Summary
This article is about the full process of custom alloy watch manufacturing for brands who want to make fashion watches. It explains why alloy is a good material for starting a watch business, especially if you want to save money and have many designs. We will talk about the difference between alloy and stainless steel, the die-casting mold process, polishing, and very important plating steps. Also, we introduce Aigell Watch, a top factory in China that helps clients with low MOQ watch manufacturer China services (50pcs). After reading, you will know how to make a custom watch order safe and successful with the right supplier.
The Ultimate Process: How to Customize Alloy Watches for Your Brand
Custom alloy watch manufacturing is the most popular way for new fashion brands to start their business because it is cost-effective and fast. If you are looking for a supplier to help you build your watch brand, you are in the right place. Aigell Watch is one of the best high-end custom watch producers in China, and we know everything about making watches.
In this blog, I will share my honest experience about how to make alloy watches. Many people do not know the real steps, so they lose money or get bad quality. I want to help you avoid this. We will look at the design, the mold, the plating, and why Aigell Watch is your best partner for this journey.
Why is Alloy Material Popular for Fashion Watches?
First, we must ask, why use alloy? Why not steel? The answer is mostly about price and style. Zinc alloy is a material that is easy to melt and shape.
If you want to make a fashion watch that sells for $20 to $50 in the retail market, you cannot use expensive stainless steel for the case. It will be too heavy and too expensive. Alloy is light and cheap. It allows you to have more margin in your buisness.
Also, alloy is very good for complex shapes. Because we use a die-casting process (melting the metal into a mold), we can make very crazy and unique shapes that are hard to do with steel CNC machines. So, if your design is very special or has many curves, alloy is a good choice.
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Cost: Much lower than stainless steel.
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Weight: Lighter, comfortable for fashion wear.
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Production Speed: Faster to produce in big quantity.
Let’s move forward to understand the detailed process.
What is the Step-by-Step Custom Alloy Watch Manufacturing Process?
Making a watch is not just putting parts together. It is a long chain of steps. I will explain it simply so you can understand.
1. Design and Confirming the Drawing
Everything starts with an idea. You tell us, “I want a watch that looks like this.” Our designers at Aigell Watch will help you. We make a 2D drawing first. You check the size, the dial color, and the strap.
Then we make a 3D drawing. This is important. You must check the thickness and the structure. For custom alloy watch manufacturing, the structure must be suitable for the mold. If the wall of the case is too thin, the alloy will break. We give you professional advices here.
2. Opening the Alloy Mold
This is the biggest difference from steel watches. For stainless steel, we usually cut the metal (CNC). But for alloy, we must make a mold.
You pay a mold fee. We make a steel mold. Then, we inject hot liquid zinc alloy into this mold. This is called “Die-Casting.” It is like making a plastic toy but with metal.
This process is very fast. We can make thousands of raw cases in one day. But, the raw case is very ugly and rough. It needs a lot of work after.
3. Polishing (The Hard Work)
The raw case from the mold has extra metal lines (burrs). Workers must cut these off. Then, we must polish the surface.
This step is critical. If the polishing is not good, the plating will look bad. The surface must be smooth like a mirror. At Aigell Watch, we have very skilled workers who polish carefully. We check every case. If there is a scratch, we polish again. It is dusty work, but necessary for beautiful and functionality.
4. The Plating Process (Very Important!)
Please pay attention here. For alloy watches, plating is the life of the watch. Because zinc alloy is grey and not nice looking, and it can oxidize, we must cover it with color. Usually, we use IP Plating (Ion Plating).
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Cleaning: We wash the cases many times to remove oil and dust.
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Base Layer: Usually we plate copper first to help the color stick.
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Color Layer: Gold, Rose Gold, Black, or Silver.
If you choose a bad factory, they will use cheap plating. The color will fade in one month. Your customer will be angry. Aigell Watch uses high-quality plating. We ensure the color stays for a long time, even for alloy watches. We do not cheat on this step.
5. Assembly and QC
After the case is ready, we put the movement (Japanese or Swiss), the dial, the hands, and the glass together. This is the custom watch OEM process final stage.
We check the waterproof. Even for alloy watches, we can make 3ATM waterproof. We put the watch in water or air pressure machine. If it leaks, we fix it. Finally, we put on the strap and pack it.
Alloy vs Stainless Steel Watch Case: Which is Better?
Many clients ask me this question. “Should I do alloy or steel?” To help you decide, I make this table. It compares the two materials clearly.
| Feature | Zinc Alloy Case | Stainless Steel (304/316L) |
| Cost | Low (Cheap) | High (Expensive) |
| Weight | Light | Heavy and solid |
| Hardness | Softer, can scratch easier | Very hard, durable |
| Feel | Fashion feel | Premium luxury feel |
| Production | Die-casting Mold | CNC Machining or Stamping |
| MOQ | Usually higher (500+) but Aigell supports 50 | Usually 300-500 |
| Best For | Fashion brands, Giveaways, Fast fashion | Mid-to-High end brands |
If you are selling watches for $100 or more, please choose Stainless Steel. If you sell for $30-$80, Alloy is perfect. It depends on your market positioning. Aigell Watch can do both, so we can suggest the best one for you.
How to Find a Reliable Low MOQ Watch Manufacturer China?
This is the hardest part for many people. You go to Alibaba, you see many factories. They all say “We are the best.” But are they?
Most factories want big orders. They want 500 pieces or 1000 pieces per color. If you are a new brand, you cannot buy 1000 watches. It is too much risk. You need a low MOQ watch manufacturer China partner.
Aigell Watch understands this. We support low MOQ (50 pieces) for custom orders. Why we do this? Because we want to grow with you. We know every big brand starts small. If we help you when you are small, you will give us big orders when you are big. It is a partnership.
Also, you need to check their communication. Do they reply fast? Do they understand English well? Do they understand quality?
At Aigell, our team is very professional. We act as your own factory in China. We send you photos and videos during production. You can see your watches being made.
Common Problems in Alloy Watch Production (And How We Fix Them)
I tell you honestly, alloy production has challenges. Here are common problems:
1. Bubbles on the surface
Because of die-casting, sometimes air gets inside the metal. When we plate it, small bubbles appear. This looks very ugly.
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Aigell Solution: We use high-pressure die-casting machines and high-quality zinc material. We inspect 100% of raw cases. If we see bubbles, we throw it away. We do not plate bad cases.
2. Color Fading
As I said before, bad plating makes the watch turn ugly green or black quickly.
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Aigell Solution: We add a thick protective coating on the plating. We do salt spray testing. This test simulates sweat. We make sure the watch can handle daily wear.
3. Glass Falling Off
Alloy is softer than steel. Sometimes the glue doesn’t hold well if the size is wrong.
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Aigell Solution: We control the tolerance of the mold very strictly. We use the best glue in the industry. We do drop tests to ensure the glass is safe.
Why Your Brand Needs Aigell Watch Services?
We are not just a factory; we are a service provider. Aigell Watch is famous as one of the best custom watch producers because we care.
We offer:
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Watch Whole Customization: We make the whole watch for you.
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Accessories Customization: Only need a case? Or a strap? We do that too.
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OEM & ODM: You have design, we make. You have no design, we design for you.
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Gift Watch: Perfect for companies who want gifts.
Our style offers a variety of options for every client. Whether you want classic, sport, or luxury style, we can make it happen. We have thousands of existing molds. This means you maybe do not need to pay mold fee if you use our public mold. This saves you a lot of money!
Also, our delivery is fast. For alloy watches, after sample confirm, we can finish manufacutring in 30-40 days. This is very fast for the watch industry.
Let’s move forward to the conclusion.
Conclusion
Starting a watch brand is exciting. Choosing custom alloy watch manufacturing is a smart move for fashion markets. It gives you good price and good design freedom. But, the process is complex. You need to handle molding, polishing, plating, and assembly.
If you try to control this yourself, it is very hard. You need a partner. Aigell Watch is here for you. With our support for low MOQ watch manufacturer China orders (starting at 50 pcs) and our deep experience in the custom watch OEM process, we make it easy.
We focus on quality so you can focus on selling. Don’t risk your money with unknown factories. Trust the experts at Aigell. We want to see your brand succeed. Contact us today to start your design!
FAQ
1. What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) for custom alloy watches at Aigell?
Our MOQ is very friendly. We support low MOQ starting from 50 pieces per design. This helps new brands test the market without big risk.
2. How long does it take to manufacture alloy watches?
Usually, sample time is about 15-20 days. Mass production time is about 30-45 days after you confirm the sample. It is faster than stainless steel watches.
3. Will the color of alloy watches fade quickly?
If the plating is bad, yes. But at Aigell Watch, we use high-quality Ion Plating (IP) with a protective layer. The color is durable and lasts a long time for normal fashion wear.
4. Can I put my own logo on the watch?
Yes, of course. We can put your logo on the dial, the case back, the buckle, and even the crown. We provide full OEM branding service.
5. Do you provide packaging for the watches?
Yes, we can also customize the watch box for you. We have many options from simple paper boxes to luxury leather boxes to match your brand image.
6. Is alloy watch waterproof?
Yes, we can make alloy watches waterproof. Usually, we do 3ATM (30 meters) waterproof, which is safe for rain and hand washing. We test every watch.
