Watch
design
CPL Design is a watch design studio based in Cortaillod, in the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. We design every visible component of a watch — case, dial, hands, crown, bracelet — and the collection architecture that ties them together, from the first sketch to a production-ready 3D file.
A creative and technical partner,
dedicated to the watch
Unlike a generalist product design agency, a dedicated watch design studio understands movement calibres, the manufacturing constraints of a dial, case tolerances, crystal setting, water-resistance architecture and the reality of pricing a project with Swiss, Japanese or Chinese suppliers.
Most independent brands, mid-sized houses and fashion labels can’t justify an in-house watch design team — but they need work delivered to a professional, production-ready standard. CPL Design works as your external watch design department: creative direction, product design, CAD and technical documentation under one roof, with a single point of contact from the first sketch to supplier handoff.
The watch, component
by component
Case & bezel
Silhouettes, lug geometry, bezel inserts, crown profiles, caseback treatments. Every form is resolved against manufacturing tolerances and movement housing — we design what factories can actually produce.
Dial
Layout, index systems, apertures, finishes, printing and applied markers. It’s the most constrained component to manufacture, and the one that carries the brand’s identity at first glance.
Hands & indices
Hand sets, index systems, balance, luminescence and real legibility on the wrist — not just on screen.
Crown, pushers & caseback
Crown profiles, knurling, pushers, on-wrist ergonomics and water-resistance architecture. Caseback treatments and engraving, open or solid.
Bracelet & clasp
Links, integrated bracelet, lug attachment, clasp, 3D rubber or leather. Comfort, taper and wrist fit resolved from the drawing stage.
CAD & 3D modelling
Full 3D development of every component in SolidWorks and Rhino, surface modelling for complex case geometries, export to STEP, Parasolid and IGES — in a structure your factory can open, quote and tool without rework.
Renders & lookbook
Photorealistic 3D renders for pitch decks, crowdfunding campaigns, e-commerce and trade shows. Visuals that sell, not just visuals that impress designers.
our craft
Design language,
collection architecture
A watch brand isn’t recognised by its logo but by the silhouette of its watch seen from three metres. And you never design a single watch — you design a collection.
The design language is the set of decisions — proportions, curves, surface treatment, solid-to-void ratio, materials — that make a piece identifiable before you read the brand. It’s what a rebadged catalogue model can never give you, and it’s the first thing we lock in a project.
The collection architecture organises the range: an entry piece that recruits, a core that drives revenue, a flagship that carries the image, and families that let you come back each season without starting over. This structure decides your margin, your stock and your ability to launch a second series — it’s thought through before the first case profile, not after.
It’s the heart of the CPL method, and the subject almost no studio talks about. We address it on every project, whether you start from a blank page or an existing collection to evolve.
How a design phase
runs
Watch design is our core expertise. It stops at the production-ready file — and continues, if you want it to, into technical development and production.
Brief & creative direction
Positioning, target customer, competitive landscape, price range and SKU architecture. We agree on what the collection is — and what it isn’t — before a single case profile is drawn.
Concept & sketches
Mood boards, silhouette studies, dial composition routes. Several directions are explored, then one is chosen and refined.
2D technical drawings
Each component is developed into refined 2D technical drawings, accounting for the chosen calibre and real manufacturing constraints.
3D file & handoff
Full CAD, assembly files, bill of materials, tolerance sheets and supplier brief. The file moves on to technical development or straight to your factory.
Designing for manufacturability. A beautiful 3D render says nothing about tolerances, movement housing, assembly or the real cost of the piece. Between an image and a manufacturing file there’s a full engineering effort — and at every design decision, we weigh its consequence on price, lead time and feasibility at volume.
Why brands
choose us
Plenty of studios can draw a watch. Few understand what happens between the render and the first series delivered.
A watch studio, not a generalist agency
Nearly 30 years in Neuchâtel, at the heart of the Swiss watchmaking region. We integrate the movement, complications and movement-to-case fit with real supplier constraints and pricing logic in mind — whether it’s a standard calibre (Sellita, ETA, Miyota, Seiko, Ronda) or a bespoke movement developed for the project.
The design, and what comes next if you want it
Creative direction, product design, CAD, technical file, prototyping and OEM production under one roof. You decide where we stop: the design file alone, technical development on top, or the whole chain through to the first series delivered — in Switzerland or internationally, with the Swiss Made label when positioning calls for it. Where most studios stop at the render, we can take it all the way.
Files the factory quotes on the first pass
2D technical drawings, per-component 3D modelling, bill of materials, tolerances and supplier brief — one master file per reference, clean PDF and ZIP deliverables. No retouch cycles, no tooling budget wasted on an unreadable file.
Collection architecture, not a one-off piece
We design a coherent range — entry piece, core, flagship — with the design language that makes the brand recognisable from three metres. That’s what decides your margin and your second series.
The file is yours
At the end of the project, the design, drawings and product specification are your property. You stay free to evolve the product or change production partner — you don’t rent a watch, you own an asset.
References that speak to factories
Franck Muller, Bovet, Universal Genève, Versace, DKNY, Liu Jo, Just Cavalli, Ferré Milano. More than 230 watch references launched, from haute horlogerie to fashion collections — and a founder trained at ETA, FHF and Longines.
Building a collection
or a brand
Premium & mid-market brands
You’re looking for an external design partner to refresh an existing collection, launch a new product family or restructure your catalogue. We work as an integrated extension of your team — not an occasional freelancer.
Emerging niche brands
You’re building an ambitious first collection with Swiss or Japanese movements. We bring the production expertise and supplier network that first-time founders most often lack, for a launch with professional-grade files and realistic timelines.
Independent watchmakers & founders
You’re launching a first or second reference with limited internal resources. Whether you have a sketch on a napkin or a finished brief, we take the project where it is and bring it where it needs to go.
In all three cases the value is the same: a single point of contact who owns the outcome, a creative vision that isn’t diluted across five vendors, and a chain that runs from positioning to a file the factory can tool. Every project starts with a conversation where we tell you plainly what’s feasible, what it involves and where to begin.
Watch design in production
The same studio,
the full product world
Watchmaking is at the core of what we do, but we regularly work on the categories that complete a brand’s world: jewellery, packaging, eyewear, accessories and writing instruments. The same rigour that makes a watch producible at volume applies to any designed object — clean CAD, honest files and real supplier command, from the watch on the wrist to the box in the customer’s hands.
Watch design, in practice
What does a watch design project deliver?
Sketches and mood boards, 2D technical drawings, photorealistic 3D modelling of every component, assembly files in STEP, Parasolid and IGES, bill of materials, tolerance sheets, supplier brief, renders and lookbook. One master file per reference, as clean PDF and ZIP deliverables.
How long does a design phase take?
Allow three to five months for a collection, from brief to 3D file handover, depending on the number of references and iterations. A single piece is faster; a full range with collection architecture takes the top of that range.
Who owns the drawings and the 3D file?
You do. The design, technical drawings and CAD files from the project are your property. You stay free to evolve the product or hand production to the partner of your choice.
Can you start from a sketch or an existing collection?
Yes. Most projects start from an idea, a few references and rough sketches, or from a collection to evolve. We take the project where it is and bring it to a production-ready standard.
Do you also handle technical development and production?
Yes, if you want us to. Watch design is our core business; you then decide how far we go with you: technical development and movement integration, prototyping, then industrialisation and OEM production — in Switzerland or internationally, with the Swiss Made label when positioning calls for it. Some clients leave with the design file only, others with the delivered watch.
How is a watch studio different from a product design agency?
A watch studio knows movement calibres, dial constraints, case tolerances, crystal setting and supplier pricing logic. We design what’s manufacturable at volume, not just what looks good on screen.
Do you work for brands outside Switzerland?
Yes: across Europe, the Middle East and beyond. Our work is delivered in English and French.
Let’s design your next collection
Whether you’re launching a new watch brand, refreshing a collection or exploring a new product category, every project starts with a conversation.
Start a projectTell us about your project
Four questions to frame your need. We get back to you within 48 hours with first directions and next steps. Just after some information? Email us.
2016 Cortaillod, Neuchâtel
Switzerland