Top Luxury Watch Brands Brand Story
1. Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe is a renowned Swiss watch brand that was founded in 1839 and is considered one of the top ten luxury watch brands in the world. It is one of the few remaining independent watchmakers in Switzerland, as they handle every aspect of production themselves, and it takes 10 years to train a Patek Philippe watchmaker.
Founded in 1839, Patek Philippe is the last remaining independent watchmaker in Geneva. Throughout the entire process, from design to production and assembly, Patek Philippe enjoys complete freedom in innovation, creating globally acclaimed timepieces that experts and enthusiasts alike admire. They adhere to the exceptional vision of the brand’s founder, Mr. Antoine Norbert de Patek, and Mr. Jean-Adrien Philippe. With extraordinary professional skills and a commitment to high-quality innovation, Patek Philippe has obtained over 80 technical patents. Patek Philippe is truly the “blue-blooded aristocracy” of watches.
2. Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet is one of the world’s top three renowned watch brands. It was founded in Switzerland in 1875 by watchmakers Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet, and its production site is located in Le Brassus.
In 1875, two watch craftsmen, 22-year-old Jules-Louis Audemars and 24-year-old Edward-Auguste Piguet, jointly founded the Audemars Piguet brand in the village of Le Brassus in the Ru Valley, Switzerland. Their shared philosophy created a unique vision for the brand and left behind timeless and classic works. Even today, this family-owned enterprise is managed by their descendants, who continue to carry the inspiration and passion for the watchmaking craft in their blood.
3. Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre is a high-end watch manufacturer located in Le Sentier, Switzerland. Since its establishment in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland in 1833, it has become a significant brand in the history of watchmaking.
As a pioneer in the top watchmaking industry, Jaeger-LeCoultre not only combines precise timing technology and exquisite artistic talent, but also makes outstanding contributions to the development of the entire watchmaking industry.
Since 2000, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been a subsidiary of the Swiss luxury conglomerate, Richemont.
4. Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin, one of the world’s most famous watch brands, was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1755. It is the oldest and one of the most renowned watch manufacturers in the world.
Vacheron Constantin inherits the essence of traditional Swiss watchmaking and has never stopped innovating in watchmaking technology, making significant contributions to the industry.
In December 2018, the World Brand Lab released the “2018 World’s Top 500 Brands” list, with Vacheron Constantin ranked 356th.
5. Blancpain
Blancpain, born in Switzerland in 1735, the same year as the reign of Emperor Qianlong, is the world’s first registered wristwatch brand, and its founder, Mr. Blancpain, brought the era of craftsmen in the watch industry into the brand era.
Blancpain is the most innovative brand among the top wristwatch brands today. It is also the only modern wristwatch brand collected by the Palace Museum. In the past three centuries, Blancpain has never produced quartz watches. At the same time, all the brand’s watches use 100% self-produced mechanical movements, providing strong “engines” support for other high-end wristwatch brands.
6. Cartier
Cartier watches, a globally renowned watch brand, perfectly blend aesthetics, creativity, and exquisite craftsmanship. As a master of design watches, each series like Ballon Bleu, Santos de Cartier, Panthere de Cartier, Cle de Cartier, and Tank can be called classics. In addition, the high-end watch series with in-house complex movements has established a prestigious position in the field of watches.
7. Glashütte Original
Glashütte Original was established in Glashütte, East Germany, in 1845 by the renowned watchmaker A. Lange, with funding from the German government.
However, due to the two World Wars, Glashütte’s watchmaking industry was cut off from the world for a while. It was not until recent years that Glashütte Original regained its position in the market after undergoing reorganization. The Senator Perpetual Calendar, introduced in 1999, even won the title of Vienna’s Best Watch of the Year. Their watchmaking technology surpasses many Swiss brands. In 1930, they had already invented the flying tourbillon (an extremely complex device used to counteract the effects of gravity on the accuracy of mechanical watches), while the Western world only exhibited the “world’s first flying tourbillon” in Basel in 1990.
8. Breguet
Breguet is a brand of Swatch Group, founded in 1775, with a history of 240 years. Since the 18th century, Breguet has been dedicated to providing timepieces and services to members of the royal family and outstanding individuals in various fields.
In the industry, Breguet is known as the “King of Watches” and also has the reputation of being the “Father of Modern Watchmaking”. This is because Breguet has invented over 70% of the industry’s technologies, with its most representative inventions being the tourbillon, perpetual calendar, and minute repeater.
9. Richard Mille
Richard Mille is a world-class watch brand, founded in 2001, abbreviated as “RM”. It is famous for its revolutionary watchmaking technology and the development of the most precise tourbillon wristwatches. The founder of the brand, Richard Mille, who named the brand after himself, once said, “My goal is to create the ‘Formula One’ of the watchmaking industry.”
10. A. Lange & Söhne
A. Lange & Söhne is one of the top ten luxury watch brands in the world. A. Lange & Söhne watches are highly accurate German mechanical timepieces known for their exquisite craftsmanship and high level of perfection. As a rare non-Swiss watch brand, A. Lange & Söhne is an authentic product of East Germany and had disappeared due to the authoritarian rule of former East Germany. However, it regained its youthful vigor after the reunification of East and West Germany. A. Lange & Söhne insists on producing only mechanical precious metal watches, which contributes to its high quality and price, with most models priced above 100,000 yuan.