A brand-new watchmaking label has just launched its first model, notable for its fully 3D-printed case. The manufacturer is positioning itself in an unprecedented segment: additive watchmaking. What should one know about this brand and its very first watch?
Watch design by 3D Printing
Launched in 2026 in the United States, the young high-end watch brand Parivas is already making waves. It must be said that it introduces a major innovation in the sector, namely additive watchmaking. As revealed in a press release published in May 2026, this concerns watch design via 3D printing, more precisely the creation of luxury watches entirely conceived through metal 3D printing. The brand has also unveiled its very first model: the Exo.1.
Unlike conventional watches that feature an assembly of dozens of parts, the Exo.1 case is manufactured as a single piece. In other words, it is a one-piece structure including the lugs, the bezel, the case middle and other elements. The watch thus benefits from an open architecture in the form of a lattice which, moreover, is unattainable with traditional machining methods.
“Named after the exoskeleton it evokes, the Exo.1 displays its innovation visibly, on the outside. Its case is characterized by a lattice structure of exceptional complexity that extends uninterrupted across the bezel, the body, and the lugs – a hollowed, monolithic architecture without joints, unique in contemporary watchmaking.”, according to the press release.
Exo.1 Watch Specifications
The Exo.1 watch measures 42 mm in diameter and only 10 mm thick, with a lug-to-lug distance of 49 mm, and weighs about 107 grams. Notably, the case is made from high-quality 316L stainless steel powder, produced by layer-by-layer fusion – Laser Powder Bed Fusion (DMLS). This is why the name Parivas derives from the Latin expression “Pario e Pulvas,” meaning “created from dust.”
As the brand explains, the movement is powered by a Swiss mechanical caliber (Calibre Parivas P1001S), chronometer-certified under ISO 3159. The dial features floating indices equipped with luminescent tritium tubes. The brand also mentioned a finish called Solar Dusted, meaning an exclusive texture derived from 3D printing that dynamically catches light. Finally, with its anti-reflective sapphire crystal, the Exo.1 has a water resistance of six bars (about 60 meters) and incorporates an Incabloc shock protection system.
What is Laser Powder Bed Fusion?
In practice, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (DMLS) is one of the most advanced technologies in industrial 3D printing. In the case of the Exo.1, the 316L stainless steel metal powder (extremely fine) is stored in a reservoir before sealing the printing chamber. This same powder is then saturated with an inert gas like argon to purge oxygen and prevent the metal from burning or oxidizing under the laser heat.
The second step involves a roller or a mechanical blade that deposits an infinitesimal amount of powder. This is spread evenly across the build platform to a thickness of just a few tens of microns, roughly the thickness of a single hair. Guided by the watch’s 3D file, a high-powered fiber laser scans the surface, instantly driving the temperature past the steel’s melting point (over 1,400°C). Thus, the metal grains melt and fuse together to form a solid surface.
Here is an explanatory video published by Parivas :
