Jason Lu has built 1776 Atelier around a bet that independent watchmaking still has room to grow even as major Swiss houses dominate the market. Jason Lu joined Sean Kelly on the Digital Social Hour to explain what's driving renewed interest in smaller, artisanal watch brands.
The conversation covers the technical side of building a skeleton watch by hand as well as the business realities of manufacturing in the United States, giving a detailed look at a corner of the watch industry most collectors never see up close.
About Jason Lu
Jason Lu is the founder of 1776 Atelier, an independent watch brand built around handcrafted, American-made timepieces. His work sits at the intersection of traditional watchmaking technique and a push to revive domestic manufacturing in an industry long dominated by Swiss brands.
Through 1776 Atelier, he has focused on skeleton watches and restoration work, positioning the brand as part of a broader resurgence of independent watchmakers appealing to collectors who want something beyond mainstream names like Rolex and Patek Philippe.
What Jason Lu and Sean Kelly Talked About
- How Jason Lu is building 1776 Atelier around American-made, handcrafted watches
- His take on why independent watch brands are gaining ground on major Swiss names
- The craftsmanship behind building a skeleton watch by hand
- His perspective on the challenges of earning a true "Made in the USA" label
- What restoring vintage watches has taught him about modern watchmaking
- His read on Rolex's market share and shifting collector demand
- The real costs behind manufacturing and pricing a handmade timepiece
- His outlook on where independent watchmaking is headed next
Why This Conversation Matters
For watch collectors and craftsmen alike, Jason Lu's conversation with Sean Kelly is a rare, detailed look at what it actually takes to build a watch brand from scratch in an industry defined by centuries-old competitors.
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube
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About Sean Kelly & the Digital Social Hour
Sean Kelly is an entrepreneur and the host of the Digital Social Hour, one of the fastest-growing interview podcasts in the world, where he sits down with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and cultural voices for candid, long-form conversations. The show draws over 100 million views a month across platforms. Explore more guest features on SeanKelly.io.
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