A Comprehensive Overview Of The Best Swiss Watches
If you’re in the market for a fine Swiss Watch, then it’s important to learn just exactly what your choices are. Do you want a affordable Swiss Army watch, or are you looking for a high-end luxury, automatic Rolex? The following article is designed to help you get a sense of the different brands and a bit about their history.
This article will cover the main brands, the very best Swiss watches you can get. They are:
- Victorinox Swiss Army
- Hamilton
- Movado
- IWC
- Brietling
- Louis Erard
- Panerai
- Baume and Mercier
- Jaeger-LeCoultre
- Longines
- Patek Philippe
- Tag Heuer
- Omega
- Vacheron Constantin
- Tissot
- Rolex
Victorinox Swiss Army (Established 1884)
Victorinox Swiss Army
The classic Swiss Army watch has been made by a few different companies (including Wegner). Currently, Victorinox is the sole manufacturer. They brought up Wegner a few years back. The company was founded in 1884 by a Swiss man named Karl Elsener. The name of the company is an homage to Karl’s mother. Her name was Victoria, and the INOX has to do with the french term for stainless steel (the company was orignally a knife manufacture–the legendary Swiss Army Watches). All of the steel for the blades used in the knives are from the Sandvik company, originally founded in Sandviken, Sweden in 1852.
The company started to manufacture watches in 1989. Originally, it was, like Wegner, makers of fine blades and cutlery. The Wegner and Victorinox both are exceptional watches. Both are Swiss made, and both have very similar designs. Wegner was founded in 1893 in Courtételle, which is an area in the Jura region of Switzerland.
Today, you are most likely to run into the Victorinix brand, as this is the company that still exists. Wegner was brought by Wegner a number of years back.
The classic Swiss Army Watch is the field style. This is the design that is somewhat distinct from other Swiss watches. It’s got a nylon strap, and a bright face with Arabic numerals. It has the date on it, but no other fancy complications. However, Swiss Army watches do come in more extravagant and fancy designs, such as the diver designs you can see here. These are modeled more closely after the Rolex, Omega, and Brietling lines of dive watches. You can find two really nice examples below on Amazon.
Original Design: Swiss Army Watch With Analog Display
43mm Case
12/24 Hour Display
You can swim with it.
Swiss Made
Swiss Army Stainless Steel Sport Watch
43 mm Case
Chronograph
Swimming and Snorkeling
Chronograph with 3 Subdials
Swiss Made
Hamilton (Established 1892)
Hamilton
Hamilton actually started out as an American watch company. The Hamilton Watch Company was founded in Pennsylvania in 1892. The company took its name from Alexander Hamilton, a lawyer famed for his defense of newspapers in the early American colonies, as well as one of the principal founders of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The company specialized in making pocket watches, and was the leading supplier of Railroad watches. Railmen needed accurate timepieces in order to maintain the safe passage of trains. Back before computerized operations, everything ran according to timetables. If you ever see an old movie set during the heyday of railroad travel, you will see the railroad workers all using pocket watches.
Hamilton eventually moved into military production. During the period of World War 2, Hamilton ceased making watches for civilians and focused on making Navy watches. They made watches for use as marine chronometers. These were used all throughout the US Navy. They also were responsible for making the first electric watch. So, while they have a classic look, the company was in truth always forward thinking and on the cutting edge of watch technology.
The company also has a strong history with aviation. They were first involved with aviation back in 1919 when they supplied the watches for the pilots who flew the US Airmail services. They later became a favorite watch with commercial airline pilots starting in the 1930s. They are currently connected with the helicopter rescue service run by Air Zermatt in Switzerland.
In 1966, Hamilton purchased a Swiss watch company called Buren Watch Company, which was a fine Swiss company located in the town of Büren an der Aare. This acquisition lead to some great improvements for Hamilton watches, namely the Micro-motor design that was one of the first automatic watch movements.
A few years later, in 1969, production in the U.S. ended and operations moved to Switzerland. Years later, during the early 1970s, the Omega and Tissot brands. They ended up being brought up by the European watch company Swatch.
The watches have shown up in movies such as Jack Ryan, Interstellar, The Avengers, and Men in Black.
Hamilton Khaki Field Watch
38mm Case
Sapphire Crystal
Beautiful Silver Dial
Silvertone Arabic Numbers
Lush Alligator Leather Strap With Detailed White Stitching
42mm Case
Movado- (Established 1881 reborn in 1983)
Movado
Movado is not a Swiss watch. The original company was founded in the late 1800s in Switzerland (1881, to be exact). But it was purchased in 1983 by a Cuban Jew watchmaker. The watchmaker was named Gedalino Grinberg. He fled from Cuba because of Castro and enved up in Miami. Later, he moved up to New York City where he started a watch import company that handeled Swiss watches.
The iconic “Museum Watch” is the Movado signature. This design has an interesting history. It was originally a Vacheron Constantin design, but the early Movado company began making their own versions. The “Museum Watch” was designed by the influential designer Nathan George Horwitt. He designed it for the historic Swiss company Vacheron Constantin. There were lawsuits, and eventually Movado settled with Horwitt.
Movado Museum Watch
Stainless Steel Movado Museum Watch
40mm Wide Case
Swiss Quartz Movement
IWC (Established 1868)
IWC Swiss Watch
The International Watch Company was the idea of an American named Florentine Ariosto Jones. He was the head of a Boston watchmaking company. His idea was to have a combination of the high end Swiss craftsmanship and American marketing and technological advancements. The problem was that when he went to Switzerland, he encounter push back from many Swiss labors who didn’t want to risk losing their jobs to competition. At the time, western Switzerland was where most of the fine watches were made. So, in order to find workers who would show up at the factory (instead of just do watch making work from their home to prevent being fired) Florentine headed to east Switzerland. This was close to the German border. The economy was more depressed than in Western Switzerland. So he headed over to Schaffhausen, which had been a town that was looking for something to help them survive the coming economic changes that the new age was bringing.The factory was build in 1869. The business grew, and in 1874 a new building was designed, and a few years later it was built on the banks of the Rhine river.
The IWC factory ran into difficulties because of it’s proximity to Germany during World War 2. The factory was bombed, however the dropped bombs failed to detonate and explode the factory. The bombs did cause a huge fire to breakout, but this was dealt with by the companies fire brigade.
IWC Portuguese Model
The IWC Portugese is one of the most influential watch designs in the entire world. The concept was born when a pair of Portugese watchmakers visited the Swiss factory and spoke about the desire to have a wristwatch that would be capable of having the same precision and accuracy that was at the time only found in large maritime pocket watches. So, the IWC company designed the Portuguese model. It was much larger than other wristwatches of the day. The prevailing style for wristwatches during that time period was small(this was in the 30s when movement such as Art Deco and even holdouts from the Art Nouveau movement reigned supreme).
IWC Portofino
40mm Case
Leather Strap
Sapphire
Automatic Movement
Breitling- Established 1884
Breitling
Breitling was formed in 1884. The company is world renowned for making exciting development sin horology, including advances in chronograph technology.
The Breitling brand became incredibly popular among astronauts and pilots. Many of the early NASA space program astronauts wore Breitling watches with chronographs.
The history of Breitling and chronograph design is long (including the 1923 separation of Start and Stop function, and the 1969 invention of the self-winding chronograph movement).
Breitling Navitimer
This is one of the most famous Swiss watches in the world. It’s the Breitling Navitimer. The chronograph design made it a much loved item with pilots. It was also used by astronauts, including Scot Carpenter during his trip in Auroa 7 (which makes it the first Chronograph watch to make it into space).
This is the iconic Breitling Navitimer.
43mm Wide Case
Beautiful Leather Strap
Automatic Self Winder (no batteries)
Breitling Superavenger
Really a standout watch. It’s nice and big, has the amazing chronograph design, as well as a beautiful blue dial and stainless steel design.
48mm Wide
Stainless Steel
Self Winding Chronograph
300 Meters Water Resistant
* When reading reviews of high end Swiss Watches make sure to weed out the fake reviews (some people make fun of high end watches and post sarcastic reviews–for instance, this watch does not require a battery and some people complain about the battery cost!).
When you buy a Breitling from a good seller like Amazon you won’t have to worry about buying a fake (lots of the cheap knock offs on the street (fake Rolex, Breitling, IWC) will have batteries! You can also get these in high end jewelry stores but it’s often cheaper to get them online from reputable sellers such as Amazon.
Louis Erard Swiss Watch- Established 1931
Louis Erad
Louis Erard watches date back to 1931. The founder of the company (Louis Erard) set up the company in the Switzerland town of La Chaux-de-Fonds. The company not only made fine Swiss watches, they also made watch cases for other Swiss watch brands. The company later moved (in 1992) to the Swiss Jura area called Le Noirmont.
The company is highly prized among watch enthusiasts because they make some of the finest and well crafted watches in the world, but are not priced as much as some of the more “famous” names such as Rolex and the other heavy hitters. Louis Erard watches have absolutely gorgeous design, intricate complications, and unparalleled craftsmanship. One commentator in the watch world said that when people are looking at high price points, they really want a “name” so these less famous top of the line watches are an absolute bargain. You’re getting the best in Swiss watch design, without spending a huge amount of money.
Louis Erard Automatic
40mm Case
Calfskin Strap
Louis Erard Automatic With Blue Dial With Moon Phase
42mm Case
Blue Design
Moon Phase
Panerai* Established 1860
Panerai*
(The Star is because this is technically an Italian watch, though it is owned by a Swiss company and has ties to Rolex)
This is an interesting Swiss Watch in that it’s actually Italian. The watches are a combination of Swiss and Italian design. The company was founded in 1860 by Giovanni Panerai. He opened a shop in Florence. The company was a main supplier of watches to the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) and the modern Italian Navy (Marina Militare). They also made watches that were used by the Egyptian Navy. Eventually the company moved on from making watches for the military and focused on making watches for the private market.
The watches are made in very limited production runs. They got a lot of public attention after the famous Hollywood actor Slyvester Stallone got involved with the company while he was filming the movie Daylight. Sly end up getting a number of Penerai watches engraved. Panerai also ended up working with the luxury car company Ferrari. The brand is currently owned by Richemont.
Baume and Mercier – Established 1830
Baume and Mercier
Baume and Mercier was founded in Switzerland in 1830 by two brothers. Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume decided to choose to set up their shop in the Jura region (the mountain region of Switzerland where many of the best Swiss watch companies are located). One of Baume and Mercier’s most iconic design choices was the non-traditional shapes that they pioneered. While they do make classic round watches, they are remembered for pioneering square and rectangle shaped watches.
This is an example of the non-standard shape that Baume and Mercier watches were famous for.
A great design. Clear Arabic numerals. Soft thick strap.
Leather Band
42 mm case
Swiss Quartz Movement
Jaeger–LeCoultre (Established 1833)
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre was founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833. The LeCoultre family arrived in Switzerland several hundred years before in order to escape religious persecution in France. The family were Huguenots and they ended up settling in the Geneva, Switzerland. This was around 1558 or 1560. They later moved to an area called Vallee de Joux.
Antoine LeCoultre was born in 1803. As mentioned, he started his watchmaking shop in 1833. His expertise in horology was so impressive that by 1840 he had already the worlds most precise watch in existence. He later went on to win gold medals for his complications and meticulous watchmaking skills.
LeCoultre went on to create a large watchmaking factory. This was in contrast to the small scale, home based production that many Swiss watch makers employed at the time. During this time period LeCoultre was responsible for supplying parts to Patek Philippe.
In 1903, LeCoultre first became involved with the French watchmaking company Jaeger. The French company Cartier entered into an agreement with Jager whereby Cartier would have exclusive rights to Jaeger material. These movements were made by LeCoultre. The two companies had first gotten involved after a challenge was issued by the Jaegar horologists to make an ultra thin movement. This partnership eventually led to the deal with Cartier, and finally in 1937 the two companies joined together to form Jaeger -LeCoultre.
Longines- Established 1832
Longines
Longines was founded in 1832 by a man named Auguste Agassiz. The Agassiz family was one of the most powerful families in Switzerland and have been involved in trading firms, finance, real estate, and even were connected with Napoleon. The founders brother was the famed Swiss naturalist Louis Agassiz. The watches bear the iconic “winged hourglass” symbol.
In 1876, Jacques David went to the United States to a watch exhibition in Philadelphia. David was the technical director at Longines. What he saw in Philadelphia changed Swiss watchmaking from one that was based around etablissage (the classic Swiss system where watch artisans worked independently in their homes and then the pieces were used by the watch companies). The larger factory model had already been set into motion by Auguste Agassiz’s nephew Ernest Fancillon. He had set up a factory in Saint-Imier.
Longines began selling high precision chronographs in America starting around 1881. These were particularly popular with the horse racing world. Later, the company becomes involved in both Navy watch deigns, and aeronautics. In 1931, Longines is tasked with building a special watch or famed explorer Charles Lindbergh.
Patek Philippe (Established 1851)
Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe was founded in 1851. It has its earliest beginnings back in 1839. At that time a watchmaker from Poland by the name of Antoni Patek began making watches. Antoni Patek fought in the November Uprising against the Russians. He later left and moved to France, and then, eventually moved to Switzerland. Antoni Patek tried many professions, including trading wine, painting, and finally trading watches. At first, Antoni traded watches that were praised for their engraved cases. Later, Antoni moved on to purchasing movements and placed them into cases which he chose.
Antoni Patek aligned with François Czapek and they began making watches in 1839. The Patek, Czapek & Co was around from 1839 to 1845. The watches were exquisite and made to the highest standards. The company produced around 200 handmade watches a year. Many of the designs on the watches featured iconography and designs from Polish history (including the venerated Black Madonna).*
In 1845 Patek and Czapek had a disagreement and separated their operations. A few years later the French watchmaker Adrien Philippe (the inventor o the key-less winding design for watches) teamed up with Patek. The result was the formation of one of the worlds most respected watch companies.
This is a super expensive watch, and you will notice all the sarcastic reviews on Amazon from people who surely didn’t buy it. But if you do happen to want a watch, and are the type comfortable buying yachts and private jets…then this is the watch for you.
Tag Heuer
Tag Heuer is one of the most respected names in the world of watchmaking. The company was founded by Edouard Heuer in 1860 in the town of Saint-Imier. Right off the bat the company was influential in regards to watch design and innovation. Heuer introduced the influential oscillating pinion design that is one of the most important innovations in chronograph. Most modern precision chronographs use this oscillating pinion design that Heuer invented.
Tag Heuer was also instrumental in developing the automatic chronograph movement during the early 1960s. Tag Heuer teamed up with Brietling (the Swiss company legendary for pioneering the chronograph in watches) and Hamilton to create the worlds first automatic chronograph. They joined forces because there was competition from Japanese watch companies (Seiko).
Because Omega was so instrumental in designing chronographs, the watches have been worn by everyone from German pilots in the Lutwaffle to American race car drivers and astronauts. John Glenn, for instance, wore a Tag Heuer watch during his Mercury 6 flight(the first manned space mission that orbited the earth). They have a series of iconic designs, including the racing inspired Monaco, Formula One, and Aquaracer.
Tag Heuer Formula 1
Sapphire Window
41mm Wide
Quartz Movement
Tag Heuer Monaco Automatic Chronograph
You might have seen this watch in Breaking Bad. It’s the watch that Jesse gave Walt.
The classic Tag chronograph design.
Beautiful Blue Face
Self Winding
39mm Case
Tag Heuer Aquaracer Chronograph
41mm wide case
Sapphire Crystal
Chronograph Features With Two Subdials
Quartz Movement
Omega Swiss Watches
Omega is one of the worlds most famous luxury Swiss watch brands. The company grew out of La Generale Watch Company. The founder, Louis Brandt, was originally involved in taking different watch parts from artisans and assembling them and then selling them across the world (Italy, England). The company was setup in La Chaux-de-Fonds, which is the famous town in the Swizz Jura mountain region. Brandt’s sons developed a system that was alternative to the independent watchmaker model. The new design allowed for all of the watch parts to be made in one location. These watches were marketed under a different name: Omega. After the great success of Omega, the two companies were separated and Omega went on to become one of the worlds leading watchmaking firms.
The Omega company went on to buy up other prestigious watch companies, including Langendorf (one of the La Chaux-de-Fonds based watch companies that made innovative chronograph designs. They then became the number one selling watch Switzerland, even outselling the famed Rolex (Omega and Tissot had joined forces).
The biggest change came during the seventies when he Japanese watch companies (led by Seiko) began making Quartz watches. While companies like Rolex decided to stick with the mechanical movements, Omega led the charge in pioneering the Swiss quartz watches.
Over the years the company has been home to some of the more historic advancements in horology. These innovations include advances in tourbillon design, escapement, and chronograph design.
And of course the watch has a stories history of being associated with NASA, the armed forces, as well as Hollywood. For instance, the James Bond films use to use Rolex, but later they moved on to using Omega. The Omega was also the first watch ever worn on the Moon. Buzz Aldrin wore an Omega Speedmaster.
Omega Seamaster
41mm Wide Case
Automatic Self Winding
Classic Blue and Silver Design
Omega Speedmaster
42mm Wide Case
Mechanical Hand Wound Movement
Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin is one of the oldest watch companies in the world (only Blancpain is older, and not by much). The company was founded in Geneva in 1755. The company has been the favorite watch of some of the most powerful and influential people of all time (Napoleon, Harry Truman, Pope Pius X1, and the Duke of Windsor). In 1880 the company chose to use the Maltese Cross.
The company also went through a series of different designs (round, tonneau, and later a curved square). The watches are expensive. They do sell certified pre-owned as well as new ones.
Tissot
Tissot was founded in 1853 in an area of Switzerland called Le Locle. The company was founded by a father and son ( Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile). The area they chose to set up shop in was located in the Jura mountain region of Switzerland, which is where many of the fine watchmaking companies are located.
The company was innovative when it came to materials. It was one of the first to make watches using plastics, stone, and wood for the high end luxury market. The company was also technologically innovative in the use of pocketwatch design that had two time zones.
One interesting historical item about Tissot was that they were involved in selling pocketwatches throughout Russia. Before World War 2, Czarist era Russia loved fine watches, and Tissot was perhaps the most successful selling to Russian society. They had one particular pocket watch design (the savonnette) that was particularly popular in Russia. Czar Nicholas 2 even had a Tissot.
Tissot later hooked up with Omega and the two companies joined forces and merged, and late still they went under the Swatch umbrella.
Swiss Automatic Movement
40 mm Wide Case
Beautiful Leather Strap
Rolex (Established 1905)
Rolex
Rolex is probably the most well known of all of Swiss Watch brands, so it might surprise you to learn that the brand was actually started in London, and not Geneva or somewhere in the Mountain region. The man who founded Rolex was, however, Swiss by way of Germany. He was a man by the name of Hans Wilsdorf. He was an orphan from Germany who later moved to the La Chaux De-Found region of Switzerland which is where all of the finest Swiss watchmakers were. He apprenticed as a young kid to some of the most skilled watchmakers in the La Chaux de-Fond region. Eventually, he moved to London where he setup shop and imported fine Swiss watch materials and assembled his own watches for sale.
Rolex was founded in 1905, in London, but eventually, because of taxes, he moved the entire office and production to Switzerland. He had already set up a shop in La Chaux De-Found. The official setting for the company eventually became Geneva.
Over the years Rolex has been one of the most innovative companies in horology. They created the Oyster back (now found on most high end Swiss watches). Rolex was also the first to create a fine luxury watch that was safe diving to 100 meters (the Submariner).
In an age where fine Swiss Watches are some of the only timepieces still made to the excellent standards of traditional craftsmanship, Rolex is a perfect example of this excellence.
Rolex was also involved in Quartz design. Even though most Rolex watches don’t use Quartz batteries, the watchmakers and engineers at Rolex have always been involved in Quartz innovation, often in cooperation with other Swiss watchmakers such as Omega.
Footnotes