Nixon
Lacks transparency. Shows little about where or how its products are made.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Californian brand selling watches, bags and accessories.
We couldn't find where Nixon makes most of its action-sports watches and accessories, a certification covering its range or a list of its suppliers.
Also worth knowing
Most jewellery and watches are made in countries such as India and China, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production, probably in high-risk countries and untraced high-risk mined materials. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsWhere jewellery and watches are usually made, such as India and China, unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Conflict-free: diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough)
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Probably made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
We couldn't confirm where Nixon makes most of its products, so this shows where jewellery and watches are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| China | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Italy | 10% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Switzerland | 10% | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: gold and gemstone mining are linked to child labour, forced labour and mercury poisoning.
- Relies on gold and gemstones from artisanal mines where workers face mercury poisoning, silica dust and deadly collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Nixon owns no factories: case making, dial printing and final assembly are contracted to outside facilities in East Asia, with movements bought from Japanese (Miyota) and Swiss (ETA, Sellita) makers. No countries of assembly are disclosed, and no shares are given. Nixon's responsibility page covers only recycled ocean plastic used in some cases and bands; it publishes no supplier code of conduct, supplier list, audit programme, modern slavery statement or living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Watch brands are not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report; Nixon is not in the 2026 edition. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No labour abuse allegations involving Nixon's suppliers were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Nixon: Industrial Evolution & Outsourced Architecture (Hourstriker) · search the archive · Nixon contracts case making, dial printing and final assembly to outside facilities mainly in East Asia and owns no factories.
- Nixon Corporal SS Watch - THE ICONIC · search the archive · Nixon watches sold new through THE ICONIC, an Australian online retailer.
- Nixon (company) - Wikipedia · search the archive · Founded 1997, based in Carlsbad, California; sells watches and accessories; movements from Japan and Switzerland.
Published by Nixon or its owner
- Nixon - Responsibility · search the archive · Covers recycled #tide ocean plastic and packaging only; no supply chain or worker disclosures.
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Nixon ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/nixon, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded watches
No watches brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Nixon.