FAQs

I noticed that everything seems to be out of stock…are you still making watches?

Yes! The vast majority of our watches are reserved ahead of time when we announce either new models or new production runs and often these sell out before we even make the first one.  We manufacture in-house in small batches and then each watch is hand assembled with the specific options selected by our clients at the time of reservation.  Please remember that when you buy a SēL, you are not buying a mass produced product manufactured overseas, you are buying an extremely limited timepiece crafted by a very small company in Tucson, Arizona!

So, you’re telling me some of the world’s highest performing dive watches are made in the middle of a desert in Arizona?

It’s true.  The company and our first release OmniDiver MK1 was conceived on the East Coast of the USA at a time when our founder was spending a lot of time in and around the ocean but Arizona is actually a great climate for what we do because low humidity is much friendlier for high precision machining and watchmaking.

Is it true that the OmniDiver MK1 was the first American made grade 5 titanium dive watch case to exceed 6,000 meters?

Yes, a gas filled (regular atmosphere) OmniDiver MKI significantly exceeded 6,000 metes and a fluid filled MK1 exceeded 11,000 meters thanks to our thermodynamic case-in-case design.  Both tests were conducted in a hydrostatic test chamber with calibrated gauges.

Are watches ever “in-stock”?

Yes! But, usually in very small quantities that are made at the end of production runs with remaining parts after we ship the watches that were reserved ahead of time.  It’s also very common for watches in inventory to sell the same day they are put on the website.  We are working to expand our scale of production which will mean more watches in inventory but the best way to guarantee that you get one with the options of your choice is to reserve one of our active production models.

OK! I reserved a watch! Now what?!

Very often, especially if you reserved right at the time we announced a production run, it means that we’re still machining all of the parts for your watch! As of 2025, our production groups are between 50 and 250 units.  We will notify you when your watch components are complete and ready for final assembly. Keep in mind that we’re only a 4 person company and we do machine every component of our cases, bracelets, dials, hands, etc plus some of the movement parts in house so it’s a lot of work but we also maintain extremely tight control over quality and precision which is critical to ensure the high performance you expect from a SēL. Not to mention it makes us one of the very few authentic American watch manufacturers.

I want to get an update on my watch, how do I do that?

You’re certainly welcome to ask for an update anytime but please keep a few things in mind when you do.  If you have a reservation for an in-production watch, it’s very likely that for anywhere from 1-3 months that answer will simply be “Hi! We are actively machining all of the parts for those watches and we’ll be updating everyone when they they move from production to assembly.”.  Also, because we are such a small company responding to these requests does take us away from the work of actually making all of the watches to pull up specific order information and provide a detailed update.  Remember, what you have reserved is not a mass production product, we machine parts in our machine shop relatively small batches and then hand assemble each watch one-at-a-time to your specific options.

I want to expedite my watch.  How do I do that?

Generally we do not expedite orders. They are assembled in the order that reservations/allocations were placed.  However, there are some rare instances when we will consider expediting an order (if we can) such as you just found out that you’re deploying, you are getting married and want it for your wedding day, you need it for a military graduation or retirement gift, you found out that you are dying (being completely serious, this has happened), etc.  If you believe that your extenuating circumstances may justify asking for us to expedite, please reach our to us and explain your situation.

Are your watches really made in the USA?

100% of our cases, bezels, bezel inserts, dials, hands, case backs, crowns, inner casing components, bracelet components, and clasp components are made in our workshop in Tucson, Arizona, USA from domestic certified titanium alloy, stainless steel, and domestic melted precious metals such as 950 Platinum and 18K Gold.  The majority of our screws are made in our workshop and the rest we try to source from American screw manufacturers.  If you have ordered one of our Swiss movement models, the base movement is Swiss Made and in some cases some of the components will be replaced with components made by us in our workshop for integration with our watches.  Please feel free to request a tour of our workshops to see this for yourself!

What movements do you use?

All of our standard production models presently use base movements that are Swiss Made.  If we offer a specific watch with an American caliber, it will be marked specifically “American Movement” or “USA MVMT”.

Do you regulate the movements in-house?

Yes, of course.  When we receive movements from Switzerland they are all individually validated.  Any that are not performing to a good baseline (i.e. not running in a way that we are confident can be adjusted to our specifications) are removed and evaluated for repair or use as spare parts.  Our assembly process requires that the base movements are partially disassembled, modified, and then adjusted/regulated as standard.

What standard do your use for adjusting/regulating automatic and mechanical movements?

We adjust in positions to achieve better than -4/+6 ADR with a total positional delta of better than 12 seconds.  Our watchmaking suite is maintained to between 78 and 85 degrees F. We validate these adjustments by running each fully assembled watch for 96 hours on a positional winder both without the automatic winding installed to test accuracy with only the power reserve of the mainspring, and also with the automatic winding installed (if applicable) to test the function of the automatic system. We do not warranty the timekeeping of automatic/mechanical movements because too many factors can affect the accuracy of these movements but we are happy to adjust and regulate by request if you feel that accuracy is outside of the range of your preference.

I need service for my SēL watch, what do I do?

If you need a battery change or WARRANTY service meaning you bought the watch directly from us and it is still under warranty, please send directly to our workshop address which can be found on the website.  Please include a note with a brief description of the type of service you are requesting AND your complete contact information and return address.

If you are requesting NON-WARRANTY service, meaning you bought the watch from a private seller or the warranty has expired, please email us at support@selinstrument.com and briefly describe the type of service you are requesting and we will respond with options.

Where can I see a SēL watch in person? Do you have any authorized distributors?

At this time all sales of authentic SēL watches are directly from our workshop in Tucson Arizona USA.  We do not have any authorized distributors or resellers.

That type of equipment do you have in your workshop?

Our CNC area includes several 4-axis CNC mills, a CNC lathe, and a CNC WEDM machine.  To support the CNC shop we have a complete manual tool room as well with several lathes and a manual mill, a watchmakers lathe, a large capacity screw compressor and a horizontal band saw for processing raw stock.  We have a variety of metrology equipment for dimensional inspection of our parts.  One room is dedicated to finishing and polishing.  Cleaning equipment such as ultrasonic systems are distributed throughout the building.  A powerful fiber laser system helps create our well known intricate case back engravings.  We have both a manual and CNC pad printer for printing dials.  A 20,000psi rated hydrostatic test system handles all of our deep diving for engineering development and a low pressure tester is a useful tool during pre-assembly.  Of course all of the standard horological tools you would expect to see for complete disassembly and assembly of movements and watches fill our bench tops and drawers.

How is the company name SēL pronounced?

It is pronounced “seal” like the ocean dwelling mammal, like the elite Naval Special Warfare group (Navy SEAL), and like the English pop star who was married to Heidi Klum.

Is it true that my service request will be expedited if I include a bag of gummy bears in the box?

Can neither confirm nor deny.

What’s your favorite MIL-SPEC?

MIL-C-44072C