<PAGE>
 
                                                                      Exhibit 21
                                                                      ----------

                         SUBSIDIARIES OF AMETEK, INC.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                     State or other         Percentage of
                                                     jurisdiction of      voting securities
          Name of subsidiary                        incorporation or        owned by its
 and name under which it does business                organization        immediate parent*
 -------------------------------------                ------------        -----------------
<S>                                                 <C>                   <C>
AFIMO S.A.M......................................        Monaco                 100%
AmeSpace, Inc....................................       Delaware                100%
  AMETEK Aerospace Products Inc..................       Delaware                100%
AMETEK (Bermuda) Ltd.............................        Bermuda                100%
AMETEK (Canada) Inc..............................        Canada                 100%
AMETEK (FSC), Inc................................  U.S. Virgin Islands          100%
AMETEK, G.m.b.H..................................        Germany                100%
  AMETEK Precision Instruments Europe, G.m.b.H...        Germany                100%
AMETEK IMTSA, S.A. de C.V........................        Mexico                 100%
AMETEK Lamb Motores de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.......        Mexico                 100%
AMETEK Mexicana, S.A.............................        Mexico                 100%
AMETEK Precision Instruments France, S.A.R.L.....        France                 100%
AMETEK Precision Instruments (UK) Ltd............        England                100%
  AMETEK Filters Ltd.............................        England                100%
APIC International S.A...........................        France                 100%
  APIC Filter, G.m.b.H...........................        Germany                 55%
EMA Corp.........................................       Delaware                100%
  AMETEK Holdings B.V............................      Netherlands              100%
    AmeKai Hong Kong.............................       Hong Kong                50%
    AMETEK Denmark A/S...........................        Denmark                100%
    AMETEK Elektromotory CR S.R.O................    Czech Republic              95%
    AMETEK (Italia) S.r.l........................         Italy                 100%
    AMETEK Singapore Private Ltd.................       Singapore               100%
      AmeKai Singapore Pte., Ltd.................       Singapore                50%
        AmeKai Meter (Xiamen) Co., Ltd...........         China                 100%
      AmeKai Taiwan Co., Ltd.....................        Taiwan                  50%
      AMETEK Motors Asia Pte. Ltd................       Singapore               100%
        AMETEK Motors (Shanghai) Co., Ltd........         China                 100%
  WEBAK B.V......................................      Netherlands              100%
</TABLE>

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* Exclusive of directors' qualifying shares and shares held by nominees as 
  required by the laws of the jurisdiction of incorporation.