Makina is a Manila based watch brand founded by Danilo Villanueva Jr, a former advertising professional with a passion for mechanical timepieces.

An archipelagic country in Southeast Asia, The Philippines is home to a number of home-grown watch brands. Makina takes inspiration from industrial designs. The brand name itself reflects the true spirit of this Manila watch atelier. Makina means “Machine” or “Engine” in the Tagalog language, as in Spanish’s “Maquina”.

Its wristwatches are known for original, modern and refined characteristics. Makina follows a design philosophy of ‘simple but not minimalist’ for making the watches more vigorous. Secondly, the brand designs its timepieces with intentional imperfections for adding a lot of character.

Danilo Villanueva Jr utilises domestic talent to design, assemble, market and promote the wristwatches from his company. The brand never uses stock parts. All watch parts – from case, crown, dial, hands to strap – are custom designed and manufactured in Manila and Hong Kong. The customized automatic mechanical movements are sourced from Japan and Switzerland. Makina watches are assembled in both Manila and Hong Kong.

The brand’s flagship collections are: Uriel, Cassiel, Mephisto and Raum. Interestingly, all the four collections are named after named after angels and demons. Produced in small batches, Makina timepieces have been known for their industrial yet elegant look, masculine appeal and robust construction.

Featured Timepieces

Contact details

Website: https://www.makinawatches.com