded by 21 pioneering watchmakers, Beijing Watch was instrumental in laying the foundation for China’s domestic watch industry. Throughout its evolution, it has been blending traditional Chinese artistry with mechanical excellence
The company manufactures all watch components internally, including movements, dials, hands, and cases. It has developed intricate cloisonné enamel dials and complex movements, including tourbillons and minute repeaters.
In 2016, Beijing Watch became part of Fiyta, a well-known watchmaker based in Shenzhen. This helped Beijing Watch gain more resources and better distribution channels, allowing it to grow in both the Chinese and global markets. [9]
5. Rossini
Rossini 6633G01B | Credit: Eastwatchreview
Price Range: $150 – $2,000+
Popular Models: Rossini Racing, Devils Ray
Competitive Edge: Pioneering legacy
Rossini started as a Swiss watchcase manufacturing business in Singapore, but later moved to Zhuhai in Guangdong Province. It became the first joint venture in China’s watch industry. This move brought advanced Swiss technology and gold-plated watch case equipment to China, helping Rossini lead in high-end watch case production.
The company handles the entire production process, from design and manufacturing to marketing and sales. It operates its own manufacturing facilities, producing nearly 1 million watches a year. Its product portfolio includes affordable quartz watches as well as sophisticated mechanical and tourbillon models.
Rossini’s dedication to innovation and excellence has not gone unnoticed. The company has been recognized multiple times as one of Asia’s 500 Most Influential Brands by the World Brand Lab.
Currently, it operates under the umbrella of Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Limited, a conglomerate that owns several watch brands, including Ebohr, Corum, and Eterna.
4. Memorigin
Price Range: $2,500 – $50,000+
Popular Models: Antique Series, Emperor Jade
Competitive Edge: Exclusive focus on Tourbillons
Memorigin specializes exclusively in tourbillon watches, a complex watchmaking mechanism traditionally associated with high-end Swiss timepieces. It develops its own tourbillon movements, ensuring quality control and reducing reliance on external suppliers
The brand has gained recognition for its collaborations with global franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, and Transformers, producing limited-edition watches that appeal to both watch enthusiasts and pop culture fans. [10]
Memorigin stands out in the luxury market by using storytelling in its designs. It includes cultural elements like Chinese chess, zodiac signs, and mythical creatures, which add meaning and uniqueness to its watches.
The company has around 1,000 employees, with 50 of them focused on tourbillon models. In 2023, it expanded its Tourbillon Research and Development Center to over 1,000 square feet to improve its production, design, and innovation abilities.
3. CIGA Design
Price Range: $170 – $2,000+
Popular Models: Series Z, Blue Planet
Competitive Edge: Award-winning design pedigree
CIGA Design is a new-generation Chinese watch brand that has rapidly earned global recognition for its minimalist, architectural, and avant-garde watch designs.
Unlike traditional Chinese watch companies that emphasized heritage, CIGA Design carved a niche by blending modern product aesthetics with mechanical craftsmanship. Its slogan, “Design First, then Time,” reflects its belief that watches should be more than just tools — they should be meaningful experiences and style statements.
Several CIGA watches begin life as crowdfunding projects on Kickstarter or Indiegogo, allowing them to gauge interest and secure pre-sales before mass production. Their Series X, for example, was a viral success with over $1 million raised. [11]
The brand gained significant traction through international design competitions, winning over 16 prestigious global awards. These include Germany’s iF Design Award, the Red Dot Award, and the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)—known as the “Oscars” of watchmaking. It was the first time a Chinese watch brand received this top honor. [12]
2. Fiyta
3D Time Extreme Series
Price Range: $150 – $3,000+
Popular Models: Spacemaster, Photographer Series
Competitive Edge: Public company with strong backing of AVIC
Fiyta stands out in China for being both design-forward and technologically progressive, balancing modern aesthetics with mechanical credibility. It is one of the few Chinese watch brands to be publicly traded (listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange).
One of Fiyta’s biggest milestones was its selection as the official timepiece for Chinese astronauts under the China Manned Space Program. The company developed customized watches capable of withstanding zero gravity and spacewalk conditions.
Its Spacemaster series was worn during China’s first spacewalk in 2008, cementing its reputation as a producer of reliable, high-performance watches. At the same time, Fiyta also embraced art, culture, and fashion through series like the Photographer, Heartstrings, and Clover, appealing to lifestyle consumers. [13]
As a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a large state-owned enterprise, Fiyta enjoys access to capital, advanced engineering capabilities, and high-profile visibility.
1. Seagull
Tourbillon | Starry Sky Dial
Price Range: $100 – $4,000+
Popular Models: Seagull 1963 Chronograph, Ocean Star Divers
Competitive Edge: In-house complication manufacturing
Seagull is China’s oldest watch manufacturer, which has evolved from a state-run industrial facility to a brand of national pride and global relevance. Its early milestone came in 1961, when it developed China’s first domestically produced watch movement, laying the groundwork for future innovations.
Today, the company has an annual production capacity of 3 million movements. It is estimated that 1 in 4 mechanical watch movements globally are made by Seagull. This shows how important the company is in the watch industry, even if many people don’t see its name on the final products. [14]
Unlike many brands that outsource advanced features, Seagull develops tourbillons, chronographs, and moonphase movements in-house. It is among the few global watch brands offering affordable in-house tourbillon watches (at around $1,000–$2,000) — a feature that in Switzerland typically costs over $20,000.
In recent years, Seagull has focused on expanding its presence in the international market. It has introduced new collections that appeal to younger demographics. For instance, the Boundary Mechanical Watch features a modular design allowing users to interchange bezels and straps.
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Sources Cited and Additional References- Watches, China’s watch market and trend analysis, IndexBox
- Employment, Clock and watch manufacturing in China, IBISWorld
- Report, China pre-owned luxury watches market size & outlook, GrandViewResearch
- Company Profile, Naviforce maintains an inventory exceeding 1000 SKUs, Naviforce
- Who We Are, Revolutionizing the fine watchmaking industry, Pagani Design
- About Us, We produce more than 1 million watches every month, Skmei
- News, Peacock introduces the Exploration Series Plumage Gaze, Peacock Watches
- Brand Vision, Ebohr has 31 wholly-owned branches in the Chinese Mainland, Ebohr
- Jean-Luc Adam, Beijing Watch Factory and FIYTA join forces, EuropaStar
- Case Study, Luxury watches made in Hong Kong, HBR
- Anna Voskanyan, Case study of CIGA Design’s success in crowdfunding, Prelaunch
- Milestones, Redefining watchmaking innovation with global acclaim, CIGA Design
- Martin Moodie, Fiyta brings Chinese watchmaking expertise to the world, The Moodie Davitt Report
- Blogs, Seagull’s annual movement production capacity exceeds 3 million, Seagull
