The Horigin method
At Horigin, we analyze every watch brand on the real origin of its 12 components, against a reference country you choose. No jargon, no brand image: just factual data to help you see clearly.
12
Components evaluated
4
Qualification statuses
7
Reference countries
Why 3 indicators instead of one?
We don't evaluate each model individually, but the brand as a whole. Why?
Because a simple average wouldn't reflect the reality of its range.
To give you an accurate, complete picture, we calculate 3 indicators for every brand: minimum floor, maximum potential, and the Horigin index.
| Indicator | Definition |
|---|---|
| Minimum floor | Guaranteed minimum percentage of components sourced from the selected country, regardless of the brand's model. |
| Maximum potential | Highest possible percentage of components sourced from the selected country, regardless of the brand's model. |
| Horigin index | Our in-house indicator: the average of the minimum floor and the maximum potential, weighted by their gap to reward transparency. Formula: index = average − 0.3 × (maximum potential − minimum floor). |
The 12 components we analyze
For every brand, we track down the origin of each component to give you a complete, transparent picture.
Here are the 12 elements we evaluate:
- · Design
- · Assembly
- · Movement
- · Case
- · Dial
- · Crystal
- · Strap/Bracelet
- · Hands
- · Crown
- · Hairspring
- · Box
- · After-sales service
How is each component classified? The 4 statuses
For each component, we assign a status based on its origin relative to your reference country. Here's how it works:
| Status | Rule | Min | Avg. | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | A single country is declared, and it is the chosen reference country. | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Mixed | Several countries are declared, including the reference country (e.g. movement made in France and Switzerland, which gives 100/2). | 0 | 100/N | 100 |
| Other | One or more countries are declared, none of them the reference country. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Undisclosed | The brand doesn't state where this component is made (penalty, not exclusion). | 0 | 0 | 0 |
An undisclosed component is never excluded from the calculation: it's treated as a weak point, not a blank. Why? Because a fully opaque brand shouldn't score better than a transparent one that's only partly offshored.
Customize your ranking to fit your criteria
You're in control! On the My preferences page, you can adjust how much each component matters so the ranking reflects your priorities. Each importance level maps to a weight that shapes the final score:
| Importance level | Weight | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Vital | 3 | This component is essential to you |
| Important | 2 | This component matters, but not as much as the others |
| Negotiable | 1 | Its origin has little impact on your choice |
| Indifferent | 0 | Excluded from the calculation: you're not interested in this component |
"Verified" badge: guaranteed transparency
A brand only earns the "Verified" badge if all 12 components' origins have been confirmed directly by the brand itself — never through manual action on our part. Below that bar, data is still shown, but only as publicly collected information, not as an official statement from the brand.
Sources and corrections: a collaborative approach
Our data comes exclusively from brands' public communications (official websites, product sheets, press releases).
This information evolves, and can sometimes be incomplete or outdated.
Spotted an error or something that needs updating?
- · Report it directly from the brand's page.
- · Or reach out via the Contact page.