Most buyers ask for MOQ first and everything else second. That order is backwards. MOQ is not a policy someone invented to protect margin — it is a direct reflection of how much setup work your order forces on the line. Once you see what actually changes at each tier, the numbers stop looking arbitrary.

Tier 1 — Stock model, no logo: 1 piece

Nothing is retooled and nothing is reprinted. The watch already exists in inventory, so the only work is picking, packing and shipping. Lead time runs 8–12 days to your door.

This tier is for testing. Order one, wear it, photograph it, judge the finish against the renders. If the bracelet rattles or the dial print looks flat under daylight, you have spent the price of a single unit to find out instead of a deposit.

Tier 2 — Stock model with your logo on the case back: 20 pieces

The watch is still standard. What changes is that someone has to engrave or laser your mark on the case back, then inspect each unit individually because a misaligned logo is visible to any customer who turns the watch over.

Setup here is small but real: artwork preparation, a test pass on a spare case back, then the run. Around 20 days end to end.

This is the tier most new brands should start at. It puts your name on the product without committing to dial tooling, and 20 units is a realistic first production batch for a market test.

Tier 3 — Custom dial: 50 pieces

Now the largest fixed cost appears. A custom dial needs printing plates or pad-print setup for your artwork, colour matching against a physical standard, and an approved sample before the run. All of that is amortised across the order, which is why the floor sits at 50.

Around 20 days once the sample is approved — but the sample itself takes 7–10 days, and that clock starts after you sign off the artwork, not after you send the enquiry. Buyers who forget this are the ones who think a custom order takes three weeks when it takes five.

What to ask before you choose a tier

• Is the lead time measured to dispatch or to delivery? Ours is to delivery.
• Does the price include the logo setup, or is it charged once separately?
• If I approve a custom dial sample, is the sample cost credited against the bulk order?
• What happens to the tooling if I reorder the same dial next season?

A practical sequence

Order one stock unit to judge quality. Move to 20 with your case-back logo to test the market with your name on it. Only build a custom dial once you know the shape and price point sell — because the dial is where the money locks in.

Skipping straight to a custom dial is the most common expensive mistake in this category. It is not a quality decision, it is a commitment decision.

If you want a quote at any of these three tiers, send us your target price, quantity and what you want customised and we will come back with the numbers and a delivery date.