Our Craft
A close look at what goes into every Fifth Studio timepiece – the movements, the materials, the small technical decisions that shape how a watch feels twenty years from now. Plus a plain-English glossary of the terms worth knowing.
A watch is a small, patient machine. It sits against your wrist for sixteen hours a day, travels through airports and rainstorms, and – if it's made well – asks for nothing in return.
Every spec on this page reflects a decision we made about how Fifth Studio watches should wear, age, and outlast the moment you buy them. No generic movements, no unnamed steel, no marketing shortcuts. What's here is what's on your wrist.
The Swiss Ronda family.
Two quartz movements, both made within 40 kilometres of each other in Lausanne. Battery life measured in years, not days.
We use two movements across the collection, both from Ronda – a fifth-generation Swiss movement-maker based in Lausanne since 1946. Ronda supplies Tag Heuer, Tissot, and a long list of brands who prefer Swiss precision to marketing flourish.
A quartz movement isn't a lesser kind of watch. It's a different philosophy: accuracy measured in seconds per month (not seconds per day), a battery life of 40–60 months, and no daily winding. For everyday wear, in a rectangular or small-round dress case, it is the better movement.
The Ronda Powertech 515 powers our 36mm and 41mm rounds — the Homage, Foundation, and Studio collections. A 3-hand movement with small-second functionality, engineered for reliability in everyday wear.
- Type
Swiss quartz, 3-hand
- Origin
Lausanne, Switzerland
- Jewels
1 jewel
- Accuracy
±20 seconds / month
- Battery
Renata 371 (1.55V)
- Battery life
~54 months
- Operating range
−10°C to +60°C
- Used in
All 36mm and 41mm Fifth Studio watches
The Ronda 762 is a smaller-footprint movement built specifically for rectangular and smaller dress cases. It powers the entire Revival collection precise enough to disappear beneath a tailored cuff.
- Type
Swiss quartz, 2-hand
- Origin
Lausanne, Switzerland
- Jewels
0 jewel (friction bearings)
- Accuracy
±20 seconds / month
- Battery
Renata 364 (1.55V)
- Battery life
~48 months
- Operating range
−10°C to +60°C
- Used in
All Revival (26mm rectangle) watches
316L stainless steel.
Marine-grade. The same alloy used for surgical tools, ship fittings, and the cases of luxury dive watches.
Steel is where a lot of corners get cut in the under-$500 watch market – you'll see "stainless steel" with no grade specified, which almost always means 304 or 201. These alloys rust in salt air, scratch under keys, and leave a green-grey residue on skin over time.
316L is the grade you find in surgical implants, marine fittings, and Rolex cases. It has roughly 2–3% molybdenum added to 304, which gives it significantly better corrosion resistance (especially to chlorides – sweat, salt water, pool chlorine) and noticeably higher hardness. It's hypoallergenic, which matters if you've ever reacted to a cheaper watch.
- Alloy
316L stainless steel, sometimes called "marine-grade"
- Composition
Iron, 16–18% chromium, 10–14% nickel, 2–3% molybdenum, low carbon
- Hardness
~200 Vickers (resistant to fine scratching)
- Finish
Polished and brushed, applied by hand
- Hypoallergenic
Yes (low nickel leaching)
- Water-compatible
Salt, fresh, chlorinated
Sapphire, not mineral.
Second only to diamond on the hardness scale. The panel you look through stays looking new.
Most watches under $300 ship with mineral crystal – tempered glass, roughly 6.5 on the Mohs scale. It scratches readily: the first time your wrist brushes a door frame, a keychain, or a countertop, you'll see it.
Sapphire crystal, by contrast, is 9.0 Mohs – second only to diamond. Practically speaking, it is scratch-proof against anything you'll encounter in daily life. The crystal on a Fifth Studio watch will look the same in ten years as it does the day it arrives.
It's also anti-reflective coated on the interior, which is why you can read the dial at an angle in direct sunlight without the mirror effect of cheaper crystals.
- Material
Synthetic sapphire (corundum crystal, chemically pure Al₂O₃)
- Hardness
9.0 Mohs (diamond = 10.0)
- Coating
Interior anti-reflective treatment
- Scratch test
Only diamond, silicon carbide, or sapphire itself will mark it
- Replaces
Mineral glass (~6.5 Mohs), acrylic (~2.5 Mohs)
5 ATM - splash, rain, handwash.
The industry's most misunderstood number. Here's what it actually means.
Watch water resistance is measured in atmospheres (ATM) or its near-equivalent, metres. The number on your watch is a static pressure rating — not a swimming depth. This is the single most confused specification in watchmaking.
A 5 ATM rating means the watch can withstand 5 atmospheres of static pressure. In the real world, the dynamic pressure from swimming, jumping into a pool, or a showerhead stream can spike to 2–4× the static figure — which is why 5 ATM is comfortably rain- and handwashing-safe, but not swimming-safe.
Hot water is the other silent killer: the gaskets that seal the case contract in cold water and expand in hot, changing the seal. This is why we recommend removing the watch before bathing — even a "waterproof" watch ages its seals faster in hot water than in cold.
- Safe
Rain, splashes, handwashing, sweat
- Not safe
Swimming, showering, bathing, diving, saunas, hot tubs
- Gasket servicing
Recommended every 3–5 years (part of our service program)
- If submerged
Remove crown, dry thoroughly, bring in for inspection
Italian leather & 316L bracelets.
Two strap systems, designed to be swapped
Our leather straps are made in Tuscany from full-grain Italian calf leather – the top layer of the hide, which retains the fibre pattern and develops a patina with wear. Full-grain is the only grade worth putting on a watch you'll wear for years. Lower grades (top-grain, split, bonded) crack at the stitch holes within 12–18 months.
The bracelets
Both bracelet styles are 316L stainless steel, finished in polished and brushed surfaces and fitted with a butterfly clasp. Links are removable for sizing. The 36mm and 41mm Swiss collections use a jubilee-style bracelet — the multi-link construction flexes with the wrist contour rather than resisting it. The Revival 26mm uses an integrated bracelet — fixed directly to the rectangular case for a continuous, sculptural line. It doesn't swap to a strap, by design.
Strap changes
Spring bar systems differ across the collection:
Revival 26mm - quick-release spring bars. Strap changes take 30 seconds, no tools.
Swiss 36mm and 41mm - standard spring bars. Strap changes require a spring bar tool.
A bracelet sizing tool is included with every Swiss collection purchase.
- Leather
Italian leather
- Buckle
Signed 316L stainless steel
- Bracelet
Jubilee, butterfly clasp, removable links
- Lug width
20mm (universal across the collection)
- Attachment
Quick-release spring bars, no tool required
Switzerland, by hand.
Where it's assembled matters almost as much as what it's made of.
The 36mm and 41mm collections are fully assembled in Switzerland. That's what allows "Swiss Made" on the dial — a legal certification requiring at least 60% of manufacturing costs to occur in Switzerland, alongside the movement and final inspection.
The Revival is built differently, and we'll be straight about it. The movement is the Ronda 762, made in Switzerland. Final assembly happens at our partner facility in Asia. The case, dial, and crystal are built to the same specifications as the round collections - the difference is where the final screws go in.
Every watch – regardless of origin – is individually tested for timekeeping accuracy, water resistance, and finish before it leaves the facility.
The language, unpacked.
Most watch jargon sounds worse than it is. Here are the terms worth knowing – in plain English, with no assumed context.
A thin optical layer applied to the interior of a watch crystal to reduce glare. Lets you read the dial at an angle in bright light without a mirror effect. All Fifth Studio watches use interior AR coating on the sapphire crystal.
Atmosphere.
A unit of static pressure used to rate water resistance. 1 ATM ≈ 10 metres of static depth. See water resistance for why this isn't the same as actual swimming depth.
The metal ring surrounding the crystal, framing the dial. On dress watches it's usually fixed and decorative; on sports watches it can rotate to track elapsed time (unidirectional) or two time zones (bidirectional).
A metal watch strap made of interlocking links. Distinguished from a "strap," which refers to leather, rubber, or fabric. Our bracelets are jubilee-style: five-link construction for flexibility against the wrist.
A double-hinged buckle that folds symmetrically, hiding beneath the wrist. Used on our bracelets for a seamless, gap-free look compared to a traditional deployant or tang buckle.
The back plate of the watch case, resting against your wrist. Usually screwed down for water resistance; sometimes transparent ("exhibition caseback") to show the movement.
The small knob on the side of the case (usually at 3 o'clock) used to set the time, date, or wind a mechanical movement. On Fifth Studio watches, it also releases for battery access.
The transparent panel protecting the dial. Three common types: acrylic (plastic, cheap, scratches easily), mineral (tempered glass, moderate), and sapphire (synthetic corundum, extremely scratch-resistant). We use sapphire throughout.
The "face" of the watch — the surface with the hour indices and branding. What you read when you check the time. A dial can be matte, sunburst (radial brushed finish), pressed-pattern, or guilloché.
A caseback with a transparent panel (usually sapphire) that lets you see the movement. Common on mechanical watches where the movement is visually interesting; rare on quartz.
A movement feature where the second hand stops when the crown is pulled out to set the time. Lets you sync the watch to the exact second. Standard on most Ronda movements, including ours.
A five-link bracelet design originally created by Rolex in 1945. Three polished centre links flanked by two brushed outer links. More flexible and comfortable than three-link (Oyster) styles. Used across all our metal bracelets.
The protrusions on either side of the case where the strap attaches. The distance between the two lugs — the lug width — determines what strap will fit. All Fifth Studio watches are 20mm, so straps are universal.
The mechanism inside the watch that keeps time. Two broad families: quartz (battery-powered, uses a vibrating quartz crystal) and mechanical (spring-driven, hand-wound or automatic). Also called the calibre.
The gradual colour and texture change of materials over time — darkening leather, a warming dial, a softening case finish. In watchmaking, patina is desirable: it's the record of a watch being worn, not displayed.
A movement regulated by a quartz crystal oscillating at 32,768 Hz, powered by a battery. Hugely accurate, low-maintenance, and serviceable with a battery change every 4–5 years. Our Ronda 515 and 762 are both quartz.
A Swiss movement manufacturer based in Lausanne since 1946. Best known for producing reliable quartz calibres used by Tag Heuer, Tissot, and Fifth Studio. See Ronda 515 and Ronda 762 in Section 01 above.
Synthetic corundum, chemically identical to natural sapphire gemstones. Rates 9.0 on the Mohs hardness scale — second only to diamond. Practically unscratchable in daily wear. Our crystal of choice, throughout.
The small spring-loaded metal pin that holds the strap to the lugs. Quick-release spring bars (which we use) have a small lever that retracts the pin without tools; standard ones require a forked spring-bar tool.
A marine-grade steel alloy used across every Fifth Studio case and bracelet. Higher corrosion resistance than 304, hypoallergenic, the same grade used in surgical tools. See Section 02.
A dial finish that radiates from the centre outward in fine, brushed rays — catching light differently as the wrist moves. Different from matte or pressed-pattern dials. Used on our Heritage, Reverie, Monument, and Sera pieces.
A legally protected designation. Under Swiss federal law (revised 2017), a watch can only be labelled "Swiss Made" if at least 60% of the manufacturing cost and the final movement inspection occur in Switzerland. Our 36mm and 41mm watches qualify.
The traditional pin-and-hole buckle found on leather straps — the same principle as a belt buckle. Used on all our leather straps for simplicity and easy sizing.
A watch's ability to withstand water ingress, rated in ATM or metres. The rating is static — it does not reflect real-world conditions like swimming or showering, where dynamic pressure can spike 3–4×. See Section 04 for what 5 ATM actually means in practice.