Top 10 Luxury Watches brands in the World:- Be royal in your fashion with some of the Luxury watches, making you stand out from others. Your looks should be enough to answer your worth. The style you wear speaks out your character. To bring out confidence, you need to have a luxurious look. If you can do it style, then your action delivers the best soul impression. It’s all about looks.
A luxurious style is a natural attitude. It is about a life of good taste. To help you look Classy and stunning, we have prepared a bit for you. In this article, I have queued some of the best luxury brands in watches. I am sure these are going to be a factor for your luxurious looks.
I have tried to gather as relevant and correct info about the watch brands as possible, with every brand presented with the following information:
- Short background about the brand,
- Displaying the main collections from the brand’s product portfolio,
- The price range for current models
- A notable fact about the brand,
- Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Link to their official websites
Top 10 Luxury Watches brands in the World
1. Rolex
Rolex is the best Luxury brand in Watches. If you are used to quality looks, then Rolex is the best choice for you. Although the brand provides expensive designs yet the brand has massive goodwill in the market. Rolex uses the same care and attention that are devoted to the protective watch case with its virtually scratchproof crystal and the screw-down crown.
To do your work in one fell swoop, you need a style, and Rolex delivers the best of it. When an Indian watches somebody wearing a stylish watch, then the person utter, Ohh, is it Rolex? To the people in India, Rolex is only the choice to wear in luxurious watches.
Today each one talks about the Rolex watch just because of its most well-designed and spectacular designs worldwide. Rolex watches are astounding watches for young girls as well as boys. Rolex replica watches are not useless symbols for you by any means because they emerge in the most elegant shapes and colors.
Nobody knows about the actual meaning of Rolex. Everyone takes it with a grain of salt because nobody knows about it. Many intellectuals believe the name derives from the French term Horlogerie exquise, meaning exquisite clockwork.
When talking to the founder of the company, Hans Wilsdorf, he said he was looking for a name that sounds good, short, and memorable, and easy to pronounce in any language. The company headquarter is situated in Geneva, Switzerland.
The company started with making a waterproof watch wristwatch – the Oyster. The company grew over time, and today the company is a well-established brand in the world.
The main Rolex product portfolio consists of the following men’s models: Datejust, Day-Date, Daytona, Deepsea, Explorer I & II, GMT-Master II, Milgauss, Submariner, Yachtmaster II. The prices for a new Rolex range from $5,000 to over $125,000.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Tiger Woods
- Roger Federer
- Tom Hanks
Notable fact about Vacheron Constantin
Before 1985, Rolex Company was using 316L steel type in making wristwatches, but to improve the quality and serve ”corrosion-resistant superalloy,” the company replaced the 316L steel with 904L. The 904L steel is better than 316L steel in every aspect. It is harder and less prone to corrosion.
2. Vacheron Constantin
It all began in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron, an independent watchmaker in Geneva, Switzerland. With an uninterrupted history of 266 years, Vacheron Constantin is one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world, and together with Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe – Vacheron Constantin forms the classic trinity of prestige Swiss Watch Companies.
Vacheron, a talented craftsman, created the companys first complication in 1770 and in 1779 he designed the first engine turned dials. In 1819, when Vacheron was led by Jean-Marc’s grand-son Jacques-Barthélemy, the decision was made to bring in a partner.
The partner was Francois Constantin and the company became Vacheron & Constantin. Do better if possible and that is always possible.
The main Vacheron Constantin product portfolio consists of the following models: Patrimony, Traditionnelle, Malte, Quai De L’ile, Overseas, 1972, Historiques, Métiers D’art Pricing of current Vacheron Constantin models.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Bill Clinton wearing a Patrimony
- Jennifer Aniston
- Nicolas Cage
Notable fact about Vacheron Constantin
Above you see one of the most expensive wristwatches ever made – Vacheron Constantin Kallista. When it was made in 1979 the price was a staggering $5 million, but today the Kallista is valued at about $11 million. Kallista had 118 emerald-cut diamonds. To bring out this elegant design the watcher makers have worked about 6,000 hours and about 20 months for jewelers to enrich the watch.
3. TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer is one of the great Swiss watch brands and springs out of Uhrenmanufaktur Heuer AG, founded in 1860, which in 1985 was purchased by TAG Group Holdings S.A. 1985 marks the birth of the brand name TAG Heuer.
In 1999 the French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) acquired TAG Heuer. The Brand is perhaps most known for its intimate relationship with motorsports, as the names of the watch models hint.
The main TAG Heuer product portfolio consists of the following models: Tag Heuer Carrera, Tag Heuer Grand Carrera, Monaco, Link, Aquaracer, Tag Heuer Formula I, Professional Sports Watch. The prices for a new TAG Heuer range from around $1.200 to $12.500.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Steve McQueen
- Lewis Hamilton
- Brad Pitt
Notable fact about Vacheron Constantin
In 1916, TAG Heuer invented the “micrograph” and “microsplit, “the first sports stopwatches with a precision of 1/100 of a second, revolutionizing science, industry & watchmaking. This innovation made TAG Heuer an official timekeeper in the three following Olympic Games; 1920 Antwerp, 1924 Paris, 1928 Amsterdam.
4. Omega
Driven by its Pioneering Spirit As one of the giants in the watch world, Omega has been driving the evolution of watchmaking. This pioneering spirit has taken Omega watches to the depths of the sea and all the way to the moon.
Omega was founded in 1848 in Switzerland by Louis Brandt, then making pocket watches with parts supplied by local craftsmen. But it was not until the 1880s when the company moved to Biel/Bienne the significant change started, and in 1894 with the launch of the Omega Calibre the success came.
“Omega is inspired by its pioneering spirit: six lunar landings; the first divers’ watch; the world’s only certified marine chronometer wristwatch. No watch company in the world holds more records for accuracy.” – Stephen Urquhart, President of OMEGA Omega Watches Product Portfolio.
The main Omega product portfolio consists of these models: Constellation, Seamaster, Speedmaster, De Ville Pricing of current Omega models. The prices for all Omega watches range from $2,100 to $44,000.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Daniel Craig
- Nicole Kidman
- George Clooney
Notable fact about Omega
The Omega Speedmaster was the first watch on the moon when Buzz Aldrin as the second man on the moon, took his moonwalk.
5. Panerai
The Panerai watches are the ultimate status symbol. The foundation of Panerai has its roots back in 1860 when Giovanni Panerai opened a family business in Florence.
He inaugurates the first watchmaker’s shop in Florence in 1860 on the Ponte Alle Grazie. He tried hard to establishes contact with the most prestigious and greatest established Swiss watch manufacturers.
The Italian Navy has elevated Panerai watches to a mythical level. In support of the Italian Navy, the company started manufacturing precision instruments made particularly for Navy Commandos to finish up accurately.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the company supplied the Ministry of Defense with mechanical and optical instruments of high precision. During world war 2nd, they provided watches, compasses, torches, and depth gauges to the Italian Navy marine commandoes. There were two versions of the watches, the Radiomir Panerai, which used radium, and the later Luminor Panerai, which used tritium.
In 1993, Panerai issued re-editions of the Luminor model and started producing the Mare Nostrum chronograph. Both were in a limited edition of only a hundred pieces for each version. These are now selling for more than 200% of the original list.
In 1997 the company was taken over once again. This time it was the company known today as Richemont. That is how a new era for the company started. It began the production of some new timepieces with a better quality. Later its Italian Navy commandos gained an international fame. The beginning of the 21st century marked the opening of the first Asian shop in Hong Kong and the Panerai Boutique in an Italian seaside resort in Portofino.
As per the data from 1998, the company could manufacture about 6,400 pieces for worldwide consumption. During the decades that followed, the company registered numerous patents for inventions in watchmaking and optical equipment. To this day, Panerai watches continue to meet the high technical requirements of the marine forces.
The main Panerai product portfolio consists of these collections: Radiomir, Luminor, Luminor 1950. The prices for most new Panerai watches range from $3,800 to around $13,700.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Bill Clinton wearing Panerai
- Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing Panerai
- Sylvester Stallone wearing Panerai
Notable fact about Panerai
Up until the end of the ’80s, Panerai produced watches exclusively for the Italian army. These watches were, at that time, subject to the Italian Military Secrets Act. Only after 1993, the watches were made available to the general public.
6. IWC
Iwc is one of the famous brands in the luxury watch segment. IWC was incorporated in 1868 and is a Swiss high-end watch manufacturer based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
IWC has gained massive goodwill in the world of watches that it is sometimes called the three major brands. It’s popular and skillful, and the quality is undisputed. While it is so famous, its penetration into the general public in Japan is not so high compared to the other major brands.
In the first place, IWC, officially International Watch Company (usually abbreviated as International), was the number one brand in the world. Its inception dates back nearly one and half-century years, and it has sought to be a pioneer in mechanical wristwatches.
However, with the advent of Japanese watches, the global watch market will change completely. The market for mechanical watches that require maintenance will decline, and IWC’s presence will decline relatively.
IWC has dared to stick to the conventional mechanical system. And the times will change again. The popularity of mechanical wristwatches is growing again, and there is a need for products backed by IWC’s advanced technology. Wrapping an IWC watch around your wrist is like putting the history of a watch into status. It will enhance your personality.
The brand product portfolio consists of these models: Ingeneur, Portuguese, Da Vinci, Portofino, Aquatimer, Pilot. The prices for a new IWC range from $6,200 to over $262,000.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Kevin Spacey
- Zinedine Zidane
- Matthew Fox
Notable fact about IWC
IWC is a part of the Richemont Group. Good, solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen
7. Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe’s history began when Polish-born Antoine Norbert de Patek began making luxury pocket watches in his exile in Geneva.
His product, which emphasized quality above all, eventually gained many customers and was encouraged by its success. In 1839, he started the company in collaboration with the same Polish immigrant and talented watchmaker François Chapek.
Today Patek Philippe is one of the most prestigious watch companies in the world. Designing and manufacturing some of the most complicated mechanical watches, from the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, since 1851, Patek Philippe is by many considered the king of watches. An authentic Patek Philippe watch will become a faithful timekeeper for many generations of owners.
The Geneva Seal approval: If a timepiece features the Geneva Seal mark of approval, nobody will ever doubt its quality and precision. The Geneva Seal was awarded to Patek Philippe watches due to the meticulous attention to every detail paid by the Patek watchmakers. It is known to be the highest officially recognized proof of perfect craftsmanship.
Intricate creation process: The creation of a Patek Philippe watch implies a complicated process divided into a few stages:
- A period of 2-4 years of research and development
- About nine months of watch production (in case of complicated watches, it may last up to 2 years)
- 6 weeks – 3 months of each watch model testing before it’s offered for sale.
The main Patek Philippe product portfolio consists of these models: Aquanaut, Calatrava, Complications, Golden Ellipse, Gondolo, Grand Complications, Nautilus. The prices for a new Patek Philippe range from about $11,000 to around $225,000.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Queen Elizabeth
- Nicoals Sarkozy
- Charlie Sheen
Notable fact about Patek Philippe
The Patek Phillipe Henry Graves Supercomplication Pocket Watch is one of the most expensive watches ever. The watch was made in 1932 for Henry Graves Jr. and then sold at Sotheby’s in 1999, for an amazing price i.e $11,000,000.
8. Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet still keeps fundamental values faithfully and sends the best watches to the world based on its unique technical capabilities. Since its founding in 1875, Audemars Piguet has been creating sophisticated luxury watches with high artistic value in the town of Le Brassus in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland.
Jules-Louis Audemard and Edward-Augustin Piguet, founders of the brand, decided to open their watch workshop in their youth. Despite such a young age, Odemaru was only 23 years old, and he already had 18 complex watch movements of his design. Piguet, in turn, had a savings of ten thousand Swiss francs, which became the authorized capital of their company, which they decided to call “Audemars, Piguet et Cie.”
They had an agreement that Jules-Louis Audemard would be the technical director and designer of the mechanisms, and Edward-Augustin Piguet would be responsible for the financial development of the enterprise.
By the way, the descendants of these glorious masters share the same authority to this day. In 1882, Audemars and Piguet decided to register the Audemars Piguet trademark, and in the same year, they released a fantastic set of functions – “Grand Complication.”
This watch receives a two-hand chronograph with a minute hand, a perpetual calendar, and a calendar that measures the lunar phases. Such a number of functions in those days was considered the height of watchmaking excellence.
In 1889, the Audemars Piguet company gained even more popularity by showing its luxury watches at the Paris exhibition. Immediately after that, the company has its first branch in Geneva. And already in 1907, the Audemars Piguet company is building a new factory, which employs more than seventy of the best specialists.
In 1911, the company began to decorate its watches with various precious stones for the first time, which won the elite’s recognition.
Since 1962, the company under the leadership of George Golay has been gaining worldwide recognition. And in 1967, the factory manufactures Audemars Piguet automatic watches, and at the same time, the watch has the thinnest movement, the rotor in the watch is made of gold.
Then the company launched the Royal Oak series – a sports watch in a steel case. The series is still being produced today and has worldwide recognition. Many people strive to buy Audemars Piguet watches, as watches of this brand are one of the most expensive serial watches globally and are often produced in limited editions.
As the longest-established watchmaker that has never left the hands of its founding family since its birth, it has been highly evaluated by many watch lovers. Underpinning this long history is the watchmaking philosophy of “tradition, boldness, and excellence” set by the founders Jules Louis Audemars and Edouard Auguste Piguet.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Lee Westwood and Audemars
- Leo Messi – Royal Oak
- Nick Faldo – Audemars
Notable fact about Patek Philippe
With the First World War outbreak, Audemars Piguet lost some ground, but already in 1925, it again took the lead, releasing the world’s thinnest pocket watch, its thickness was only 1.32 mm. Many people considered this watch to be the height of perfection, and this model was very popular among buyers.
9. Lange & Söhne
Unique handwork combined with precision. The selection from the collection of men’s and women’s watches will enhance the strength and charm of your personality. Exceptional taste will highlight your charisma. Adolph Lange breathed lifeline technical and artistic work, all capitalizing a special edition.
A. Lange & Söhne is a trademark of Lange Uhren GmbH, a German watchmaker founded in 1845 in the town of Glashütte, Germany, by Ferdinand Adolph Lange.
The Lange brand ceased to exist in 1948 after the Soviet administration in East Germany took over the company’s property. After the Berlin wall fell in 1990, the brand made a re-start and is today again one of the premium luxury watch brands in the world.
Lange is primarily known for double assembling. The watches are disassembled and then re-assembled again to ensure that each and every part is placed perfectly.
The main A. Lange & Söhne’s product portfolio consists of these model families: 1815, Cabaret, Datograph, Double Split, Lange 1, Richard Lange, Saxonia, Turbograph, Zeitwerk The prices for a new A. Lange & Söhne range from about $19,000 to around $338,000.
Notable fact about A. Lange & Söhne
Adolph Lange served as the mayor of Glashütte for 18 years. During Lange’s time as mayor, the economic climate of Glashütte flourished. In 1895 a monument of Lange was built.
10. Montblanc
Montblanc leather goods and jewelry add a touch of sophistication and elegance to today’s business world. Montblanc symbolizes dedication and perfection for you to show your gratitude, appreciation, or celebrate your achievements, be it a small gesture or something much bigger.
Throughout its history, Montblanc has upheld the values of excellence, creativity, and elegance. Montblanc, the world leader in luxury writing instruments and pens, decided to broaden its product portfolio to watches in the second half of the 1990s.
They started as outsiders but gained respect from the watch world after acquiring one of the world’s most exclusive watch manufacturers – Minerva. With both of the companies owned by the Richemont Group, Minerva was merged into Montblanc in 2006, bringing the watchmaking history and knowledge into Montblanc.
“We knew that this watch would be one of the few historical milestones that any watch company can have,” Jan-Patrick Schmitz, President of Montblanc N.A., when talking about Nicolas Rieussec.
Montblanc Watches are recognized for their big, bold, and clean design. The main Montblanc product portfolio consists of these models: Nicolas Rieussec, Star, Star 4810, Timewalker, Sport, Profile. The prices for a new Montblanc range from about $1,500 to about $362,000.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Nicolas Cage
- Adrien Brody
- Christopher Lambert
Notable fact about Montblanc
The premium Montblanc Watches are hand-made in the Montblanc Villeret workshops. Movement by Minerva.
11. Breitling
Breitling was founded in 1884 in Switzerland by Léon Breitling and is a Swiss luxury watch brand mainly focusing on three watch categories; diving, aviation & luxury. The Breitling watches are manufactured in Switzerland with Swiss components.
Breitling caliber B01 is their own in-house mechanical chronograph movement and was introduced in 2009. The brand’s main business is manufacturing watches.
The main Breitling product portfolio consists of these models: Chronomat, Navitimer, Superocean, Avenger, Transocean, Galactic, Superocean Héritage, Chrono-Matic, Montbrillant, Colt. The prices for a new Breitling range from $2,5000 to $39,000.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- John Travolta
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Mel Gibson
Notable fact about Breitling
An interesting fact is that each employee at Breitling recieves a Breitling watch. What model they get is determined by the status of the employees role at the company and other variables. If an employee leaves the company he gets the opportunity to buy the watch for a special price.
12. Hublot
Hublot Watches Comes with Attractive Design & Unique Style. The brand is one of the youngest luxury watch brands but has already made its mark in the watch world.
The company was founded in 1976 by Carlo Crocco and introduced to the public at the Basel Watch Fair in 1980. The brand quickly became a commercial success and was acquired by LVMH (Louis Vuitton-Moet Hennessy) in 2008.
Hublot watches are known for their attractive design and unique style. In 1980 Carlo Crocco released his first design: a fusion of gold and rubber. The main Hublot product portfolio consists of these models: Big Bang, Classic Fusion, King Power, Masterpiece. The prices for a new Hublot range from $5,900 to $2,500,000.
Famous wearers or brand endorsers
- Usain Bolt
- Dwayne Wade
- Jet Li
Notable fact about Breitling
Hublot is the “Official Watch” for FIFA and FIFA World Cup as well as the “Official Watch” of Formula 1.
Thanks for taking the time to go through the list of Top 10 Luxury Watch Brands list.
As you might have noticed there were actually 12 brands presented on this list and not 10 as the title suggests. Honestly it is too hard to leave some brands out of a list like this and probably the list will grow in future.
What do you think about the list?
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