You've got a watch — or you're about to buy one — and you want it iced out. The process is more involved than most people realize, and understanding it before you ship your timepiece to a workshop is the difference between a piece you'll love and an expensive mistake. Here's exactly what happens, step by step.
You don't have to ice out the entire watch. In fact, many clients start with a single component and add more later. Here are your options, from simplest to most involved:
| Modification | What's Involved | Stone Count | Timeline | Cost Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Replace Bezel Only | Original bezel swapped for stone-set version | 50–120 | 5–7 days | $200–$500 |
| Bezel + Dial | Both bezel and dial face set with stones | 200–400 | 7–12 days | $600–$1,000 |
| Full Case Iced | Bezel + dial + case body + crown guards | 400–800 | 10–18 days | $1,000–$1,500 |
| Full Watch + Bracelet | Everything above + every bracelet link iced | 800–1,500+ | 18–30 days | $1,500–$2,500 |
Prices are for the stone-setting service with moissanite. The base watch is additional — either supplied by you or sourced by the workshop. CVD lab diamond builds run 2–4× these prices.
Once the watch arrives at the workshop, it's completely disassembled: movement removed, dial separated, bezel detached, bracelet links taken apart. Each component that will receive stones is cleaned, measured, and prepped. At this stage, the workshop also checks for any mechanical issues with the movement — there's no point setting stones into a watch that doesn't run.
This is where the craft happens — and where quality differences between workshops become obvious. Each setting point is drilled or cast, then a stone is placed by hand under a stereo microscope (typically 10–20× magnification). The setting is then tightened and polished.
For pavé work — the "fully iced" look — stones are placed in a honeycomb pattern with as little metal visible between them as possible. This requires precision alignment: each stone must sit at exactly the same height and angle as its neighbors. A single stone sitting 0.1mm proud will catch the light differently and be visible as a flaw.
After all stones are set, the piece is cleaned, plated (if gold/rhodium finish is specified), and polished. This is a multi-stage process: rough polish, fine polish, and final inspection under bright light. The goal is for every surface to be smooth and for every stone to sit flush.
A proper workshop does three rounds of QC before anything ships:
| Complexity | Examples | Production Time |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | Bezel-only, dial-only | 5–10 days |
| Moderate | Bezel + dial, partial case | 10–18 days |
| Complex | Full watch, full bracelet, multi-color | 18–30 days |
Add 5–10 business days for international shipping on top of production time.
Technically, yes — any watch with a metal case can be modified. Practically, some watches are better candidates than others. Watches with simple bezel construction, removable case backs, and standard lug designs are the easiest. Very thin cases or watches with integrated bracelets are more challenging.
If you're buying a watch specifically to customize, ask the workshop which models they've successfully worked on. A workshop that's done 50 Square Case builds knows all the quirks. One that's doing your model for the first time is a gamble.
Send us a photo of your watch and tell us what you want done. We'll confirm what's possible and give you a same-day quote with production timeline.
Get a Quote on WhatsAppAll prices are workshop-direct estimates as of August 2026. Actual quotes depend on stone count, design complexity, and material costs. Base timepiece not included.