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282,188 listings including promoted listings
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Jaquet-Droz Les Ateliers D' Art J005013204 Unworn Rose gold 39mm Automatic
Promoted
Jaquet-Droz Les Ateliers D' Art
Petite Heure Minute Ateliers D'art Limited 28 pieces
RM65,286
Free shipping
Richard Mille RM 38-01 Very good Titanium 50mm Manual winding
Promoted
Richard Mille
RM 38-01 Bubba Watson Tourbillon White Quartz TPT Titanium Transparent Dial
Price on request
Free shipping
Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph 1625 Good Steel 36mm Automatic
Promoted
Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph
Turn-O-Graph Sultanate Of Oman Qaboos bin Said al Said
RM111,187
+ RM606 for shipping
Patek Philippe Gondolo 5124G-001 Very good White gold 33.4mm Manual winding Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Promoted
Patek Philippe Gondolo
5124G-001
RM95,500
+ RM52 for shipping
Breguet Marine 5517BR/G3/9ZU New Rose gold 40mm Automatic
Promoted
Breguet Marine
Automatic 40 Mm
RM115,906
+ RM705 for shipping
Breitling Aviator 8 AB0920131B1X1 New Steel 41mm Manual winding Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Promoted
Breitling Aviator 8
Avi Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition 2022
RM27,300
+ RM100 for shipping
Rolex Daytona 116519LN New White gold 40mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Rolex Daytona
Cosmograph Daytona Diamond
RM210,000
+ RM237 for shipping
Rolex Daytona 116500LN Very good Steel 40mm Automatic Malaysia, Sri Petaling
Rolex Daytona
116500LN Cosmograph Daytona Black Dial 2021 NFC Card Preowned
RM124,900
+ RM100 for shipping
Rolex Yacht-Master 42 226659 Very good White gold 42mm Automatic Malaysia, Butterworth, Pulau Pinang
Rolex Yacht-Master 42
226659
RM118,000
Excl. shipping
Private Seller
Hublot Classic Fusion Blue 511.OX.7180.LR New Rose gold 45mm Automatic Malaysia, Petaling Jaya
Hublot Classic Fusion Blue
King Gold Rose Gold 45mm Auto (New | Complete Set)
RM79,999
Free shipping
Breguet Tradition 7038BR/18/9V6/D00D Unworn Rose gold 37mm Automatic
Promoted
Breguet Tradition
Dame
RM159,284
+ RM509 for shipping
Vacheron Constantin 4072 Very good Rose gold 36mm Manual winding
Promoted
Vacheron Constantin
Chrono Chronograph 18K Rose Pink Gold Rotgold Manual Handaufzug French Case extremely rare
RM125,844
+ RM1,516 for shipping
Omega Seamaster Diver 300 M 210.32.42.20.03.001 Very good Steel 42mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Promoted
Omega Seamaster Diver 300 M
210.32.42.20.03.001
RM17,050
+ RM52 for shipping
Girard Perregaux Laureato 81005D11A182511A New Steel 38mm Automatic
Promoted
Girard Perregaux Laureato
81005D11A182511A
RM55,824
+ RM705 for shipping
Patek Philippe Chronograph 7150/250R-001 Unworn Rose gold 38mm Manual winding
Promoted
Patek Philippe Chronograph
Complications 7150/250R Chronograph 18K Rose Gold Silver Arabic Dial
RM326,424
Free shipping
Rolex Daytona 116503 New Gold/Steel 40mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Rolex Daytona
Cosmograph Daytona Champagne Dial
RM108,000
+ RM237 for shipping
Rolex Yacht-Master II 116681 Unworn Gold/Steel 44mm Automatic Malaysia, Sri Petaling
Rolex Yacht-Master II
116681 44mm Everose Gold Steel Unworn 2020 Full Set
RM109,999
+ RM100 for shipping
Hublot Spirit of Big Bang 642.NX.0170.RX.1104 Very good Titanium 42mm Manual winding Malaysia, Ampang selangor
Hublot Spirit of Big Bang
642.NX.0170.RX.1104
RM80,000
Excl. shipping
Private Seller
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Lady 67620ST Very good Steel 33mm Quartz Malaysia, Petaling Jaya
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Lady
67620ST 33mm Quartz (Used | Complete Set)
RM59,999
Free shipping
Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight M79030B-0001 New Steel 39mm Automatic Malaysia, Johor
Promoted
Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight
Blue
RM17,650
Free shipping
Tudor Black Bay GMT 79830RB Very good Steel 41mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Tudor Black Bay GMT
NATO 2019
Price on request
+ RM100 for shipping
IWC Pilot Spitfire UTC IW325110 Good Steel 39mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
IWC Pilot Spitfire UTC
IW325110
RM15,210
+ RM52 for shipping
Blancpain 4286P-3642-55B Very good Rose gold 42mm Automatic
Promoted
Blancpain
VILLERET QUANTIEME PERPETUEL CHRONOGRAPHE FLYBACK A RATTRAPANTE
RM156,118
+ RM705 for shipping
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 15400OR.OO.1220OR.02 Very good Rose gold 41mm Automatic
Promoted
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding
15400OR 18K Rose Gold Silver Index Dial
RM331,155
Free shipping
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 26401RO.OO.A002CA.02 Good Rose gold 44mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
26401RO.OO.A002CA.02
RM188,000
+ RM237 for shipping
Rolex Day-Date 40 228239 Very good White gold 40mm Automatic Malaysia, Sri Petaling
Rolex Day-Date 40
228239 Day-Date Olive Green Dial 2021 Full Set Preowned
RM205,000
+ RM100 for shipping
Rolex Day-Date 36 18238 Very good Yellow gold 36mm Automatic Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu
Rolex Day-Date 36
36mm 18238 18k Yellow Gold Black Pyramid Dial w/Box and Paper
RM159,000
Excl. shipping
Private Seller
Breguet Marine 5817ST/Y2/5V8 Very good Steel 39mm Automatic Malaysia, Petaling Jaya
Breguet Marine
Big Date Marine 5817ST 39mm Auto (Used | Complete Set)
RM55,999
Free shipping
Tudor Glamour Date-Day M56003-0006 New Gold/Steel 39mm Automatic Malaysia, Johor
Promoted
Tudor Glamour Date-Day
M56003-0006
RM14,000
Free shipping
Tudor Royal 28600 New Steel 41mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Tudor Royal
Salmon Dial 2023 28600-0009
RM9,100
+ RM100 for shipping

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Girard Perregaux Laureato 81010-11-131-11A Unworn Steel 42mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Promoted
Girard Perregaux Laureato
81010-11-131-11A
RM49,000
+ RM52 for shipping
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 77450ST.OO.1361ST.01 New Steel 34mm Automatic
Promoted
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding
"50th Anniversary"
RM167,945
+ RM705 for shipping
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26240OR.OO.1320OR.03 Very good Rose gold 41mm Automatic
Promoted
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph
26240OR 50th Anniversary Chronograph 18K Rose Gold White Index Dial
RM386,506
Free shipping
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Lady 26231OR.ZZ.D003CA.01 New Rose gold 37mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Lady
26231OR.ZZ.D003CA.01
RM308,000
+ RM237 for shipping
Rolex GMT-Master II 126715CHNR Unworn Rose gold 40mm Automatic Malaysia, Sri Petaling
Rolex GMT-Master II
Rose Gold 126715CHNR 2020 NFC Card Unworn Full Set
RM189,800
+ RM100 for shipping
Rolex Daytona 116503 Very good Steel 40mm Automatic Malaysia, 57000
Rolex Daytona
116503
RM110,000
Excl. shipping
Private Seller
TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T CAR5A8P.FC6415 Very good Titanium 45mm Automatic Malaysia, Petaling Jaya
TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T
Chronograph Tourbillion Carbon Heuer-02T 45mm Auto (Used | Complete Set)
RM51,999
Free shipping
Tudor Glamour Date-Day M56003-0005 New Gold/Steel 39mm Automatic Malaysia, Johor
Promoted
Tudor Glamour Date-Day
M56003-0005
RM12,149
Free shipping
IWC Big Pilot IW329301 Very good Steel 43mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
IWC Big Pilot
Pilot's Watch 43 2022 IW329301
RM30,500
+ RM100 for shipping
Breitling AB0930D31L1P1 New Steel 40mm Manual winding Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Breitling
Premier B09 Chronograph 40
RM30,800
+ RM52 for shipping
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Day-Date 25572ST Very good Steel 36mm Automatic
Promoted
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Day-Date
25572ST
RM139,560
+ RM705 for shipping
Rolex Day-Date 40 228349RBR Very good White gold 40mm Automatic
Promoted
Rolex Day-Date 40
228349RBR 18K White Gold Black Diamond Dial
RM338,724
Free shipping
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 15305OR.OO.D088CR.01 Very good Rose gold 39mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding
39mm Overworked Dial
RM500,000
+ RM237 for shipping
Rolex Daytona 116500LN Very good Steel 40mm Automatic Malaysia, Sri Petaling
Rolex Daytona
116500LN Cosmograph Daytona White Dial AKA Panda 2020 NFC Card Preowned
RM145,999
+ RM100 for shipping
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 15300ST.OO.1220ST.03 Very good Steel 39mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding
15300ST.OO.1220ST.03
RM185,000
Excl. shipping
Private Seller
IWC Portofino Automatic IW356302 Very good Rose gold 39mm Automatic Malaysia, Petaling Jaya
IWC Portofino Automatic
IW356302 18K Rose Gold 39mm Auto (Used | Complete Set)
RM21,999
Free shipping
Tudor Glamour Date-Day M56003-0007 New Gold/Steel 39mm Automatic Malaysia, Johor
Promoted
Tudor Glamour Date-Day
M56003-0007
RM12,079
Free shipping
Omega 511.12.39.21.99.002 Very good Steel 39mm Manual winding Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Omega
CK 859 2022
RM26,800
+ RM100 for shipping
Oris Carl Brashear 01 733 7720 3185-Set LS Good Bronze 42mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Oris Carl Brashear
Limited Edition Carl Brashear
RM7,920
+ RM52 for shipping
Blancpain Le Brassus 4213-3442-55B Very good Platinum 42mm Manual winding
Promoted
Blancpain Le Brassus
8 Jours
RM118,271
+ RM705 for shipping
Patek Philippe Nautilus 7118/1200A-010 Unworn Steel 35mm Automatic
Promoted
Patek Philippe Nautilus
7118/1200A Diamond Bezel Silver Index Dial
RM331,155
Free shipping
Rolex Datejust 31 278384RBR New Steel 31mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Rolex Datejust 31
Diamond Bezel Dark Grey Dial Jubilee
RM79,000
+ RM237 for shipping
Omega Speedmaster 310.32.42.50.02.001 Unworn Steel 42mm Manual winding Malaysia, Sri Petaling
Omega Speedmaster
'Silver Snoopy Award' 50th Anniversary New Unworn 2021 Full Set
RM90,988
+ RM100 for shipping
Rolex GMT-Master II 126715CHNR Very good 40mm Automatic Malaysia, KUALA LUMPUR
Rolex GMT-Master II
126715CHNR
RM189,058
Excl. shipping
Private Seller
Chopard L.U.C 168544-3001 Very good Steel 42mm Automatic Malaysia, Petaling Jaya
Chopard L.U.C
1937 Classic Roman 42mm Auto (Used | Near Complete Set)
RM18,499
Free shipping
Tudor 1926 M91351-0002 New Gold/Steel 28mm Automatic Malaysia, Johor
Promoted
Tudor 1926
M91351-0002
RM11,000
Free shipping
Omega Seamaster Diver 300 M 210.30.42.20.03.002 New Steel 42mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Omega Seamaster Diver 300 M
James Bond 60th Anniversary 2023
RM49,500
+ RM100 for shipping
Zenith Defy 49.9003.670/51.R793 New Ceramic 41mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Zenith Defy
Classic
RM29,900
+ RM52 for shipping
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 14800 Very good Rose gold 36mm Automatic
Promoted
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
18 Karat Rosegold limitierte Serie 10 Stück Weltweit Top Zustand purple
RM166,776
+ RM1,011 for shipping
Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5164A-001 Very good Steel 40mm Automatic
Promoted
Patek Philippe Aquanaut
5164A Dual Time Zone Steel Black Arabic Dial
RM426,718
Free shipping
Rolex Datejust 41 126334 New White gold 41mm Automatic Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Rolex Datejust 41
Mint Green Dial Oyster
RM64,000
+ RM237 for shipping
Hublot Big Bang 451.EX.5123.EX Very good Ceramic 42mm Automatic Malaysia, Sri Petaling
Hublot Big Bang
Integral Blue Full Ceramic 42mm 2022 Preowned Full Set
RM72,900
+ RM100 for shipping
Patek Philippe Gondolo 5100J-001 Very good Yellow gold 52mm Manual winding Malaysia, KUALA LUMPUR
Patek Philippe Gondolo
5100J Gondolo 10 Days Power Reserve FULL SET
RM141,926
Excl. shipping
Private Seller

Swiss Watches: World-Renowned Timepieces

Swiss watches are synonymous with precision and luxury. The most well-known names in the business, with few exceptions, all hail from this Alpine country. Rolex, Omega, IWC, and Breitling all represent tradition and high quality.


Everything to Know About Swiss Watches in This Article

  • Buying advice for Swiss-made watches
  • Watches in different price ranges
  • Manufacturers, collections, and models
  • History of the Swiss watch industry

Which Swiss Watch Should I Buy?

If you want to buy a Swiss watch, you have a wide range of options. The right way to find out which watch is best for you is to ask yourself the following question: How much do I want to spend?

A new, brand-name Swiss watch with a mechanical movement can cost as little as 1,000 euros. You can find watches from manufacturers such as Chronoswiss, Maurice Lacroix, Oris, and Raymond Weil in this price range. Some series from these manufacturers are more expensive, however. For example, Raymond Weil's Nabucco chronograph costs around 3,000 euros new with a titanium case. TAG Heuer and Tissot also have a large selection of watches available for less than 5,000 euros.

Rolex and Omega are probably the most well-known representatives of Swiss luxury watches. The legendary Omega Speedmaster Professional is available in many different variations for less than 5,000 euros. The version closest to the original Moonwatch chronograph, which you can find under reference number 311.30.42.30.01.005, costs around 3,500 euros and has a stainless steel case. The material certainly influences the price, as cases made of precious metals are much more expensive than those made of stainless steel.

An Omega diving watch from the Seamaster collection with a gold case costs around 15,000 euros. The Rolex Submariner without a date display and a stainless steel case costs around 6,500 euros new. You should be prepared to spend at least 23,000 euros for a yellow gold Submariner, and 25,000 euros for a Rolex Daytona.

Patek Philippe's Nautilus is one of the most sought-after and expensive stainless steel sports watches from Switzerland. Without any complications, the women's version costs 20,000 euros, and the men's 25,000 euros. With a white gold or platinum case, the price jumps to 140,000 euros. The Calatrava, also from Patek Philippe, is the definition of a classic, elegant dress watch. New, the most popular version costs around 15,000 euros.

If you decide to go with a watch from Breguet or Blancpain, expect prices over 100,000 euros. Cases made of precious metals, diamond-set cases and straps, and intricate complications such a tourbillon increase the value of such watches. The newcomer Hublot also has some watches in this price range. The futuristic MP-05 LaFerrari watch usually costs 200,000 euros. The version with a sapphire glass case is over double the price, costing more than 400,000 euros.


Watches: Iconic Exports

Watches are a defining part of Switzerland's cultural image. They're more iconic than the banks and the cheese; only chocolate ranked "more Swiss" than watches according to a survey of participants from 15 different countries.

About 30 million watches leave the production halls of this little Alpine country every year. The variety amongst these watches is impressive. They range from traditional gold watches with complications such as a:

  • Moon phase display
  • Perpetual calendar
  • Minute repeater
  • Double chronograph

to diving and pilot's watches. Some of the Swiss companies even produce high-tech smartwatches. Many of these watches function as status symbols, ignoring their actual intended functions. Many diving watches from the Seamaster and Submariner collections will never go underwater, and only a small number of the pilot's watches sold by IWC or Breitling are actually worn in the cockpit. These watches work equally well as a tool watch or a luxury lifestyle object.

There are also mass market affordable watches, such as the famous quartz-powered Swatch with its bright and colorful plastic case. There are now mechanical versions with a simple 51-piece movement. The typical Swatch looks somewhat cheap and is not taken seriously by many watch fans, but certain models have sold at high prices as vintage watches. Furthermore, the Swatch is significantly responsible for helping the Swiss watch industry survive the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s and 80s. The Swatch watch, trendy and colorful, broke Swiss watches out of their conservative, stuffy image and attracted a new target audience. Above all, young people were attracted to this bright and simple watch.

However, luxury watches are what people think of when they think of Swiss watches. Switzerland leads the world in watch exports if you don't rank by number of timepieces. While only about 2% of watches sold worldwide come from Switzerland, they are worth 60% of the total value.

Many well-known brands with long watchmaking traditions belong to the Swatch Group (market share: 18%) or to luxury goods concerns like Richemont (market share: 16%) or Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH, market share: 5%). Rolex is the largest independent Swiss luxury watch manufacturer (market share: 12%). Their independent status greatly contributes to their outstanding reputation.


Overview of the Most Important Swiss Luxury Watch Manufacturers

Manufacturer Founding year Location of headquarters Parent group
Audemars Piguet 1875 Le Brassus Independent
Blancpain 1735 Le Brassus Swatch Group
Breguet 1775 L'Abbaye Swatch Group
Breitling 1884 Grenchen Independent
Chopard 1860 Geneva Independent
Hublot 1980 Nyon LVMH
IWC 1868 Schaffhausen Richemont
Jaeger-LeCoultre 1833 Le Sentier Richemont
Longines 1832 Saint-Imier Swatch Group
Omega 1848 Biel/Bienne Swatch Group
Patek Philippe 1851 Geneva Independent
Rolex 1905 Geneva Independent
TAG Heuer 1860 La Chaux-de-Fonds LVMH
Vacheron Constantin 1755 Plan-les-Ouates Richemont
Zenith 1865 Le Locle LVMH

Rolex

Rolex is number one amongst the large manufacturers. The Geneva-based manufacturer has been in business since 1905. Rolex produces some of the most famous and beloved watch models in the world, such as the Submariner, Daytona, and Datejust.

The Submariner is the definition of a diving watch, the Daytona is one of the most famous chronographs, and the Datejust embodies elegance. Rolex's pilot's watch is the Air King, and their GMT Master II displays a second time zone. With the invention of the perpetual rotor, Rolex significantly contributed to the breakthrough of the automatic watch in the 1930s. Every year, the manufacturer sells around 800,000 watches featuring their iconic five-point crown. Rolex doesn't publish any official sales numbers. However, since Rolex has their watches certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), we can calculate how many Rolex watches are produced based on the COSC's publications.


Omega

The most famous man to wear a Rolex is undoubtedly James Bond. He completes many of his missions with a Submariner on his wrist. However, the British secret agent switched to Omega, a member of the Swatch Group, in 1995. Omega plays a central role in the Swatch Group's company strategy, as they see the brand as a strong competitor for Rolex. Rolex isn't the only manufacturer with legendary watch models; Omega has their own to be proud of. The Seamaster is a diving watch collection that's been in production since 1948. The famous French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau wore a Seamaster. Another iconic Omega watch is the Speedmaster Professional. "Speedy," as it's nicknamed by fans, was the official NASA watch on the Apollo missions, making it the first watch on the Moon in 1969. The so-called Moonwatch is available today, almost unchanged from the original version, but now features a modern Co-Axial caliber and comes in many special limited editions. There's also the De Ville series, which showcases Omega's classic side.


International Watch Company (IWC)

IWC, based in Schaffhausen, also offers elegant Swiss watches, such as the Portugieser. They're even more famous for their pilot's watches, though; their Big Pilot watch and the Mark series are considered excellent pilot's watches. The Mark 11 was the official service watch of Royal Air Force pilots for decades.


Breitling

Breitling is a strong competitor for IWC in the realm of pilot's watches. Breitling's Navitimer is considered one of the most important pilot's watches. The watch, which was introduced in 1952, has a special slide rule function. It has two logarithmic scales on the dial which you can turn to perform various calculations, such as distance and fuel consumption. Breitling also offers powerful diving watches with their Superocean series and some versions of the Avenger. Rolex, Omega, IWC, and Breitling are all considered to be on the same level, thus Breitling also has a conservative, elegant line as well, the Transocean. Besides mechanical timepieces, Breitling also offers quartz watches with refined technology, such as the Emergency with an integrated distress beacon.


Patek Philippe

One rung higher on the luxury watch ladder is Patek Philippe. It's clear from the start that this manufacturer is a bit different: Most of their cases are made of solid gold. In the Swiss watch industry, steel cases are used around 50% of the time. Precious metals like gold and platinum are only used around 2% of the time. Patek's Calatrava collection is a symbol of the company and the epitome of a stylish dress watch. This watch collection debuted in 1932 and was inspired by the Bauhaus art movement. Patek Philippe's Nautilus also has a special position in their portfolio. It's a stainless steel sports watch waterproof to 120 m (12 bar) – all unusual qualities for a Patek watch. The company has a long history of watchmaking. The independent family business has existed under this name since 1851. Until 2009, Patek Philippe used the Geneva Seal as a symbol of high Swiss quality. Now, the company uses their own seal with even stricter standards.


Blancpain, Breguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre

Blancpain and Breguet have been in business even longer. Today, they're both members of the Swatch Group. Abraham-Louis Breguet founded his company in 1775. He's responsible for countless important watchmaking inventions, such as the tourbillon. Blancpain has been around since 1735. Their most famous series is the Fifty Fathoms diving watch. Brands such as Patek Philippe, Breguet, and Blancpain, are representative of the conservative values of the Swiss watch industry. This applies to Jaeger-LeCoultre as well. This manufacturer has been producing high-quality watches since 1833. Their Reverso is one of the most popular rectangular watches.


Hublot

Hublot takes an entirely different approach. This relatively new manufacturer plays the role of the rebel most excellently. One distinctive Hublot feature is their unusual, square-edged porthole design, which occasionally borders on the bizarre. Legibility isn't Hublot's main concern. Instead, they show a preference for the use of unusual materials such as ceramic or titanium. With their patented Magic Gold alloy, Hublot broke new ground. Magic Gold is an incredibly scratch-resistant alloy composed of gold and ceramic. Magic Gold comes quite close to the ideal, everlasting case material. Hublot was founded in 1980. In 2005, under new leadership, they introduced the Big Bang series. The Big Bang caused a sharp increase in sales, catapulting this Genevan manufacturer into the same league as other well-known Swiss brands. The somewhat calmer Hublot alternative to the Big Bang is the Classic Fusion.


Audemars Piguet

Hublot is not without precedent. Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak, introduced in 1972, as well as their Royal Oak Offshore, inspired Hublot's designs. The wide bezel with visible screws was directly influenced by the Royal Oak.


TAG Heuer

When it comes to TAG Heuer, it's all about timing. They patented their first stopwatch mechanism in 1882. TAG Heuer has dedicated themselves to the art of racing ever since – it's not a coincidence that their most well-known series is called the Carrera. Even the rectangularMonaco is a legend amongst racing watches. The actor Steve McQueen wore a Monaco in the film Le Mans.


Tissot

Watches from TAG Heuer are in a moderate price range. This applies to Tissot as well. Aside from classic mechanical watches, Tissot offers modern quartz watches as well. The T-Touch Expert Solar is solar powered. It's a multi-function watch with background lighting, a second time zone display, chronograph function, timer, alarm, compass, barometer function, and many other extras. The watch has a titanium case and is waterproof to 100 m (10 bar). The T-Touch Expert Solar has features that only an electric-powered watch can offer. Such an array of functions is impossible for a mechanical watch, especially one that costs less than 1,000 euros.

Other manufacturers also combine Swiss quality with moderate prices, such as Longines, Raymond Weil, or Maurice Lacroix. These companies often use calibers from the world's largest ébauche manufacturer, ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse, which is also based in Switzerland. The Swiss company Sellita also offers movements that can be found in the watches of many famous manufacturers. Only a few brands produce their own calibers, such as Rolex and Patek Philippe. !Zenith has some of the most important automatic chronograph movements in watch history. The fast-paced El Primero caused a stir when it was released in 1969; it even had a watch named after it.


Top 10 Swiss Luxury Watch Manufacturers According to Production Numbers

Manufacturer Number of watches produced per year
Rolex 800,000
Omega 700,000
Breitling 170,000
IWC 100,000
Chopard 80,000
Jaeger-LeCoultre 75,000
Patek Philippe 60,000
Hublot 40,000
Audemars Piguet 37,000
Zenith 35,000

Post-Quartz Crisis Revival

The Swiss watch industry began in the 18th century. Up until the second half of the 19th century, Switzerland was considered a place where it was easy to produce watches affordably. IWC, with roots in the United States, based their business model on this concept.

After many successful years, the industry suffered in the 1970s and 80s during the Quartz Crisis. Cheap, mass-produced quartz watches produced in Asia endangered traditional Swiss production. Some manufacturers disappeared forever and many workers lost their jobs. Yet surprisingly, Swiss watches later experienced a renaissance which has lasted to this day. The fascination with the technical genius that goes into mechanical watches enthralls watch lovers all over the world. Many manufacturers with longer histories are no longer independent, however. Merging with a large concern, such as the Swatch Group, Richemont, or LVMH, saved many of these manufacturers from going under.

Unexpected competition has popped up since then. The German town of Glashütte was trapped behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany until 1990. Watches have been produced in Glashütte since the mid-19th century, but they were far from being luxury watches when Germany was divided. Now, other manufacturers such as A. Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original have established themselves in Glashütte, making Glashütte watches true competition for Swiss manufacturers.