CompliTime
CompliTime SA is a Swiss firm founded in 2001 by watchmakers Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey. It provides prototyping, intellectual property registration, and laboratory services to luxury Swiss watchmaking houses, specializing in custom movement development for high-complication and unique timepieces.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersLa Chaux-de-fonds, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CompliTime does
CompliTime SA is a Swiss Société Anonyme founded in 2001 by watchmakers Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds — the historical center of Swiss watchmaking. The firm provides prototyping, intellectual property registration, and laboratory services to the Swiss luxury watchmaking industry. Its core offering is the development and manufacturing of watch movements with complications and grand complications for haute horlogerie houses, with stated operating values of inventiveness, exceptional quality, exclusivity, and service to demanding clients.
The company's production stack is built around an ultra-modern movement workshop paired with a sophisticated test laboratory and a dedicated micro-engineering department that conducts quality control and certified validation. Services span the full movement lifecycle: concept development, design (including cases and dials), prototyping, validation, IP registration, pre-series production, unique-piece fabrication, and final movement assembly. Credited realizations include the Richard Mille Planetarium (an astronomical complication) and the Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon, evidencing depth in grand-complication work.
Commercial operations run as B2B project-based engagements with luxury Swiss watch brands. Revenue is generated through bespoke one-time project fees (movement development and unique-piece manufacturing) and professional services fees (laboratory testing, homologation, and reliability validation). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated case-by-case, consistent with the absolute contractual confidentiality the company extends to all clients. Customer acquisition is driven primarily by the founders' industry reputation and direct relationship-based engagement; no external marketing or distribution channels are used, and there is no disclosed external funding, M&A activity, or leadership turnover.
CompliTime firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CompliTime
- Legal name
- CompliTime SA
- Website
- https://complitime.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CompliTime SA is a Swiss firm founded in 2001 by watchmakers Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey. It provides prototyping, intellectual property registration, and laboratory services to luxury Swiss watchmaking houses, specializing in custom movement development for high-complication and unique timepieces.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CompliTime industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Haute Horlogerie Manufacturing Services
- NAICS
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Complications & Haute Horlogerie (CRAKADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Watch Manufacturing (Movements, Cases, Dials, Assembly) (CRAKADAJ)
Keywords
Where CompliTime is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Chaux-de-fonds
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CompliTime business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Custom Movement Development & Manufacturing: Bespoke development and manufacturing of watch movements with complications and grand complications. Services range from initial concept and design through to final production, including cases and dials. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements with luxury watch brands.
- Unique Piece Production: Fabrication of unique pieces for clients requiring one-of-a-kind haute horlogerie timepieces. High-value, low-volume engagements.
- Laboratory & Testing Services: Testing, homologation, and reliability testing services provided to watchmaking clients. Professional services component supporting movement validation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
CompliTime product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CompliTime provides bespoke development and manufacturing of haute horlogerie watch movements with complications and grand complications for luxury Swiss watch brands. Services span the full lifecycle from concept development and engineering studies through prototyping, design (including cases and dials), validation, pre-series production, movement assembly, and unique piece fabrication, supported by an in-house sophisticated test laboratory and a dedicated micro-engineering department. The company also registers intellectual property for client innovations and operates under contractual absolute confidentiality.
Product overview
CompliTime offers a complete integrated range of à la carte service solutions for the Swiss high-end horological industry. The core offering is a unified product development and manufacturing service that encompasses the full lifecycle of watch movement creation—from concept development and research, through design, prototyping, and validation, to pre-series and unique piece production, culminating in movement assembly. The portfolio includes specialized laboratory services for testing and homologation, intellectual property registration, and design services covering cases and dials. Notable realized products include the Richard Mille Planetarium and the Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon, demonstrating the company's capabilities in grand complications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Movement Development Services Full-cycle development of watch movements with complications and grand complications for luxury Swiss watch brands, from initial concept and engineering studies through design, prototyping, and final production.
- Laboratory Services (Homologation, Fiabilisation, Reliability Testing) Sophisticated test laboratory services providing homologation, fiabilisation (reliability enhancement), and reliability testing for watch movements and components supplied to luxury watchmaking clients.
- Validation and Quality Control Services Quality control and certified validation procedures for watch movements, executed by CompliTime's dedicated micro-engineering department to ensure movements meet horological standards and client specifications.
- Prototyping Services Prototype development services for watch movements and components during the haute horlogerie product development cycle, enabling clients to test and refine designs prior to serial or unique piece production.
- Design Services (Cases and Dials) Product design services for cases and dials, delivered as part of CompliTime's integrated complete watch solutions for luxury Swiss watchmaking clients.
- Pre-Series Production Production of pre-series watch movements for limited editions or market validation prior to full-scale serial production, supporting luxury watch brands' launch readiness.
- Unique Piece Manufacturing Custom manufacturing of unique pieces and bespoke haute horlogerie timepieces for demanding collectors and luxury watch brand clients, including grand complications.
- Movement Assembly Expert assembly services for watch movements, ensuring precision and compliance with quality standards as the final step in CompliTime's integrated production process.
- Intellectual Property Registration Registration services for intellectual property protection of watch designs and innovations developed for luxury watchmaking clients.
Companies that use CompliTime
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
CompliTime technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CompliTime partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights1 record
CompliTime competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Habring²: A small independent Austrian-Swiss atelier producing in-house haute horlogerie movements and watches. Comparable to CompliTime as a small-team, founder-driven independent atelier specializing in complications and bespoke pieces.
- Renaud & Papi: A specialized movement R&D and complication workshop integrated with Audemars Piguet's haute horlogerie operations in Le Brassus, known for co-developing grand complications. Comparable to CompliTime in technical scope and client-tier positioning.
- Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier: Independent high-end Swiss movement manufacturer supplying complications and high-grade movements to maisons including Hermes, Richard Mille, and Parmigiani. Closely comparable to CompliTime as a B2B movement atelier with comparable capital intensity and luxury client roster.
- La Joux-Perret: Swiss movement manufacturer producing high-end mechanical and quartz movements for external brands. Comparable B2B model selling movements and modules to luxury and prestige watchmakers, though with a broader product range extending beyond grand complications.
- Concepto Watch Factory: Swiss independent movement developer and complication specialist serving luxury watch brands with proprietary movements and modules. Concepto provides a directly comparable B2B service (movement design, prototyping, production) to the same haute horlogerie client base that CompliTime serves.
- Greubel Forsey: Founded by the same watchmakers (Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey), Greubel Forsey operates an adjacent haute horlogerie atelier producing its own limited-series grand-complication watches. It shares founder DNA, regional base, and domain expertise with CompliTime, making it the most directly comparable peer despite its brand-vs-manufacturer orientation.
- Voutilainen: Independent Finnish-born master watchmaker operating a small atelier in Switzerland producing hand-finished haute horlogerie movements and unique pieces. Closely comparable to CompliTime in boutique scale, founder pedigree, and concentration on complications.
- Dubois et Fils: Heritage Swiss movement manufacturer with a long history of supplying ébauches and modules to luxury brands. Directly comparable B2B service offering focused on movement development and production for Swiss clients.
Broad incumbents
- Sellita SA: One of Switzerland's largest third-party movement manufacturers, supplying ébauches and modules to a broad mid- and entry-level luxury client base. A comparable B2B movement manufacturer in scale and category, though more mass-market and less specialized in grand complications than CompliTime.
- Kenissi SA: Movement manufacturer backed by Tudor/Rolex manufacturing high-grade in-house movements for sister brands and select external clients. Comparable as a sophisticated Swiss movement manufacturer, though primarily serving internal group demand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CompliTime social profiles
Digital presenceCompliTime financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CompliTime leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
CompliTime funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CompliTime M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CompliTime
What does CompliTime do?
CompliTime provides bespoke development and manufacturing of haute horlogerie watch movements with complications and grand complications for luxury Swiss watch brands. Services span the full lifecycle from concept development and engineering studies through prototyping, design (including cases and dials), validation, pre-series production, movement assembly, and unique piece fabrication, supported by an in-house sophisticated test laboratory and a dedicated micro-engineering department. The company also registers intellectual property for client innovations and operates under contractual absolute confidentiality.
Is CompliTime a public or private company?
CompliTime is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CompliTime founded?
CompliTime was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CompliTime based?
CompliTime is headquartered in La Chaux-de-fonds, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does CompliTime make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Movement Development & Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are unique Piece Production and laboratory & Testing Services.
Who are CompliTime's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Habring², Renaud & Papi, Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, La Joux-Perret, Concepto Watch Factory, Greubel Forsey, Voutilainen and Dubois et Fils. Broad incumbents are Sellita SA and Kenissi SA.
Does CompliTime have an API?
No public API is recorded for CompliTime.
What industry is CompliTime in?
CompliTime's product category is Haute Horlogerie Manufacturing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAKADAG, Complications & Haute Horlogerie, with a secondary code of CRAKADAJ, Watch Manufacturing (Movements, Cases, Dials, Assembly). Its NAICS code is 54.