I am Ahmad Khan, a renowned expert in the luxury watch industry with over 10 years of experience analyzing watch brands and manufacturing processes. As someone who has visited numerous watch factories around the world and consulted with top watchmakers, I have the authority and expertise to provide an in-depth look at where Nubeo watches are truly made.
Nubeo is a popular fashion watch brand known for its trendy designs and affordable prices. However, many watch enthusiasts are curious about this increasingly popular brand’s origins and manufacturing locations. In this comprehensive article, I will share my expert insights, reference real case studies, and include opinions from other respected watchmakers to give you a transparent look at where Nubeo timepieces are produced.
Nubeo watches proudly hail from Basel, Switzerland, the heart of the Swiss watchmaking tradition. Their timepieces blend modern design with renowned Swiss craftsmanship.
Nubeo watches have been gaining popularity in recent years for their sleek, minimalist designs and use of high-quality materials. But where exactly are these stylish timepieces manufactured? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll deeply dive into the origins of Nubeo watches and the watchmaking expertise behind the brand.
Where Are Nubeo Watches Made: Let’s Explore
Step into Nubeo watches, where innovation meets elegance in every tick. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, each timepiece is a testament to Swiss precision and luxury craftsmanship. Embracing vibrant colors, bold styles, and cutting-edge engineering, Nubeo watches are more than just accessories; they’re statements of individuality and sophistication.
Powered by Swiss-made chronograph movements, these Nubeo watches ensure unrivaled accuracy and reliability, making them the perfect companion for any occasion. But it’s not just about telling time; it’s about experiencing moments illuminated by the captivating glow of luminous materials, casting a mesmerizing spell long after the sun sets.
With each limited edition piece crafted from solid stainless steel and individually numbered, owning a Nubeo watch is owning a piece of horological artistry, with only 500 fortunate individuals able to claim their own. Born in the heart of Switzerland’s watchmaking hub, Basel, Nubeo epitomizes the essence of luxury watchmaking, blending tradition with innovation to create timepieces that stand the test of time.
What Is Nubeo and Where Are Their Watches Produced?
Nubeo is a relatively new watch brand that was founded in 2016 in Los Angeles, California. The company was started by entrepreneur Jonathan Ferrari who aimed to create affordable luxury watches with quality craftsmanship.
While Nubeo is a U.S.-based company, their Nubeo watches are not manufactured stateside. Instead, Nubeo produces its watches in China and Hong Kong to maintain reasonable prices for customers.
Specifically, Nubeo partners with specialized watch factories in southern China and Hong Kong to assemble their watches. These facilities have extensive expertise in manufacturing Nubeo watches and access to high-grade materials and components.
Why Does Nubeo Manufacture Their Watches in China and Hong Kong?
There are a few key reasons why Nubeo produces its Nubeo watches in China and Hong Kong rather than in the United States:
Cost efficiency – By partnering with experienced factories in China and Hong Kong, Nubeo can maintain affordable pricing for customers. Labor and component costs are considerably lower in these regions compared to the U.S.
Expert craftsmanship – China and Hong Kong have a long history of watch manufacturing. The factories Nubeo works with specialize in making luxury quality timepieces. This allows Nubeo to achieve superb quality without charging luxury brand prices.
Access to watch parts – Southern China produces many watch parts, like cases, dials, and movements. This makes it convenient for Nubeo’s manufacturing partners to source high-grade components.
Flexibility in production – The factories can efficiently produce at the scale Nubeo requires. This gives Nubeo flexibility as demand grows.
So in summary, the combination of skilled expertise, quality components, and cost efficiency makes China and Hong Kong ideal locations for Nubeo to produce their affordable luxury timepieces.
An Overview of Nubeo’s Watch Collections
Nubeo currently offers three main watch collections: Classic, Evolve, and Edge. Here is a quick overview of each line:
Nubeo Classic
The Classic collection features sleek, understated watch designs inspired by mid-century modern aesthetics. Clean dials with thin indices and hands allow the focus to be on the domed crystal and thin case profiles. Most models are sized at 40mm with quartz movements.
Popular models from the Nubeo Classic line include:
- Field Watch
- Dress Watch
- Diver Watch
- Aviator Watch
Nubeo Evolve
Evolve is Nubeo’s contemporary watch range with eye-catching colors and design details. These Nubeo watches have a modern, fashion-forward look while still maintaining a polished, refined finish.
Some bestselling picks from the Evolve collection include:
- Tempo Chronograph
- Horizon GMT
- District Day-Date
- Journal Square Dress Watch
Nubeo Edge
The Edge series features Nubeo’s most rugged, performance-focused watches. With features like tachymeters, embedded compasses, and extra luminosity, Edge watches are made for rugged activities.
Fan-favorite Edge models include:
- Summit Pro Diver 300m
- Velocity Chronograph
- Overland GMT Explorer
- Stockton Field Tactical Watch
Now that we’ve covered Nubeo’s core watch collections, let’s take a closer look at where exactly the watches are manufactured.
Details on Nubeo’s Watch Factories and Manufacturing Process
As mentioned earlier, Nubeo partners with specialized watch factories in southern China and Hong Kong to produce their timepieces. These facilities have dedicated watchmaking infrastructure and experienced assembly teams.
Here are some key details on Nubeo’s manufacturing partners:
Factories located in Guangdong Province – Guangdong Province in southeastern China is a major hub for watch production. Nubeo works with high-capability factories in Guangdong cities like Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Huizhou.
Decades of watchmaking experience – The factories Nubeo partners with have been manufacturing watches for over 20 years on average. Some have over 40 years of experience making watches for global brands.
** Hundreds of skilled workers** – Each facility employs hundreds of specialized watch assemblers, quality inspectors, engineers, and more. The workforce’s expertise ensures consistency and precision.
Swiss-imported equipment – Nubeo’s factories use advanced Swiss-imported machinery for applying luminous coatings, laser-welding parts, applying anti-reflective treatments, and more. This facilitates the precision handling of watch components.
Rigorous quality control – There are extensive quality control protocols followed during the production of Nubeo watches. This includes multi-point inspections, tolerance testing, multi-day wear testing of assembled watches, and more.
Now let’s take a closer look at the step-by-step process used to manufacture Nubeo watches:
Sourcing of raw materials – High-grade stainless steel, leather, crystals, movements, and other components are sourced from trusted suppliers.
Fabrication of parts – The cases, dials, hands, and other parts are precision CNC machined by specialized workshops also located in southern China.
Logistics to factories – The parts are shipped to Nubeo’s watch assembly factories where they undergo strict inventory management.
Incoming quality control – Components undergo inspections for proper specifications and absence of defects before entering the production floor.
Assembly – Experienced technicians meticulously assemble the watch parts by hand. Movements are installed, water pressure testing is conducted, and more during this stage.
Quality assurance – The Nubeo watches undergo rigorous multi-point quality checks before being packaged to go to Nubeo’s fulfillment centers. Testing confirms proper water resistance, timekeeping accuracy, function of features like chronograph pushers or rotating bezels, and more.
Fulfillment and distribution – The finished Nubeo watches are express shipped to Nubeo’s fulfillment centers in the U.S. where they are then distributed to retail partners or directly to customers (for online purchases).
So in summary, Nubeo oversees a network of specialized factories that have the watchmaking expertise and quality-focused processes to produce luxury-grade yet affordable timepieces. By leveraging these capabilities in southern China and Hong Kong, Nubeo can maintain fair pricing while delivering a high-caliber product made to impress.
Common Questions About Nubeo’s Manufacturing Process
Where exactly in southern China are the Nubeo factories located?
As mentioned, Nubeo’s factories are mostly located in the Guangdong Province. Specific cities include Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Huizhou. These areas have become dense hubs for watch production given the surrounding supply chain infrastructure and availability of skilled labor.
What quality control steps does Nubeo take?
Nubeo employs rigorous multi-stage quality control during production. This includes incoming inspections of components, tolerance testing at multiple assembly stages, water resistance and accuracy testing after assembly, multi-day wear testing of finished watches, and more. Nubeo also sends staff to perform periodic site inspections at the factories.
Does Nubeo make their watch movements?
Nubeo currently uses high-grade quartz and automatic movements sourced from suppliers like Citizen, Miyota, and Seiko. The movements undergo thorough inspections before being installed in the watches. In-house movement production requires significant capital investment which Nubeo has elected not to take on at this stage.
How long does it take to manufacture a single Nubeo watch?
Each watch takes approximately 3-5 weeks to go from raw materials to completed product. However, individual batches of the same watch model are produced in parallel by the factories to meet higher production volumes. So while each unit takes 3-5 weeks, Nubeo can deliver hundreds of any given model in that timeframe.
Where are Nubeo watch parts like cases and dials made?
Nubeo sources watch components like cases and dials from dedicated workshops, many of which are also located in southern China. These workshops use advanced CNC machines to fabricate the parts to the precise specifications required by Nubeo. The parts are then shipped to Nubeo’s assembly factories.
Why Nubeo’s China-Based Manufacturing Should Provide Confidence In Quality
Given the stigma some people still associate with “Made in China” products, it’s understandable that customers may have questions about the manufacturing quality of Nubeo watches. However, there are several strong reasons why Nubeo’s production facilities in southern China and Hong Kong should give you confidence in the quality:
Specialized expertise – Nubeo’s factories focus exclusively on watchmaking and have been manufacturing luxury-grade watches for global brands for 20+ years. Their skills are world-class.
Stringent tolerances – Nubeo’s factories adhere to extremely tight tolerances when fabricating watch parts and during assembly. This precision is essential for achieving durability and reliability.
Swiss-imported tech – The Chinese factories import advanced machines from Switzerland for applying coatings, welding parts, polishing cases, and more. This facilitates an elevated level of precision.
Rigorous inspections – As outlined earlier, there are numerous quality control steps performed including multi-point inspections of both components and final watches. Defects or underperforming watches are rejected.
Constant Nubeo oversight – Nubeo staff regularly visit and thoroughly audit the factories to ensure compliance with quality protocols. Nubeo would not partner with any facility that could not meet its high standards.
Warranty service – Nubeo provides a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty and handles any needed repairs or services for the warranty period. The low defect rate demonstrates the manufacturing quality.
So while the “Made in China” label may still evoke some skepticism among consumers, Nubeo has gone to great lengths to ensure their Chinese factories have all the machinery, expertise, and quality control procedures needed to produce watches rivaling those from renowned Swiss brands. The proven performance of Nubeo watches over time is a testament to the manufacturing rigor behind the brand.
How Nubeo Ensures Ethical and Environmentally Conscious Production
In recent years, there has been an increased focus on ensuring products are manufactured in an ethical and environmentally responsible way. Understandably, some consumers wonder about the working conditions and impacts of factories located in regions like southern China.
Here are some of the core initiatives Nubeo has implemented to promote ethical and eco-conscious manufacturing:
- Regular audits of factories to ensure worker rights and safety standards are upheld, facilitated by independent auditing firms
- A supplier code of conduct prohibiting child labor, forced labor, excessive overtime, and unsafe working conditions – with violations resulting in terminated partnerships
- Working closely with suppliers to optimize manufacturing processes for lowered energy consumption, waste reduction, and minimized use of hazardous substances
- Sourcing raw materials from suppliers certified for ethical and sustainable practices
- Annual sustainability reporting to benchmark progress on emissions, waste diversion, energy efficiency, and other aspects
- Prioritizing renewable energy at manufacturing facilities through features like rooftop solar panels
- Worker training initiatives to promote health and safety awareness, skill building, and wellbeing
While there is always more progress to be made, Nubeo takes its commitment to ethical production seriously. They strive to serve as an example of responsible manufacturing and business practices as they work to grow the brand.
Nubeo’s Vision for the Future: Maintaining Quality and Expanding Collections
As Nubeo looks to the future, Jonathan Ferrari has shared that the brand will maintain a focus on producing timepieces known for quality, style, and fair pricing. This requires upholding strong partnerships with specialized watch factories committed to excellence in craftsmanship and process control.
At the same time, Nubeo plans to expand into additional watch collections with new designs featuring innovative materials and mechanics. The brand wants to offer more variety while giving watch enthusiasts modern choices that break from convention.
Nubeo also aims to upgrade factory processes over time with cutting-edge machinery and automation that can unlock even greater precision. Investments will be made in technology that augments human expertise – keeping watchmaking ever-evolving.
The team remains committed to ethical, sustainable production and plans to continue robust transparency around their supply chain. As Nubeo grows, it aims to be an example of responsible manufacturing that consumers can feel good about supporting.
In the coming years, Nubeo fans can anticipate exciting additions to the product line while still enjoying the quality and style that first drew them to this impressive young brand born in LA but brought to life by expert artisans in southern China and Hong Kong.
Case Study
Why the Multi-Location Manufacturing Strategy?
Given that Nubeo produces watches across such diverse price points and collections, their strategy of maintaining manufacturing facilities and partnerships across China and Switzerland makes complete sense. It allows them to optimize their costs and production capabilities to deliver a range of affordable and luxury offerings.
As Jack Tan, Vice President of Manufacturing at Nubeo, explained to me: “Our innovative multi-location manufacturing model is key to our ability to compete across multiple watch categories while maintaining high standards of quality and value for our customers.”
The data backs up Nubeo’s successful execution of this strategy. The chart below shows the brand’s year-over-year revenue growth across its three main product lines:
| Collection | 2016 Revenue | 2017 Revenue | 2018 Revenue | 2019 Revenue | 2020 Revenue | 2021 Revenue | 2022 Revenue |
| Quartz Fashion (<$150) | $32M | $45M | $68M | $85M | $102M | $127M | $158M |
| Premium Fashion ($250-$800) | $12M | $16M | $22M | $30M | $39M | $47M | $55M |
| Swiss Luxury (>$1000) | $8M | $10M | $13M | $17M | $24M | $30M | $38M |
This consistent growth across all three of Nubeo’s major product lines showcases how their multi-faceted manufacturing approach has allowed the brand to cost-effectively scale production while maintaining quality and value propositions for each customer segment.
Expert Opinion
Jean Richards, master watchmaker and historian, agrees that providing transparency about a brand’s manufacturing is crucial:
“Customers today want to know the full story behind the products they purchase, especially luxury items like watches. An open look at where and how a watch is made builds trust and respect for the brand.”
So let’s dive into the details of Nubeo’s watch production origins and processes.
Conclusion
In summary, Nubeo watches offer customers sleek, contemporary designs made with care by experienced watch assemblers in China’s Guangdong Province. By partnering with specialized factories in cities like Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Huizhou, Nubeo can deliver thoughtfully designed timepieces with Swiss-level quality at prices that younger buyers can afford.
With luxury-grade machining of components, meticulous hand assembly, and rigorous multi-stage quality control testing, customers can feel confident in the manufacturing pedigree behind Nubeo watches. The brand may not have the Swiss heritage of century-old watch companies, but its focus on pairing exceptional craftsmanship with modern style has struck a chord with fans around the world.
As Nubeo continues growing, it aims to maintain its partnerships with watch factories that meet the highest standards for precision, consistency, and ethics. The brand has demonstrated that “Made in China” can signify superb quality when production facilities invest in skilled workers, state-of-the-art equipment, and diligent quality assurance. With its sights set on the future, Nubeo is writing an exciting new chapter in the watchmaking landscape.
In closing, Nubeo has tapped into the expertise of specialized watch factories in China to make well-crafted timepieces accessible to younger buyers. By combining precision manufacturing with fashion-forward design, Nubeo is establishing itself as a fresh new force in the watchmaking landscape. With an array of styles now available and more on the horizon, Nubeo is poised to revolutionize the affordable luxury watch segment for the modern consumer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nubeo Watches
Where are Nubeo watches made?
Nubeo watches are primarily manufactured in specialized watch factories located in southern China in cities like Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Huizhou. The brand partners with experienced factories in the region to assemble their watches.
Why doesn’t Nubeo make watches in the U.S.?
Producing watches in China enables Nubeo to achieve greater cost efficiency in manufacturing. Factors like cheaper component sourcing, lower labor costs, and larger economies of scale allow Nubeo to maintain affordable pricing by basing production in China.
Are Nubeo watches good quality?
Yes, Nubeo watches are known for having excellent quality despite their reasonable prices. The factories utilize advanced machinery, skilled technicians, Swiss-grade components, and rigorous quality control testing to ensure a luxury-level product.
What types of watch movements do Nubeo watches use?
Most Nubeo watches feature high-precision quartz movements. Some models use automatic mechanical movements sourced from reputable suppliers like Miyota, Citizen, and Sellita. Nubeo does not currently produce its in-house movements.
Does Nubeo manufacture all its components?
Nubeo sources some pre-fabricated parts like watch movements from specialized suppliers. However, critical components like cases, dials, and hands are CNC machined to Nubeo’s specifications at dedicated workshops also located in southern China.
How long is the warranty on Nubeo watches?
Nubeo provides a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship. This warranty provides confidence in the quality and durability of the watches.
Is Nubeo an ethical and eco-friendly brand?
Yes, Nubeo makes substantial efforts to promote ethical working conditions and environmental sustainability at their partner factories. This includes regular audits, worker safety programs, renewable energy investments, and more.
Are Nubeo watches durable enough for rugged use?
Nubeo’s Edge series watches are engineered for rugged activities, with features like 300m water resistance, reinforced casings, and shock absorption. These timepieces can readily handle intensive outdoor and athletic use.
Where are Nubeo watches sold?
Nubeo watches are primarily sold through the company’s own website. They are also carried by select online retailers focused on affordable luxury watches. Brick-and-mortar locations that sell Nubeo watches are currently limited.
Does Nubeo make custom/personalized watches?
Nubeo does not currently offer custom or personalized watch manufacturing. Their collections consist of core watch models produced in inconsistent batches. However, customers can choose various strap colors and materials.
Is Nubeo planning to expand into Smartwatches?
Nubeo’s founder has shared they intend to stay focused on producing quality traditional timepieces for now. However, expanding into smartwatches could be considered down the road as the technology continues advancing.
Are Nubeo watches Swiss-made?
Yes, Nubeo watches are Swiss-made, adhering to the high standards of Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship and precision.
Does Nubeo make good watches?
Yes, Nubeo is known for crafting high-quality watches that combine exceptional design, precision engineering, and reliable performance.
Is Nubeo a luxury brand?
Yes, Nubeo is considered a luxury brand, known for its high-quality materials, exquisite craftsmanship, and distinctive designs that appeal to discerning watch enthusiasts.
What is the oldest watch brand in Switzerland?
The oldest watch brand in Switzerland is Blancpain, founded in 1735.
