Design FAQProcess & Timeline

ACTE.5 is an independent watch design studio. We take your watch from the first sketch to the factory, with the same studio at every step: concept and design, technical development, brand strategy and everything around the watch, such as packaging. You can choose the full support or only the parts you need.

The same studio follows your watch from A to Z. ACTE.5 designs it, prints it in resin in the studio to check the volumes on the wrist, prepares the tech pack and works with the factories, travelling to meet them when it helps. Fewer handovers mean fewer misunderstandings, and a first metal sample that is right much faster.

No. Watches are a core specialty, but we also design lifestyle products, eyewear, furniture, and unique pieces, always with the same attention to emotion and detail.

Yes. ACTE.5 was founded by a watch designer trained in Switzerland, within the watch design industry. The studio designs collections with Swiss-made calibres, such as Sellita SW200, SW300 and ETA movements, and has worked on projects with Swiss assembly processes, so every design meets the standards expected of Swiss-made timepieces.

Yes. We work on positioning, brand identity and storytelling, on how you enter the market, and on everything around the watch: packaging, print, launch visuals and even a presentation website. Your message and your product stay perfectly aligned.

No. Projects start at very different stages: an idea only, a concept or visuals, a design ready to develop, or an existing brand that wants a new dial, model or line. Many founders of watch microbrands come with the idea of their first watch, and that is enough to start.

Yes, and they are a useful start: they show the mood, the shapes and the details that matter to you. But an AI image is not yet a watch. It does not know the movement, how the parts fit together or what a factory can make. We start from your intention, then redraw the watch with real proportions, work the volumes in 3D and choose the materials and finishes, so it keeps its spirit and can really be made.

Yes. If your project is confidential, tell us: we can sign an NDA before going into the details. Many founders ask for it, and it is completely normal.

You see one or two design directions first, then we refine the chosen one over several revision rounds. Nothing is finalised until you approve it.

It is printed at full scale during the design phase, so you can check proportions, thickness, lugs, crown and strap on the wrist. Small adjustments it reveals are included before the technical file is finalised.

It is the technical document that explains your watch to the factory: overall views with the main dimensions, a drawing for each part, the materials, the finishes, the dial and hands details, the versions and the packaging. You can send it directly to factories, with the 3D files: they can read it, quote the watch from it and make a first prototype close to the final product.

For the movement, yes: every project includes a movement recommendation. For the production cost, we give you a first indication when the factory’s information allows it. The actual price always comes from the factory’s quote.

Yes. We can introduce you to our network of manufacturers, or work with your own factory if you already have one.

We review the factory’s technical documents and production drawings, answer their technical questions and follow the samples. The number of days included is set in the proposal for your project.

Yes. We analyse the physical sample made by the factory and, when needed, send the supplier a written list of corrections, so that the prototype is faithful to the design and meets your expectations.

We don’t manufacture, but we follow the whole process. ACTE.5 answers the factory’s questions, coordinates the functional prototype it makes, checks each sample (shapes, finishes, colors, comfort) and follows the project until the pre-series sample is validated, with suppliers we trust. The path: resin prototype → functional prototype → pre-series validation. When it helps, we travel to meet the suppliers, such as a strap maker in France or production partners in Hong Kong.

Every project has its own schedule, set in the proposal. On our projects, the fastest watch reached the market six months after the start, and another took two and a half years. As an order of magnitude: about 10 weeks to 3 months from concept to tech pack, then several months for prototypes and production, often around a year in total. A clear brief and a first prototype that is right in one go make it faster; a complex shape, artistic crafts, small quantities or factory holidays make it longer. A consulting mission can take only a few weeks.

Every project is scoped individually based on deliverables, complexity, and timeline. ACTE.5 works either on a per-project basis or through retainer agreements for ongoing collaborations. We provide a detailed proposal after an initial briefing call. No commitment required.

The design rights are transferred to you upon full payment. You receive the STEP files and technical drawings, and you are free to work with any manufacturer. ACTE.5 keeps a copy for its archives.

Every collaboration starts with a conversation. Fill in the form, which asks about your brand, your stage, your need, your quantities and your retail price, or book a call directly: the calendar adapts to your time zone. You can also email contact@acte-5.com.