Methodology
Version v0.2, published 1 Oct 2026. Changes need a version bump; earlier profiles keep their original version.
Foundational rules
Model first
Score an exact reference, generation or production route whenever possible.
Unknown is not zero
If reliable evidence is unavailable, use U. Non-disclosure is not proof of outsourcing.
No double counting
Each activity belongs primarily to one dimension. Where an operation affects two dimensions, the rationale must distinguish the physical manufacture from the craft or engineering contribution.
Internal means internal
External artisan work enriches the watch's provenance but does not become the brand's internal craft score.
Authorship is not manufacture
A proprietary caliber can be designed for a brand and physically produced by partners. Architecture/development credit is separate from manufacturing credit.
Group capability is disclosed
A sister company or group-owned supplier is recorded as in-group rather than silently treated as brand-internal.
Marketing terms are claims
'In-house', 'manufacture', 'handmade' and 'Swiss Made' are starting points for research, not self-proving classifications.
Time matters
Suppliers and production routes change. Records should carry production dates or generations when relevant.
Classification comes last
Do not choose 'microbrand', 'atelier' or 'manufacture' first and then bend the profile to fit.
Dimensions
Each dimension is scored 0 to 5, or U when evidence is insufficient. They are never added together.
Movement Architecture (MA)
Who is responsible for the caliber's mechanical architecture and engineering?
- 0 Stock third-party caliber
- 1 Cosmetic/custom specification
- 2 Meaningful modification/module
- 3 Heavily re-engineered architecture
- 4 Proprietary caliber developed for brand; substantial external engineering possible
- 5 Deep proprietary caliber engineering substantially mastered internally
- U Unknown: reliable evidence is unavailable. Not the same as 0.
Movement Manufacturing (MM)
How much of the movement is physically manufactured by the brand or atelier?
- 0 Complete movement external
- 1 Minor/simple parts internal
- 2 Some meaningful components internal
- 3 Significant portion internal
- 4 Most major components internal
- 5 Exceptional integration including difficult regulating/escapement components or equivalent depth
- U Unknown: reliable evidence is unavailable. Not the same as 0.
Exterior Manufacturing (EX)
How much of the case, bracelet, crown and other exterior hardware is physically made internally?
- 0 Exterior external
- 1 Minor/simple exterior parts internal
- 2 One important component family internal
- 3 Several principal families internal
- 4 Most major exterior hardware internal
- 5 Exceptional vertical exterior manufacture
- U Unknown: reliable evidence is unavailable. Not the same as 0.
Dial & Hands Manufacturing (DH)
How much of dial and hand production is performed internally?
- 0 Dial and hands external
- 1 Minor internal operations
- 2 One meaningful production stage internal
- 3 Substantial dial or hand manufacture
- 4 Both major dial and hand processes deeply internal
- 5 Defining, highly integrated dial/hand manufacture
- U Unknown: reliable evidence is unavailable. Not the same as 0.
Craft & Finishing (CF)
What meaningful artisanal transformation is physically performed inside the brand or atelier?
- 0 No documented internal artisanal craft
- 1 Limited manual decorative operations
- 2 Regular skilled handwork, not central
- 3 Substantial hand finishing/craft
- 4 Advanced métiers d'art or haute-horlogerie finishing is a major capability
- 5 Exceptional master-level craft fundamentally defining the product
- U Unknown: reliable evidence is unavailable. Not the same as 0.
Watchmaking Execution (WE)
What watchmaking occurs after the components exist?
- 0 Complete/nearly complete watches supplied externally
- 1 Final QC, strap fitting, limited casing/adjustment
- 2 Complete casing/assembly and basic regulation
- 3 Movement preparation/adjustment plus full assembly, regulation and testing
- 4 Deep movement assembly, complication work and adjustment
- 5 End-to-end construction, assembly, adjustment and complex watchmaking
- U Unknown: reliable evidence is unavailable. Not the same as 0.
Product Development (PD)
How much original product design, supplier direction and technical development belongs to the brand?
- 0 Private-label/catalog product
- 1 Primarily cosmetic specification
- 2 Original design around conventional supplier architecture
- 3 Bespoke components and substantial supplier-directed development
- 4 Extensive original technical development/proprietary systems
- 5 Deep original engineering or invention defining the watch
- U Unknown: reliable evidence is unavailable. Not the same as 0.
Evidence confidence
- A
- Strong primary evidence for essentially every scored dimension.
- B
- Good primary evidence with limited gaps; credible specialist reporting fills some gaps.
- C
- Material gaps remain; useful but provisional.
- D
- Sparse or conflicting evidence; publish provenance notes, but avoid a definitive profile.
A D record shows provenance notes only, with no profile and no classification.
Classifications
Production archetypes, not status tiers. A classification is assigned after the profile and provenance review.
Contract / Microbrand
Original brand/design contribution, but physical production is overwhelmingly external. Product development can still be meaningful.
Design-led Établisseur
Creates the watch by directing a network of suppliers. Internal fabrication may be low while development and movement authorship can be high.
Artisan Établisseur
Major specialist craft is present, but much or all of that craft is performed by external named partners.
Artisan Atelier
A defining métier such as engraving, enameling, guilloché, dialmaking or hand finishing is physically performed internally.
Watchmaking Atelier
Meaningful internal assembly, regulation, modification and watchmaking without broad movement fabrication.
Independent Manufacture
Proprietary technical authorship plus meaningful internal movement/component manufacture.
Integrated Manufacture
Broad internal production across movement and major exterior components, with deep internal watchmaking execution.
Industrial Manufacture
Scaled institutional production with meaningful internal movement/watch manufacturing. Ownership can be independent or group-based.
Independent Watchmaker
A human descriptor: an identifiable watchmaker personally performs substantial watchmaking/craft on the watches. It is not automatically generated by thresholds.
A descriptor, shown beside the classification. 8 records carry it.
Ownership and scale are separate metadata. A brand can be independently owned and still operate as an industrial manufacture.
How to use the FALK Index
- Identify the exact watch. Record reference, generation and production period.
- Build the provenance sheet. Research movement, case/exterior, dial/hands, craft, assembly/regulation and development separately.
- Prefer primary evidence. Manufacturer/workshop documentation and named supplier disclosures come first. Technical interviews and specialist references such as Caliber Corner are useful secondary corroboration.
- Score each dimension independently. Use U rather than guessing. Explain borderline scores.
- Assign confidence. Confidence describes the evidence, not confidence in the brand.
- Assign the classification last. The archetype summarizes the profile; it does not control it.
- Preserve the audit trail. Every future change should carry a source, rationale, editor and date.
Changelog
v0.2, 1 Oct 2026. Replaces the four-letter prototype with seven descriptive dimensions and removes the aggregate score.