Top 26 Luxury Watch Brands You Should Know

The godfather of modern German watchmaking, A. Lange & Sohne boasts a 173-year history and produces some of the finest movements in the world.

Like most companies on this list, A. Lange & Sohne is very old. However, this German watch company is one of the oldest, having been around since 1845 and is largely responsible for the rise of the German watch industry at the time, especially in the city of Glashütte. During World War I, the company transitioned from pocket watches to wristwatches, and during World War II it specialized in producing pilot watches. Today, Lange produces perhaps the best movements in the world, and their range of sports and dress watches - especially the famous Triple Split - remains their calling card.

• Year founded: 1845
• Location: Glashütte, Germany
• Style: Luxury, Sport, Dress
• Popular models: 1851, Lange 1, Triple Split
• Price range: from $25,000 to $250,000+
• Hero watch: Triple Split

AP's Royal Oak is a must-have in any list, as these octagonal watches helped popularize integrated sports watches and remain among the most coveted in the world.

Audemars Piguet has been producing high-end mechanical watches since 1875. The founders, Edward Auguste Piguet and Jules Louis Audemars, were experts in their respective watchmaking fields (movement blanks and final adjustment, respectively) and went on to create a precedent of excellence and high craftsmanship. If you're unfamiliar with the Swiss watch company, know that their Royal Oak watches are among the most sought-after on the planet, thanks to their timeless design language, octagonal bezel, and many alluring iterations.

• Year founded: 1875
• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Style: Dress, Sport
• Popular models: Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, Code 11.59
• Price range: from $34,000 to $200,000+
• Hero watch: Royal Oak Minute Repeater Supersonnerie

The B&M brand has been around since 1830, and in the 70s it became the first competitor to the Royal Oak.

Want to talk about age? Baume & Mercier was founded nearly 30 years before the American Civil War. Moreover, as early as the 1920s, the Swiss watch company began entering the international market. Following the release of the Royal Oak by AP in 1972, B&M introduced its Riviera - competing steel sports watches with an octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet. Known primarily as one of the most valuable alternatives to the Royal Oak, Baume & Mercier offers many of its watches at affordable prices, with some options even featuring quartz movements.

• Year founded: 1830
• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Style: Luxury, Sport, Dress
• Popular models: Riviera, Clifton, Hampton
• Price range: from $1,500 to $28,000
• Hero watch: Riviera Automatic

Bell & Ross is one of the new luxury brands on this list, thanks to its distinctly recognizable and now legendary design style.

Compared to other brands in this list, Bell & Ross is practically a baby. Founded in 1992, the company initially reissued old Sinn watch models under a different brand until 2002, when it began producing its own watches in Switzerland (though they are still based in Paris, France). The design language was solidified with the BR-01 model in 2005. The square-cased watches with round dials for which the brand is famous drew inspiration from aviation equipment, such as cockpit instruments. Despite being relatively young, it has made a name for itself in the watch world thanks to its minimalist aesthetic, unique color choices, and assertive design spirit.

• Year founded: 1992
• Location: Paris, France
• Style: Aviation, Sport, Chronograph
• Popular models: BR 03, BR X5, BR 05
• Price range: from $2,000 to $34,000
• Hero watch: BR 03

Founded in 1735, Blancpain is the oldest watch manufacturer in the world and continues to raise the bar with its legendary Fifty Fathoms Diver watches.

As the world's oldest watch company, founded in 1735, Blancpain has every reason to be proud. The Swiss brand not only continues to raise the bar for styles and movements but does so without losing its individuality. It's impossible to talk about Blancpain without mentioning the Fifty Fathoms Diver. During the rise of amateur diving in the mid-20th century, the brand's legendary diver's watch debuted in 1953, becoming a standard bearer for all divers, including modern ones. Blancpain is also known for its aviation-inspired Air Command line.

• Year founded: 1735
• Location: Paudex/Le Brassus, Switzerland
• Style: Diver, Chronograph
• Popular models: Fifty Fathoms, Air Command
• Price range: from $4,500 to $124,000+
• Hero watch: Fifty Fathoms Automatique

Specializing in aviation instruments, Breitling is a favorite among astronauts and pilots, and its divers boast depths of 3,000 meters underwater.

Breitling's history, like many other Swiss luxury brands, began in the 19th century. But take a look at the lineup of stylish tool watches, and it's undeniable that they are largely a product of this era. Releasing one of the most recognizable pilot's watches - the Navitimer, which debuted in 1952 - Breitling remains one of the brands synonymous with aviation instruments. The Navitimer made history thanks to its circular slide rule bezel and 24-hour dial, worn by NASA astronaut Scott Carpenter. However, the company's impressive diver's watches, such as the Avenger and Superocean, speak for themselves, reaching depths of 2,000 to 3,000 meters.

• Year founded: 1884
• Location: Grenchen, Switzerland
• Style: Pilot, Diver, Chronograph
• Popular models: Navitimer, Top Time, Superocean, Avenger
• Price range: from $3,500 to $26,000
• Hero watch: Navitimer

Among the few fashion houses with reputable watches, Bulgari only began producing them in 1980 and has already set several records with its Octo Finissimo watches.

Although Bulgari has been around since 1884, it entered the watch industry almost a century later. Until 1980, this Rome-based fashion house operated mainly as a luxury jewelry brand but nonetheless made a name for itself in the watch community with carefully crafted in-house movements produced at its Swiss facility and an Italian approach to design. Specializing in titanium cases, the legendary Octo Finissimo line has set about ten world records, including the record for the thinnest watch. If these watches are too flashy (and expensive) for you, check out Bulgari's eponymous everyday watch line, Aluminum.

• Year founded: 1884
• Location: Rome, Italy
• Style: Dress, Casual, Sport
• Popular models: Octo Finissimo, Aluminum
• Price range: from $4,500 to $26,000
• Hero watch: Octo Finissimo

Cartier was one of the first manufacturers of wristwatches and has retained its legendary models, such as the iconic Tank watch.

Another luxury brand specializing not only in watches, Cartier differs from Bulgari in that it has been producing watches since the late 19th century. Known as one of the first brands to offer wristwatches in the era of pocket watches, the Parisian company has maintained its vintage aesthetic all these years, especially when looking at models like the dress watches Tank and Santos, known for their creamy dials, Roman numerals, and reduced rectangular cases.

• Year founded: 1847
• Location: Paris, France
• Style: Dress, Sport, Vintage
• Popular models: Tank, Santos
• Price range: from $3,000 to $10,000
• Hero watch: Tank Louis Cartier

Combining the old school with the new, Girard-Perregaux has been around since 1791 and survives thanks to its Vintage 1945 and Laureato models.

In the past, Swiss watchmakers were divided by specialization. One group in one valley produced a specific watch part, while another specialized in another. One of the first to abandon this production technology? Girard-Perregaux. Founded in 1791, this company produces everything in-house. From the art-deco-inspired Vintage 1945 watches to the Royal Oak impersonator Laureato model (debuting just three years after AP's similar octagonal sports watch), the Swiss brand has always successfully combined the old school with the new.

• Year founded: 1791
• Location: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
• Style: Sport, Chronograph, Dress
• Popular models: Laureato, Vintage 1945
• Price range: from $15,000 to $100,000
• Hero watch: Laureato

As a subsidiary of Seiko, GS produces some of the best movements in the industry, and its dials keep you coming back for more.

In 1960, Seiko aimed not only to create top-tier watches under its own brand but also to set new standards for watchmaking in the industry. As a result, the Grand Seiko brand emerged, whose commitment to style and precision has remained to this day. Known for its beautiful dials, which use innovative techniques and texturing evoking Japanese history, culture, and nature, Grand Seiko continues to raise its standards with each new release. However, thanks to its own movements, such as the famous Caliber 9S, the company's striving to perfect what lies inside the watches perhaps deserves the most praise.

• Year founded: 1960
• Location: Iwate, Japan
• Style: Dress, Sport
• Popular models: 44GS, 9S
• Price range: from $5,500 to $80,000
• Hero watch: 44GS SLGH013

Hublot produces unusual sports watches with boastful designs, yet their aesthetic always remains contemporary.

Another relative newcomer to the world of luxury watches, Hublot was founded in 1980 in Switzerland. Many watch manufacturers look to the past to incorporate it into the present, but the Swiss brand has no past, prompting it to strive for modern aesthetic solutions, materials, and overall design. The brand is known for producing large, boastful watches with complex and (very) expensive movements often displayed through a transparent dial. Despite producing many great watches and implementing several significant innovations over the years, their most famous models are the Big Bang and Classic Fusion.

• Year founded: 1980
• Location: Nyon, Switzerland
• Style: Sport
• Popular models: Big Bang, Classic Fusion
• Price range: from $6,500 to $500,000+
• Hero watch: Big Bang Original Steel Ceramic

IWC has become iconic thanks to its craftsmanship, diverse model range, and commitment to innovation.

Located in Switzerland and founded by an American. That's how International Watch Company got its name. Before founding the company that became one of the most respected watch manufacturers on the market, Florentine Ariosto Jones worked as a director of a watch company in Boston. Jones realized there was a market for Swiss watches in the United States. Considering the company has been around since 1868, we have to say he was right. Whether it's the high-tech features presented in the Portugieser series or wearing the Big Pilot's Watch, IWC has gained iconic popularity thanks to its craftsmanship, versatility, and readiness for innovation.

• Year founded: 1868
• Location: Schaffhausen, Switzerland
• Style: Sport, Pilot, Dress
• Popular models: Big Pilot’s Watch, Portugieser, Portofino
• Price range: from $9,000 to $33,000
• Hero watch: Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar

Jaeger-LeCoultre is known primarily for its Reverso watches, inspired by art deco.

This Swiss luxury watch company is not just about producing magnificent watches. Since its founding in 1833, Jaeger-LeCoultre has released over 1000 different movements, many of which are among the most inventive in the industry, such as the two-level Duoplan and the world's smallest Caliber 101, as well as grand complications like minute repeaters and perpetual calendars. The company's most iconic watch, the Reverso, debuted in 1931 and exists to this day. Its uniqueness lies in the ability to literally show time on two sides, thanks to a reversible case executed in an art deco style.

• Year founded: 1833
• Location: Vaud, Switzerland
• Style: Dress, Sport
• Popular models: Reverso, Master Grande Tradition
• Price range: from $7,000 to $60,000
• Hero watch: Reverso Tribute

Longines, specializing in pilot's watches, earned a place in this list, and its HydroConquest is one of the most popular divers.

Founded in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, Longines has long held a leading position in the watch world for producing high-quality mechanical watches. In 1908, the company first introduced watches with multiple time zones and has since been one of the pioneers of the pilot's and GMT watch category. Strengthening its aviation history - even the company's logo depicts winged hourglasses - Longines continues to refine its travel models while paying special attention to another flagship, the HydroConquest, which has become one of the most popular divers since its debut in 2007. Despite its luxury, the Swiss brand periodically offers its watches for under $1000.

• Year founded: 1832
• Location: Saint-Imier, Switzerland
• Style: Dress, Pilot, Diving
• Popular models: HydroConquest, Spirit
• Price range: from $900 to $5,000
• Hero watch: HydroConquest GMT

Nomos, known for its clean dial designs and unique color choices, produces its own movements for its indelible watches.

Most new luxury watch brands founded in the second half of the 20th century tended towards bulky and massive models (see Hublot and Bell & Ross). Nomos is an exception. Preferring a minimalist aesthetic and simplicity, this industry favorite has stood out with interesting, attractive dials, high-end movements, and sophisticated design. Founded in 1990, the German brand Nomos came to life a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall and embodied Bauhaus theory that function should be more important than form. Located on the lower end of the luxury spectrum, Nomos still produces its own movements and consistently releases award-winning dials, like those found on the Ahoi or Orion watches depicted above.

• Year founded: 1990
• Location: Glashütte, Germany
• Style: Dress, Minimalism
• Popular models: Ahoi, Orion, Club
• Price range: from $2,000 to $4,300
• Hero watch: Orion

Legendary for their popularity among pop culture figures, Omega watches remain versatile and even adorned the wrists of the first astronauts on the moon.

Good guys wear Omega. At least, it seems that way. Bond has worn them since 1995, as have the British Royal Flying Core, J.F.K., and the first astronauts on the moon. The iconic luxury watch brand has existed since 1848 when it began its activities as a pocket watch assembly company called La Generale Watch Co. By 1894, the company began producing its own watches, named Omega, using interchangeable components. By 1903, Omega became its own brand, and the rest is history. Today, the company is undoubtedly best known for its Speedmaster watches (the very ones that accompanied Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong) and Seamaster, although they have an extensive collection including chronograph and GMT models.

• Year founded: 1848
• Location: Biel/Bienne, Switzerland
• Style: Sport, Diver, Chronograph, GMT
• Popular models: Seamaster, Speedmaster
• Price range: from $4,000 to $100,0300
• Hero watch: Speedmaster ’57

Oris specializes in producing simple dress watches with a certain aesthetic, but its Big Crown pilot watches became legendary during World War II.

Maybe Oris isn't as well-known as its Swiss colleagues from the early 1900s, but for over 100 years, it has been producing reliable and attractive mechanical watches. Founded by two friends in 1904 and named after a stream nearby, Oris began producing wristwatches only a couple of decades later, eventually specializing in its Big Crown watches, which were popular among World War II pilots thanks to their on-the-fly adjustability (pardon the pun). Favoring minimalism and sporty aesthetics, this luxury watch brand produces everything from pilot watches, like the ProPilot X, to divers like the Aquis.

• Year founded: 1904
• Location: Hölstein, Switzerland
• Style: Dress, Pilot, Diving
• Popular models: ProPilot X, Aquis, Big Crown
• Price range: from $2,000 to $8,000
• Hero watch: ProPilot X

One of the few luxury Italian brands, Panerai didn't produce watches until World War II when the Royal Navy asked for its help with the troops.

There aren't many Italian luxury watch brands, and even fewer have been around since the mid-1800s, like Panerai. However, for most of its early history, the company was involved in producing optical sights and diving gauges. The brand found itself during World War II when the Italian Royal Navy asked to start producing diving watches (with the help of Rolex SA) for Italian troops supporting the Nazis. Today, some of the most sought-after models are the Submersible diving watches, characterized by large cases and big protective latches over the winding crown.

• Year founded: 1860
• Location: Florence, Italy
• Style: Diving, Dress, Sport
• Popular models: Submersible, Radiomir
• Price range: from $6,000 to $166,000+
• Hero watch: Submersible

As a member of the "Holy Trinity," Patek Philippe pioneered keyless winding and created some of the most prestigious timepieces in history.

When someone says "luxury watches," brands like Patek Philippe come to mind. Founded in 1851 in Switzerland and being one of the Holy Trinity's three brands, this company pioneered the keyless winding mechanism and went on to produce watches for the world's wealthiest and most prestigious people - American bankers, European royals, famous musicians, and Hollywood actors. The company's most recognizable watches are the Calatrava and Nautilus, but it is also known for its Grand Complications collection, featuring perpetual calendars, moon phases, and more.

• Year founded: 1851
• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Style: Dress, Diving
• Popular models: Calatrava, Nautilus, Grand Complications
• Price range: from $21,000 to $500,000
• Hero watch: Calatrava

Known for its ultra-thin movements, Piaget produces quite flashy watches but doesn't forget about its Polo line.

Initially, when Piaget was founded in 1874, it was conceived as a manufacturer of parts for other companies' watches. But as more luxury watch brands began to move all production in-house, Piaget followed their example. As a result, they made a splash in the watch world by releasing ultra-thin movements like the Altiplano. Despite many of the brand's products being quite flashy, experimental, and, ahem, impractical, their Polo line remains relevant for those who want to see the brand's high-class experience on their wrist.

• Year founded: 1874
• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Style: Diving, Dress, Luxury
• Popular models: Polo, Altiplano
• Price range: from $5,000 to $80,000
• Hero watch: Polo Date watch

Unusual domed dials earned Ressence a place in the "Best Luxury" category, even though the watches were released only in 2010.

Without a doubt, Ressence is one of the most innovative luxury watch brands. Founded in 2010, the Belgian company broke with tradition, offering a stunning and unique dial design. Instead of simply using a movement to drive functions on a static dial, Ressence watches make the entire dial rotate on one plane, with small subdials rotating twice. The company's affirmative design language extends across the entire lineup, allowing them to play within these constraints. Choose from impressive models, including Type 1, Type 3, Type 5, or Type 8.

• Year founded: 2010
• Location: Antwerp, Belgium
• Style: Dress, Diving
• Popular models: Type 1, Type 3, Type 5, Type 8
• Price range: from $19,000 to $43,000
• Hero watch: Type 3

For some, Rolex is synonymous with luxury watchmaking, and it's no wonder it combines accessibility and style.

It's unlikely that the company's founders, Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis, knew that a century after creating their watch company, it would become the most popular luxury watch brand in the world. Over more than 100 years of its existence, Rolex became the first to produce waterproof watches, the first to have an automatic date window, and the first to produce GMT watches. From the Submariner to the Cosmograph Daytona, Rolex rarely does anything loud or unusual but has become a model of Swiss craftsmanship that finds a balance between luxury and accessibility.

• Year founded: 1905
• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Style: Sport, Diving, Chronograph
• Popular models: Submariner, Sky-Dweller, Daytona
• Price range: from $6,000 to $70,000
• Hero watch: Submariner

TAG Heuer, specializing in race-inspired watches, holds an unparalleled place in the automotive world.

Founded in 1860, this Swiss watch company has a rich history of developing watches for flight and automotive use. They were the first to develop the "Time of Trip" function and were used by Luftwaffe pilots. TAG Heuer (originally just Heuer) still holds respect in the racing community, collaborating with Porsche and appearing in car-themed films (see "Le Mans"). The brand produces some of the most iconic racing chronographs of all time, such as the Carrera and Formula 1 models. Recently, the company entered the smartwatch market with its modular Connected model.

• Year founded: 1860
• Location: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
• Style: Race-inspired, Chronograph
• Popular models: Carrera, Formula 1
• Price range: from $3,000 to $24,000
• Hero watch: Carrera Chronograph

As an offshoot of Rolex, Tudor specializes in incredible vintage-style divers like Black Bay and Pelagos.

In the world of luxury watch brands, Tudor is something like a teenager. A subsidiary of Rolex, Tudor released its line of watches in 1954 as a more adventurous lower-class line and has since become known worldwide. Their first watches were divers, and now, more than 60 years later, they are still known as producers of attractive and capable dive watches, such as the Black Bay and Pelagos models, with a special focus on vintage style in their latest offerings.

• Year founded: 1954
• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Style: Sport, Diving, Chronograph
• Popular models: Black Bay, Pelagos
• Price range: from $3,000 to $6,000
• Hero watch: Black Bay 54

Popular among the elite, VC watches specialize in complex complications embedded in their luxurious pieces.

A lot can be said about a luxury watch brand by who has worn their watches. In the case of the Swiss watch company Vacheron Constantin, their clientele includes royalty, popes, conquerors, and American presidents. That alone should tell you something about the pedigree of this brand, part of the "Big Three." Based in Geneva, Vacheron Constantin is a producer of some of the most unique complications, with the Patrimony series leading the way. Furthermore, this watch brand likely has the highest average price per watch among all major luxury brands.

• Year founded: 1755
• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Style: Dress, Sport, Luxury
• Popular models: Patrimony, Oversize
• Price range: from $12,000 to $100,000+
• Hero watch: Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date

The first brand to release manufactory watches, Zenith is best known today for its precise and futuristic-looking skeleton watches.

Founded in 1865, Zenith claims to be the first brand to use the "manufactory" concept (production and assembly of watches under one roof). Since then, the brand has consistently released fantastic watches with striking dials and surprisingly stable movements. Throughout the 1950s and 60s, the Swiss watch company won 230 awards for its legendary Caliber 135 movement at annual competitions held by the Neuchâtel Observatory, where timekeeping accuracy was noted when the second's precision was determined only by Earth's orbit around the sun (until 1967). Today, Zenith is best known for its prolific Defy series and numerous futuristic skeleton watches.

• Year founded: 1865
• Location: Le Locle, Switzerland
• Style: Sport, Chronograph, Skeleton, Pilot
• Popular models: Defy, Pilot Big Date
• Price range: from $12,000 to $134,000
• Hero watch: Defy 21 Skeleton