The World’s Best Luxury Watch Brands
With your life moving faster than ever, keeping track of time is essential. Sure, you can do it with your phone, but why not do it in style, with one of the world’s best luxury watches on your wrist?
Luxury watches are destined to never go out of fashion. No phone can beat the exceptional elegance and rich history of a beautifully crafted timepiece. Checking the time becomes a rather exciting endeavor with one of these watches.
A proper mechanical watch isn’t just to tell time. A watch from one of the best luxury watch brands in the world is an emotional and financial investment. A treasured possession. And it will most likely go on to become a prized family heirloom.
Our list of the best watch brands in the world today is here to help you find the watch that’s best for you. This guide was created based on in-depth research to identify the luxury watch manufacturers that enjoy a global reputation for delivering high-quality timepieces. A demonstration of exquisite craftsmanship, incomparable aesthetic sensibility, and a passion for pushing boundaries have distinguished these brands as the best top-tier watchmakers today.
The best luxury watch brands of 2022
Rolex
Patek Philippe
Audemars Piguet
A.Lange & Söhne
Omega
Jaeger-LeCoultre
IWC Schaffhausen
Cartier
Nord green
Vacheron Constantin
1. Rolex
If there’s one watch brand out there that everybody knows, it’s Rolex. The very name has become a byword for luxury and exclusivity. Wearing a Rolex is more than just wearing a watch. It’s a statement of power and prestige. There’s a good reason why people still buy Rolex watches despite the Apple Watch’s dominance in the global industry.From its classic collection to its dive and yacht-master watches, Rolex applies its decades of horological experience and technical know-how to the question of creating quality swiss timepieces that owners can carry with them all their lives—and pass on to their children.
Rolex watches have been worn to some of the most remote places on earth; into wild and challenging terrains, down into the depths of the ocean, and up onto lofty mountain peaks. If you needed proof that a Rolex isn’t just a fashion accessory, then this is it.
The company was the first to patent a waterproof watch: the famous Oyster model. They also brought the first self-winding watch to the market in 1945. A Rolex is also one of the favored timepieces of the world’s most famous spy, James Bond—further evidence of Rolex’s commitment to all things daring and intrepid.
2. Patek Philippe
Switzerland has become synonymous with luxury watches and one of the top Swiss watch brands of all time is Patek Philippe. The last family-owned independent watch manufacturer left in Geneva, the company was founded in 1839 and has remained in the hands of the Stern family since then. This continuity of ownership allows Patek Philippe to maintain its unique identity. The brand takes its creative freedom seriously.
Indeed, it’s Patek Philippe’s unparalleled approach to design that has allowed the swiss manufacturer to achieve status as one of the best watch companies in the world.
Unanimously declared by experts to be responsible for some of the finest timepieces in existence, Patek Philippe watches are created on the basis of decades of knowledge and horological understanding. What makes a Patek Philippe watch so special is the fact that each detail has been finished by hand by a dedicated master craftsman. Just look at the brand’s mechanical chronograph watches to see how far Patek Philippe can push the boundaries of complications. These are also some of the most expensive watches on the planet.
3. Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet is one of the most famous high-end watch companies in the world. Created in the Vallée de Joux of the Jura Mountains in Switzerland by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet, AP watches now travel the world on the wrists of the rich and famous, including the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jay-Z, and James LeBron. What secured AP a seat at the table among the most successful global watch brands was its Royal Oak model. Introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was the first stainless steel sports watch to be marketed as a luxury timepiece, combining style and durability for the first time ever.
The first customer to buy a Royal Oak was the Shah of Iran. The timepiece has since gone on to become the brand’s flagship model—highly prized and worn by men and women alike.
While not as much of a household name as Rolex, perhaps, Audemars Piguet offers something else to would-be wearers: a sense of exclusivity that can only come with being slightly under the radar.
Effortlessly stylish, an AP watch is a demonstration of true creativity and artistry. While many wristwatch brands boast about their level of precision or incredible durability, AP pays just as much attention to impeccable finishes, intricate motifs, and eye-catching engravings.
4. A. Lange & Söhne
The first German luxury watch brand on our list, at A. Lange and Söhne, excellence and perfection is a priority at every stage of the process. The company prides itself on the dedication of all its workers and their commitment to consistently delivering the best.
At the heart of A. Lange and Söhne is a unique history. Founded in 1845, the company was expropriated after the Second World War. It wasn’t until after the reunification of Germany in 1990 that it would return.
It was Walter Lange, great-grandson of original founder Ferdinand A. Lange, who opened the doors to business again—launching the company back on its path to watch-making success.
With an intuitive understanding of aesthetics and an unwavering commitment to precision, A. Lange & Söhne’s designs stand out from the crowd of luxury watches with their distinct appearance that is very different from that of the Swiss watch brands.
5. Omega
The first brand from the Swatch Group on our list, Omega has been delivering exceptional luxury watches to horophiles and watch collectors for more than 170 years.
Omega watches have traveled to the North Pole, been launched into space, and descended into the depths of the ocean in submarines. As a consequence, Omega has gained a reputation as one of the successful wristwatch brands in the world.
Founded in 1848 in a small Swiss village under the name Louis Brandt & Fil, the company launched its first series-produced caliber—the ‘Labrador’—in 1885. In 1892 they introduced the world to a minute-repeating watch—the first of its kind. In 1894, they produced the Omega caliber, whose success prompted a change of name to the Omega Watch Company.
Since then, the pace of success has hardly slowed for Omega. Indeed, Omega watches have broken several precision records. At the 1931 Geneva observatory trials—nicknamed the Olympics of watchmaking—Omega came first place in all six categories.
6. Jaeger-LeCoultre
If you’re looking for a luxury timepiece that will definitely turn heads, then you have to see the collections of high-end watch brand, Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Jaeger-LeCoultre is known within the industry for its inventiveness. In fact, JLC has developed over 1,200 individual calibers and holds 400 unique patents—a testament to its capacity for cutting-edge design.
Take, for example, the brand’s Reverso collection, born in 1930 at the peak of the Art Deco movement. With its legendary rectangular design, it’s a horological great—and the perfect unisex watch.
Or what about the aptly named Grande Complication—known as one of the world’s most complicated watches? The company is also responsible for the world’s smallest mechanical movement, named the Calibre 101.
7. IWC Schaffhausen
When shopping for a luxury watch, it’s easy to get bogged down in the details: the mechanics and the complex internal workings. But at the end of the day, you also need to ask: does it look good? Does it complement your personal style? An IWC Schaffhausen watch is that rare thing: a luxury accessory that marries flawless functionality with exceptional design.
The International Watch Company (IWC) was founded in 1868 by a Bostonian: Florentine Ariosto Jones. The company created a name for itself by bringing together innovative new American production techniques with the traditional skills of master Swiss watchmakers. The result? World-class watches that stand out both aesthetically and in terms of reliability.
While the majority of Swiss watch manufacturers are located in the west of the country, IWC Schaffhausen is located in the east, where it makes use of the Rhine river for hydropower.
8. Cartier
When someone says Cartier, your first thought might be jewelry. Indeed, Cartier was famously jeweler to the kings. But this world-renowned designer started off making watches. In fact, today, Cartier’s range of luxury watches are some of the most celebrated timepieces on the market and the brand has established itself as a major player within the watch-making industry.
While you might associate Cartier with tradition and heritage—it is, after all, somewhat of an institution—the brand is eager to upturn convention and push boundaries. In its technologically advanced watchmaking laboratory, the company’s best craftsmen practice little-known and impressive techniques such as gold granulation and grisaille enamel.
As a result, Cartier’s designs are often unusual with distinct configurations that set them apart from the crowd. The brand is best known for its ‘Tank’ range of watches—now considered iconic by many.
9. Nord green
Up-and-coming Danish luxury watch brand Nord green is fast becoming a reference for simple yet impactful minimalist design. With Jakob Wagner as its Chief Designer, the brand focuses on the essence of what a watch means for the wearer to create long-lasting and enduring watches. Jakob Wagner is known for his work with Bang & Olufsen and other major Scandinavian brands.Created in Denmark, Nord green’s watches bring a modern approach to classic Nordic design. They’re also the first affordable watch brand on our list, which deserves a spot in the top ten.
Nord green’s philosophy is centered around social consciousness and being fully carbon-neutral. Any carbon generated throughout the manufacturing or shipping process is offset by planting trees.
We particularly like the brand’s efforts to offer their watches in multiple sizes, from 32mm in their women’s collection up to 42mm for their men’s collection. None of them come across as oversize or opulent, however. These watches are perfectly balanced for a timeless aesthetic. Check our Nord green watches review to see if they could be a good match for you too.
10. Vacheron Constantin
Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin is the most established luxury watch brand on this list—and the world’s oldest continuously operating watch-maker.
With 265 years of horological expertise behind it, this high-end watch brand has plenty of experience in producing quality and aesthetically outstanding timepieces.
But heritage and tradition only get you so far. Indeed, Vacheron Constantin continues to push creative boundaries and develop its technical capabilities, and is unceasing in its delivery of exceptional luxury watches that owners will wear their whole lives.
What’s more, the Vacheron Constantin workshop only produces a limited number of pieces. This not only guarantees that each one is made with the highest level of care and attention but also accords the brand with a level of exclusivity that can only come with rarity. Owning a Vacheron Constantin is like being admitted to an elite club.
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