Watch collectors and enthusiasts are always showing off their knowledge of the various luxury watchmakers they've come to know but not all are created equal. What are good watch brands? Here's a top 10 list for you to discuss.
1. Patek Philippe
Known for inventing the very first wristwatch, Patek Philippe & Co has become a top watchmaker and is one of the most sought-after in the world. Everyone would agree that it would be a disservice to make a top 10 list and not mention this watchmaker. Patek Philippe is one of the 3 Holy Trinity Watchmakers. Some of their most popular models include the Nautilus, Aquanaut, World Time, Twenty-4, Calatrava, and more. In addition to their many popular models, Patek Philippe was commissioned to create some of the world's most complicated watches for many high-profile individuals such as James Ward Packard, and Henry Graves. The Graves Supercomplication, one of the most exclusive watches ever made was sold for an astounding $11,000,000 USD in 1999 at a New York auction and featured 24 complications that took 8 years to research and create. Many consider them to be the best watch brand in the world and this is why they were listed first in our top 10 luxury watch brands.2. Vacheron Constantin
Next in our famous watch brands list is the oldest continuously operating watchmaker in the world. It is a brand that brings hundreds of years of watchmaking history with it. Since 1755, Vacheron Constantin is also another Holy Trinity Watch brand and has been creating some of the most unbelievably unique and creative horological masterpieces. The best example of their mechanical genius would be the recently released Vacheron Constantin reference #57260 also known as the world's most complicated watch with a mind-blowing 57 complications and which has an estimated value at $8,000,000 according to Forbes. Even before this amazing feat, they were considered to be a top luxury watch brand.3. Audemars Piguet
Another member of the prestigious "holy trinity" in watchmaking, Audemars Piguet has been manufacturing some of the most spectacular watches since being founded in 1875. They are certainly considered by most to be one of the top 10 watch brands in the world today. The collection for which they are most famous is the AP Royal Oak series. This is an iconic watch collection that was a major game-changer for Audemars Piguet who was the first to use a non-precious metal, stainless steel in the latest sports watch design, and charge luxury prices. Audemars Piguet then produced its underwater version of the iconic watch, the Royal Oak Offshore series which became one of the most popular diving watches in history. As one of the trinity, AP has consistently over-delivered throughout the years and is highly respected.4. Blancpain
Blancpain was established in 1735 and is slightly older than Vacheron Constantin but did not operate under the Blancpain brand from the day it was established. They have contributed much to the advancement of watchmaking techniques and produced watches containing some of the most complicated movements. Blancpain is the pioneer in creating diving watches with their iconic Fifty Fathoms timepiece, the world's first-ever diver's watch. Blancpain had since produced many fine collections including Le Brassus, Leman, Villeret, Novelties, Specialties, and Sport. They are one of the top 10 watch brands in the world and worthy of much praise. 5. Ulysse Nardin
In 1846 a Ulysse Nardin opened its manufacture. At the time it was not more than a watch stand, but soon became one of the powerhouses in the watch industry. They create everything from classic minimalist designed series such as the San Marco Classico to the flashy and complicated Hour Striker, Sonata, and El Toro GMT +/- Perpetual Calendar collections. Other modern collections include the Quadrato Dual Time and Dual Time Perpetual. Ulysse Nardin is quite famous for their marine chronometers such as the Maxi Marine Chronometer and their Marine Chronograph, with their marine watches Ulysse Nardin has cornered a segment in timekeeping where they truly shine brighter than the North Star.6. Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre is a Swiss luxury brand of watches that is highly respected by its peers. Many believe it is to be one of the best luxury watch manufacturers and arguably one of the most vertically integrated prestigious watchmakers in the world. One of the reasons for this is that they produce their own movements in-house as well as many of their components in-house. Watchmakers that can produce in-house movements are usually held up on a pedestal and celebrated for their ability to control quality and craftsmanship down to the finest detail. Few manufacturers produce as many components on their own as Jaeger-LeCoultre (affectionately called JLC by watch collectors and watch connoisseurs the world over). For the above reasons, they were put at the sixth position in our top 10 luxury watch brands.7. Omega
Omega SA is one of the more popular brands of luxury watches yet, they are not necessarily one of the most expensive watch brands out there compared to many watchmakers mentioned here. They had their Seamaster watches featured in major films throughout the years; films such as say every James Bond movie since Goldeneye featuring Pierce Brosnan and every "007" film that followed featuring Daniel Craig. Most notably famous for their Moonwatch, the Omega Speedmaster Pro which was on the wrist of Buzz Aldrin as he took his first steps on the lunar surface. Having their watches flight-qualified by NASA for a space mission such as Apollo 11 was instrumental in bringing up the prestige of this brand. Omega is, in fact, the 2nd most recognized Swiss watch brand in the world, with approximately 70% international brand recognition. They are owned by a watch conglomerate called Swatch Group.
When it comes to high-end watches, people usually think of Switzerland since Swiss watchmakers make up the bulk of the pack. There are exceptions though. Glashutte Original is a Saxonian / German brand which no surprise here, German engineering is world-famous especially when it comes to mechanical engineering.Glashütte Original is one of the few luxury German brands that really stand out. They are arguably one of the most understated in the industry. Their watches have immaculately executed craftsmanship. Their ever-popular Pano series are not just stunning but very well made. They produce many complicated watches including tourbillons, chronographs, perpetual calendars, and more. Some of Glashutte Original's most popular collections include the many Senator watches, The Sixties, Seventies, PanoLunar, PanoGraph, PanoMatic as well as a Lady collection which includes the PanoMaticLunar9. Rolex
It would be a shame if we didn't mention a brand like Rolex who has the most recognized watch brand in the world with literally 100% brand recognition. But though they are the most famous of all famous watch brands, let's just them for their watchmaking skills not just for their popularity. Rolex produces some rather amazing watches; and lots of them. It is estimated that their production is approximately 2,000 watches per day. One of the things about this most famous watch brand is that people rant and rave about the fact that they have a higher average resale value than any other watch brand on the market. This can directly be attributed to the fact that Rolex is if not the most, certainly one of the most valuable watch brands in the world.
10. Jaquet Droz
A watchmaker that started off as an exquisite clockmaker, Jaquet Droz was the first to open a factory in Geneve, Switzerland, and soon became one of the top 10 watch brands in the world. His mechanical genius produced watches that embedded some of the wisdom used in generating their exceptional grandfather clocks and featured many watches with automata and what separates them from other high-end watchmaking brands is that they are considered a more refined brand for those with only the most exquisite taste. The company's founder traveled the world and produced masterpieces that were each uniquely inspired by the regions that were visited. Often found in France, Jaquet Droz presented Queen Marie-Antoinette of France with his watches. His pieces were often found in royal courts throughout the civilized world. The Emporer in Beijing of the Qing dynasty was marveled by his work and set up offices to import these fascinating mechanical works of art.
Omega SA is one of the more popular brands of luxury watches yet, they are not necessarily one of the most expensive watch brands out there compared to many watchmakers mentioned here. They had their Seamaster watches featured in major films throughout the years; films such as say every James Bond movie since Goldeneye featuring Pierce Brosnan and every "007" film that followed featuring Daniel Craig. Most notably famous for their Moonwatch, the Omega Speedmaster Pro which was on the wrist of Buzz Aldrin as he took his first steps on the lunar surface. Having their watches flight-qualified by NASA for a space mission such as Apollo 11 was instrumental in bringing up the prestige of this brand. Omega is, in fact, the 2nd most recognized Swiss watch brand in the world, with approximately 70% international brand recognition. They are owned by a watch conglomerate called Swatch Group.
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