WatchBase.com is an online watch database built to document watches as accurately and comprehensively as possible. It covers current models, discontinued references, limited editions, movements, technical specifications, retail prices and the relationships between different executions within a collection, brand or movement family.
What distinguishes WatchBase from a conventional catalogue is the way the information is structured. Each watch is documented under its own reference, while the calibre inside it has a separate database entry with its own specifications, history and relationships.
Those records are then connected.
A single movement may appear in watches from different collections, brands or periods. The same watch family may include several movements, case materials, dial configurations or bracelet options. By separating these elements and linking them through structured relationships, WatchBase is gradually building an interconnected archive of watches, movements, brands and collections.
This makes it possible to view a watch not only as an individual product, but as part of a wider technical and historical context. Users can follow a calibre across different references, see how a movement has been adapted or renamed, and understand the relationships between watches that may initially appear unrelated.
My work on WatchBase spans research, data structuring, editorial content and the ongoing maintenance of the database. New releases have to be monitored, specifications checked and added to the database correctly. Existing entries are continually reviewed and expanded as new information becomes available.
The database covers both contemporary watches and models that have since disappeared from manufacturers’ websites. This element is an important part of the project. Where available, current retail prices are shown alongside historical data, while discontinued references remain accessible as part of the development of a collection or brand.
Accuracy is central to the work. Information supplied by manufacturers is not always complete or consistent, particularly when the same reference appears across regional websites, catalogues and press materials. A substantial part of the process therefore consists of comparing sources, resolving discrepancies and making sure each entry describes the correct reference rather than the collection in general.
Writing is another significant part of the project. Each watch requires a clear, concise description explaining what it is, where it sits within the collection and what distinguishes that particular reference. The tone is intentionally neutral and factual. WatchBase is here to document the watch, not to sell it.
With more than 40,000 watch entries, WatchBase has grown into a substantial archive of current and historical watches. It remains an ongoing exercise in structuring information: new references are added, movements are connected, prices are updated and older entries are improved on a continuing basis.
The principle remains straightforward: collect reliable information, separate it into the right components and connect those components in a way that makes the wider world of watches easier to understand.