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Chiasso, Switzerland—Luxury watches have enjoyed rampant growth in the past few years, but now as the industry faces a potential slowdown and saturation point, high-end watchmakers are turning to custom watches to keep clients interested.

According to a recent article on Reuters.com, sales growth of big luxury brands such as Swatch Group’s Omega or Richemont’s Cartier makes billions for their parent companies but that very popularity can lose its charm for wealthy individualists who want what nobody else has.

It’s a common phenomenon: everybody wants what the rich have, but as soon as it becomes more accessible to a wider audience, it loses its cachet and the rich don’t necessarily want it anymore.

To keep that client interested and the brand cachet exclusive, watch companies have long offered limited editions. Customization—common in everything from cell phones to haute couture—is a relatively new option for watchmakers to lure the customer who wants something entirely unique.

Watch brands have differing views of just how customized their product should be. Italian jeweler Buccellati, for example, which introduced its new bespoke watches in Basel this week, allows customers to create a fully individual timepiece with the only requirement being that it is marked “Buccellati.” Other big brands such as Chopard and Jaeger Le-Coultre offer a variety of customizable options that allow the customer some leeway but give the brand final say on the design. And others, like Patek Philippe, eschew customization altogether, still presently sticking with limited editions as a means of exclusivity.

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Top image: Montre 24.com