Jeffrey Nashan, owner of the Montana Watch Company in sleepy Livingston, Montana, oversees one of the few made-in-America watch operations, personally assembling 200 to 300 cases each year, using parts made by craftsman scattered from Wyoming to North Dakota. (Only the movements hail from Switzerland.) Two saddlers cut and sew bands and five master pistol engravers etch bezels. The results look like something "an old cowboy would carry, a rich cowboy, a rancher maybe," according to Nashan. Though custom options are available — emblazoned image on the dial — the Montana collection is built around staples like the humble Officer's Watch. A heavy bit of machinery, the timepiece has a 41-millimeter case and a curved back that fits snugly on the wrist. But perhaps Nashan's chief draw is offering a slice of the Big Sky lifestyle. "Our customers will call and ask, 'How's the fishing?'" he says. "We'll spend two minutes talking about a watch and 45 minutes on how much snow accumulation we got this year."

More: Watches >>