WHAT ARE THE TOP 10 LUXURY BRANDS?

With watch shops and authorised dealers (AD’s) selling multiple different watch brands, it can be hard to really know what are the best luxury watch makers out there. You might want to know this because you are curious to know or maybe this will even determine which watch brand you shop with. Regardless of the reason, today we’re going to go through the list of the top 10 most luxurious watch brands. Something to bear in mind is that there are also many small watch companies that make incredible pieces. However, we would have an article with over 1000 pages if we talked about all these brands, big and small, so we’re going to focus on the brands people have probably heard of.

Holy trinité of luxury watch

The top of the range of watchmaking

You may have heard the term ‘the holy trinity’ of watchmakers when reading about the highest level of watchmaking and this refers to the three best watchmakers, Patek Philippe, Audermars Piguet and Vacheron Constant. With all three watches having had the formidable artists Gerald Genter aid them with designs, these watchmakers spare no cost or detail to making nothing short of exquisite masterpieces. Of course, this all comes at a high cost hence they are often very desirable due to the level of craftsmanship and expensive and often very difficult to buy. With watches like this, you cannot make them easily nor quickly, these three brands do not follow demand or fashion trends, these three watch brands make classic watches and they do so with perfection. Hence, they are what most perceive to be the best watchmakers you can go to for the ultimate luxury watch.

Moving down the list it would be impossible to forget Rolex, a brand that has pioneered so much within the watch world and has become a household name. For many this is a watch people associate with success and accomplishment and it's not hard to see why. With a large range of classic and sports watches available, Rolex offers you some of the best swiss watch engineering money can buy.

The refined mechanical movement and durable cases, any and all Rolex watches were built to last the test of time and be worn proudly on the wearer's wrist. Rolex is almost synonymous with the word ‘luxury’ so it’s no surprise they made the list!

Rolex Daytona & Submariner

Source : @crbcp_

F.P.Journe & Jaeger LeCoultre watch

Source : Time & watches

Another similar but less heard of brand would be F.P.Journe and Jaeger LeCoultre (JLC). Both watchmakers do not invest nearly as much as many other luxury brands into their advertisement but that means nothing in terms of quality and luxury. If you’re looking for a watch that has been finished to a high level and possesses a rich heritage, JLC and F.P.Journe should definitely be a contender. Whilst being a quieter watch player, they take the time to craft all their watches and just like with Rolex, they have extremely high standards too. All the ingredients needed to become a luxury watch brand. 

The JLC reverso might be one of their most famous pieces, one watch with two faces is certainly a unique feature and gives you more diversity within one watch. F.P.Journe on the other hand is known for their Patek Philippe style watchmaking, they make very few pieces and all are mostly made by hand. Their dress watches are instantly recognizable and their different movements and dials make them a real statement piece so if you want a watch that’s quite exclusive and going to turn heads, F.P.Journe is the way to go!

F.P.Journe watch

Source :S.Song Watches

The more attractive watch brands

With the more recent decade of James Bond preferring the classy styles of Omega, Omega deserves a place on this list. Whilst maybe more affordable than the others and more readily available, Omega runs their operations on a larger scale but does not sacrifice quality at any point. Models like the Aqua Terra, Seamster and Speedmaster are just a few of their most famous watches. Especially amongst space enthusiasts, Omega holds the title of being the first watch to the moon, not something any other watch brand or model can claim.

Omega Aqua Terra

Source : Fratello watches

Like all the other brands we’ve mentioned, Omega is made in the heart of the watchmaking country Switzerland and shares the same high-quality watchmaking standard all the other brands do. Of course, because they are produced on a larger scale using both machine and skilled watch makers they are lower down the list but that does not mean to say they aren’t fantastic watches.

Similar to Omega, Cartier offers watches made to high standard with unique designs produced on a large scale. They are just as famous for their exquisite jewellery as they are for their iconic rectangular watches designed for sporty and dressy scenarios. The Cartier tank and Santos have definitely grown in popularity and possess rich history mixed with exquisite watch making from France, you’ve got the recipe for a luxurious 

Cartier watch

Source : Revolution Watch

The more attractive watch brands

TagHeuer

Source :@thewatchdude

Dropping down the price range we reach Tudor and TagHeuer, with Tudor being the sister company of Rolex, it instantly carries the principles of watch making to a high standard. However, Tudor tends to make more tool watches with less precious metals on them making them more affordable. However, they also offer the same models with more gold in the mix to dress it up. 


And finally, our last one on the list is TagHeuer, a watch brand that gets many people into the hobby and offers a wide range of sport watches at a competitive price with a rich history especially in motorsport. With over 150 years’ experience in watchmaking, they know as well as the other brands how to make a luxurious watch with excellent designs but at a lower price point.

There you have it, a list of the top 10 most luxurious watch brands that you’ve heard of in the industry. The next time you’re looking to buy a watch, you cannot go wrong with any of the watches from the watch brands mentioned here today and of course, there are many others as well. Horology is a beautiful thing, the more you learn and see, the more you discover just how many incredible brands there are out there for us to buy from! If you own a Rolex, Omega, Tudor or TagHeuer then make sure to check out our ZEALANDE straps. We make some of the best rubber straps in the industry to help you give your bracelet a break from scratches and to give your watch a sporty look.

— James Talbot