The names of some Euro-Swiss watch manufacturers have become widely known, thanks to the millions of dollars they spend on advertising annually. But while marketing on this scale is important to manufacturers who sell watches by the tens of thousands, it adds to the premium price not the quality of the product. Spending more money on one particular Swiss watch over another does not necessarily mean you get a better watch, any more than does acquiring the more prestigious name brands such as Cartier or Rolex. The quality of the timepiece is more accurately determined by its design, materials, complications, and movement, which is the "engine" (guilloche) that powers the watch. A watch, after all, really is more than just a pretty face. (See WATCH MOVEMENTS.)
Recently, major watch brands have been gobble up by multi-national conglomerates. The Richemont S.A. organization, for example, has become the second-largest luxury watch group with 11 brands: A. Lange & Sohn, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Dunhill, IWC International Watch Company Shaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget, Vacheron-Constantin, and Van Cleef & Arpels. The Swatch Group (Breguet, Tissot, Swatch, and others) is the largest. Another industry giant is the Movado Group (Movado, Visio, and ESQ).
Some watch aficionados prefer the smaller, independent watch manufacturers such as Kobold and d.freemont, which make limited edition timepieces that are not sold at retail stores, are not widely advertised, but offer fine watches that are affordable.
Listed here is information about some of the best watch manufacturers in the world. Whether they are based in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Russia, the United States, or elsewhere, these watch manufcturers produce top-quality timepieces using Swiss-built mechanical, automatic self-winding, and quartz movements.
This list is constantly being upgraded and revised. The information herein is gleaned from a variety of on-line and printed sources and is only as accurate as those sources. Corrections and additions are solicited. Please use the guest book or email icons on this page.
A. LANGE & SOHNE
Made in Germany
AUDEMARS PIGUET
Valee de Jouix, Switzerland
Watchmakers since 1875
AP's octagonal Royal Oak Offshore in several incarnations is indicative of the leading-edge quality of this venerable watch company's entire line. Launched 29 years ago, the all-steel luxury Royal Oak is one of AP's flagship models.
BAUME ET MERCIER
Geneva, Switzerland
Since 1542
Two brothers, Louis Victor and Celestin Baume, began their watchmaking
company in a tiny workshop in Switzerland
in 1542. In 1918, William Baume partnered
with Paul Mercier to form Baume et Mercier in Geneva. In the 1950s, Piaget took control of the watch company and in 1988, Swiss-based Cartier International acquired both luxury brands. Today, Baume et Mercier is one of 11 names under the Richemont S.A. umbrella.
BERTOLUCCI
Swiss Made since 1911
Bertolucci began as the Mimo watch company in 1911. Remo Bertolucci, an engineer from Pisa, Italy, joined the firm in 1967 after marrying the owner's daughter. He bought out his father-in-law in 1976 and took the company to new heights with automatic chronometers, such as the signature Vir line.
1-877-237-8658
BLANCPAIN
Vallee de Jouix, Switzerland
Swiss watchmakers since 1735
"Since 1735 there has never been a quartz
Blancpain watch and there never will be."
Their GMT Automatic with date at 4 o'clock is just one example of clean design and uncompromised quality. Besides no quartz, movements, you will also find only round faces in the Blancpain collection. Member of the Swatch Group.
www.blancpain.com
BOUCHERON
BREGUET
Now part of the Swatch Group, Switzerland's largest watch conglomerate. Abraham-Louis Breguet takes credit for inventing the modern watch. He created exquisite timepieces for Marie Antoinette, the Duke of Wellington, and Czar Alexander I. Breguet escaped to Switzerland during the post-French Revolution "Reign of Terror," but later returned to Paris, where he was a successful and sought-after watchmaker until his death in 1823.
BREITLING
Since 1884
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
In 1884, Louis Breitling opened shop in Switzerland's La Chaux-de-Fonds, but not as a watchmaker. He built timing devices for a new- fangled invention, the automobile. But the company's list of "firsts" in the timpiece industry are also impressive. In 1936, Breitling built a cockpit chronograph and became official supplier to the Royal Air Force. In 1942, it supplied the first chronograph with a slide rule to the U.S. Armed forces. Twenty years later, astronaut Scott Carpenter wore a Breitling Cosmonaute on an Apollo Space mission. In 1995, Breitling introduced the Emergency watch, which can broadcast signals on the international distress frequency via micro-transmitter.
www.breitling.com
CARTIER
Cartier International
Geneva, Switzerland
Cartier is one of the world's best known manufacturer of luxury jewelry and watches. Louis Cartier created his famous tank design in 1917 after watching Allied Forces' tanks defending his native homeland, France. Other signature Cartier luxury watch lines include the Pasha, Panther, Tank, and 21 Must de Cartier. The Cartier family sold its international division in 1956, and Cartier watches are now an integral part of Richemont S.A., the second-largest watch consortium after Swatch.
1-800-CARTIER
www.cartier.com
CHASE-DURER
Beverly Hills
Chase-Durer is not a Swiss brand, but builds stylish watches using quality Swiss-made automatic or quartz movements. A favorite of aircraft pilots, Chase originated the Legionnaire (one of my favorites), Blackhawk, Special Forces, and Combat Command.
www.chase-durer.com
CHRONOSWISS
Munich, Germany
Chronoswiss USA LLC
(631) 776-1133
CHOPARD
Geneve, Switzerland
Since 1860
www.chopard.com
CORUM
Swiss Timepieces
www.corumtimepieces.com
CONCORD
Bienne, Switzerland
Since 1908
The luxury watch line leader of the Movado Group (which includes Movado, Vizio, and Esq), Concord began in Bienne, Switzerland, in 1908. Famous Concord models include La Scala, Veneto, Saratoga, and Sportivo.
DANIEL JEAN-RICHARD
Swiss Made
www.djr-usa.com
DANIEL ROTH
Geneva, Switzerland
D. FREEMONT SWISS WATCHES
d.freemont sells only direct to its customers and is not available in retail stores. Check out their web site.
1-877-236-9248
www.dfreemontwatches.com
DUNHILL
EBEL
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Since 1911
Begun by a husband-and-wife team in 1911 in Switzerland, Ebel won a gold medal at the Swiss National Exhibition three years later. Ebel today is part of the French luxury group LVMH, which also
owns TAG Huer and Fendi.
FORTIS
The first manufacturer of automatic wristwatches and official supplier to astronauts and cosmonauts.
Helvetia Time Corporation
www.helvetiatime.com
FRANCK MULLER
Geneva, Switzerland
Although a relatively new company, Franck Muller sold 26,000 watches in 2000, a 35 percent increase over 1999. His bold design line is domnated by oversized tank-style timepieces with large numerations and two or more subdials. He has been called the master of complications.
FREDERIQUE CONSTANT
Geneva, Switzerland
GEORGE J VON BURG
USA office: 1-866-635-9460
www.vonburgusa.com
GIRARD-PERREGAUX
Manufacture depuis 1791
www.girard-perregaux-usa.com
GLYCINE SWISS
Fine Swiss watches since 1914
Glycine LLC USA
1-888-273-4838
HUBLOT
MDM of America Inc.
800-536-0636
www.hublot.com
IWC INTERNATIONAL WATCH CO Schaffhausen
Since 1868
Boston-born Florentine Ariosto Jones moved to the northern region of Switzerland near the Rhine River to start his company in 1868, but nearly went bankrupt in 1875. A bank- appointed diector and a talented watchmaker, Urs Haenggi, saved the company. The original 1890 Grande Complication had 1,000 parts and took a year to build. The Portugieser model was bulit for the Portuguese Navy in the late 1930s. The original Da Vinci model had nine hands and four dials.
1-800-432-9330
JAEGER-Le COULTRE
Swiss Made
www.mjlc.com
JEAN MARCEL
Swiss Made Watches
The Grande Complication 2000 ($2,995) is unsurpassed for luxury and design.
1200 N. Federal Highway, Suite 200
Boca Raton, FL 33432
(561) 558-9557
KOBOLD
Not available at retail stores.
www.KoboldWatch.com
LIMES
Watches and watch cases since 1924
Pforzheim, Germany
www.limes-watches.com
MAURICE LACROIX
Switzerland
1-800-794-7736
www.mauricelacroix.com
MONTBLANC
www.montblanc.com
OMEGA
La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland
Since 1848
Popular models include the Speedmaster, Seamaster (the James Bond watch), and Constellation. Omega was born in 1848 at La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland. The first official timekeeper of an Olympic Game (1932 Los Angeles), Omega was named NASA's official chronometer in 1965 when US Astronaut Gus Grissom wore it on the Gemeni III orbital flight, and it made the first walk on the moon with Neil Armstrong July 21, 1969.
PANERI
Officine Paneri, Firenze, Italy
Italian-designed Panieri features very large 40-44 mm dial with large Arabic numbers and markers in the popular Luminor Marina and other models, second hand subdial at 9 o'clock, 3x magnified date window at 3 o'clock, and a patented cover latch protecting the screw-down crown. Swizz movement is based on Zenith.
www.paneri.com
PARMIGIANI
Fleurier, Switzerland
www.parmigiani.com
PATEK PHILIPPE
Geneva, Switzerland
USA Office:
Department 111
One Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020
(212) 218-1240
www.patek.com
PILJOT
Moscow, Russia
Founded in the 1930s as the First Moscow Watch Factory, but following the space flight by the first cosmonaut Juri Gagarin in 1961, who wore the FMWF Sturmanskie into space, the company name was changed to Piljot (which means "flight") to celebrate the event. The reliability of Piljot watches has been tested in the most difficult conditions on earth from the Arctic to the desert. They have been worn by cosmonauts, pilots, army officers, business- men and internatinal watch collectors.
ROGER DUBUIS
Roger DuBuis North America
(570) 970-8888
ROLEX
Geneva, Switzerland
Arguably the best-known luxury brand in the world, the trade name Rolex, Oyster Perpetual, and the signature 5-point crown on the logo are recognized as synonymous with luxury in design and precision instrumentation. Their most famous models include the Submariner, Yachtmaster, Presidential, GMT, and Daytona Cosmograph. Rolex certifies more movements as chronometers at COSC that all other manufacturers in the world combined.
ROVEN DINO
Swiss made
www.rovendino.com
TAG HEUER
Switzerland
Well known for timing events throughout the sports world, TAG Heuer is well placed as a sports watch line and has added classic dress models (monaco and Carrera) and women's watches to the line. Before Heuer (the company founded by Edouard Heuer) joined with TAG (Techniques d'Avant-Garde) in 1985, Heuer kept time for Formula One auto racing, World Cup skiing, and the Olympics. TAG Heuer is an integral part of the LVMH Group.
TISSOT
Le Locle, Switzerland Since 1853
Founded by Charles Emile Tissot and his father in 1853, Tissot's best clients, initially, were buyers in the United States and Czarist Russia (until the Russian Revolution in 1917). Lauded for creating the first anti-magnetic watch in 1930, Tissot brought the first fully automatic watch to market in 1944. Today Tissot is part of the Swatch Group, the largest watch-making conglomerate in the world.
TUTIMA
Tradition since 1927
1-888-462-8721
www.tutima.com
ULYSSE NARDIN
Le Locle, Switzerland Since 1846
www.ulysse-nardin.com
VACHERON CONSTANTIN
Geneva, Switzerland Since 1755
Founded in 1755 in Geneva, Vachron Constantin is the oldest clock and watch manufacturer. Known for the highest quality movements, luxurious style, and highly complicated timepieces, Vacheron Constantin is now part of the Richemont Group, the second-largest watch conglomerate.
PEOPLE ASK ME WHICH WATCH BRANDS AND MODELS I OWN...
Here is the list to date, alphabetically:
>Breitling automatic Chronomaster, SS and gold band, date window. Waterprrof to 200 meters.
>Cartier Pasha GMT 25-jewel Cartier Swiss automatic, date window, SS, sapphire crystals, display back, waterproof to 200m.
>Constantin Vacheron Overseas, 25-jewel Swiss automatic, 18K Platinum case, leather band, skeleton window on face, display back, sapphire crystals, gold rotor and movement, water resistant 5 ATM.
>Croton 25-jewel ETA automatic, indigo face, date window, SS and Rhodium, sapphire crystal, display back, waterproof 200 meters
>Georg Jensen mechanical wind Swiss movement, date window, white face, all sterling silver, leather band, sterling buckle.
>Omega Seamaster 25-jewel Swiss automatic, SS band, 18K gold bezel, sapphire crystal, display back, waterproof to 1000 meters.
>Rolex Presidential all 18K yellow gold, Oyster Perpetual, day-date windows, gold face, waterproof to 1,000 meters.
>Vostok Amphibia 31-ruby jewels Russian automatic, blue face, date window, SS case, leather band, waterproof to 200 meters.
>Wittnauer Swiss quartz movement, white face, date window, SS and gold band, gold bezel.
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