There are plenty of expensive watch brands around the world. In top 10 rankings, the order changes depending on the comparison criterion. However, the top ranks are often occupied by the same manufacturers with many similarities: They love visionary ideas as much as traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and are mostly based in Switzerland.

Rolex – popular status symbol

When it comes to prestigious luxury, Rolex is intuitively accorded the top position in the list of watch brands. This is true even for people who neither know nor can identify with exclusive timepieces. This unparalleled popularity is based on the mix of tasteful aesthetics and practical added value to which the Geneva-based luxury brand has been committed since its entry in the commercial register in 1913.

Sometimes it took a Rolex newcomer to win hearts – for example, the stainless steel Daytona chronograph. It aroused little enthusiasm when it debuted in 1963 and was sold rather cheaply. Nowadays, it is among the models of the top 10 watch brands that are enormously popular. This was helped by an original by Paul Newman, which they auctioned off for around 16 million euros in 2017.

Avant-garde bestsellers from Le Brassus – Audemars Piguet

Soon after its foundation in 1875, Audemars Piguet was among the best watch brands, appreciated for masterpieces with precious decorations made of precious metals and stones. But the breakthrough came with the opposite: in 1972, the Royal Oak was among the first luxury watches with a decidedly sporty design: as revolutionary as the stainless steel manufacturing was the octagonal bezel with the same number of screws saucily seeking the limelight.

When it comes to expensive watch brands, Audemars Piguet is represented in the top 10 because the casual Royal Oak made design history. The company founded by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward August Piguet is one of those watch labels whose luxury character is not obvious to many laymen. It is precisely this underlying exclusivity that appeals to many watch lovers.

Omega – the heavenly star among the top 10 watch labels

When adventurous people are asked to name expensive watch brands for the top 10 ranking, Omega lands far in front. Since the registration of the brand name in 1894, the timepieces have been appreciated for their technical sophistication. Early on, the manufacturer impressed with records related to precision. These advances gave the Masterpieces starring roles in expeditions that do not forgive any inaccuracies or material weaknesses.

For the Speedmaster Professional alone, selected by NASA for the first lunar expeditions, Omega has earned a regular place among the top 10 watch brands. Although other brand collections are just as noteworthy, the Moonwatch’s fan base is particularly large.

First choice of the French Emperor – Breguet

Napoleon Bonaparte treated himself to three pocket watches from the repertoire of the Breguet manufacture. Other expensive watch brands in the top 10 charts are green with envy at this vita. More significant than the celebrity clientele for watch lovers are the groundbreaking ideas with which Abraham Louis Breguet paved the way to the first functional wristwatch between 1780 and 1810.

Breguet hairspring, pare-chute shock protection or filigree hand with a circle at the tip: the inventions of the talented watchmaker still characterize handmade masterpieces from Breguet and other luxury brands. The sympathetic philosophy of the watch manufacture: it wants to preserve the time and be ahead of it – for example, with the Tradition collection, which invites the study of the movement on both sides.

Zenith – Top 10 timepieces with pioneering movements

If the focus is on the incessant pursuit of innovation, Zenith has to be counted among the top 10 watch brands. Ultra-flat, high-frequency, or accurate to a hundredth of a second: the timepieces from Le Locle contain movements that amaze experts.

Zenith achieved an international breakthrough in 1969 with a world first: the first automatic chronograph movement. In the meantime, high-frequency movements are a matter of course at the Swiss chronograph professional, which generally ranks among the best watch labels.

Top 10 jewelry watch design company – Chopard

Expensive watch brands in the top 10 league with jewelry aesthetics to fall in love with: If that’s what you’re looking for, Chopard is the place to go. Founded in 1860, the brand offers high-quality men’s watches, but is on top form when it comes to creating enchanting women’s watches.

The Happy Diamonds collection lives up to its name: from discreet to expressive, sparkling diamonds characterize the playfully designed timepieces. Chopard is one of the watch brands that interpret luxury in a passionate and diverse way. Necklaces or rings to match the cocktail watch? The noble brand fulfills such wishes with its multifaceted jewelry assortment.

Blancpain – underestimated top ten pioneer

Founded in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, the manufacture should actually be one of the universally known top 10 watch brands. First self-winding wristwatch (1926), diving watch pioneer Fifty Fathoms (1953) or the smallest automatic movement for ladies’ dress watches Ladybird (1956): Often, the ambitious manufacturer passed the finish line at the same time or just ahead of its competitors in terms of groundbreaking innovations. Thus, when it comes to major watch labels, Blancpain cannot be missing from the list. This was the view not only of oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, but also of Marilyn Monroe.

Horological extravaganza from Lake Geneva – Hublot

If you prefer fancy accessories and expensive watch brands, a top 10 rank is reserved for Hublot. Since its debut in 1980, the bold mix of materials has characterized the brand’s signature design, as has the watch shape, which resembles a porthole. In 2005, the manufacturer debuted the Big Bang chronograph, whose look pops – literally. That goes for the material contrast richness and the extroverted decor, which sometimes seems a touch over the top. Does your heart beat for purist timepieces? Then Hublot is probably not one of your personal top watch brands.

Breitling – high-flyer from the Bernese Jura

Léon Breitling was interested in measuring instruments that performed professional tasks in scientific, sporting and industrial scenarios. His manufacture, founded in 1884, served up swift advances in watchmaking technology that impressed a major pilots’ association. It recommended the Navitimer as a pilot’s watch. On land, underwater, or in the air, Breitling is among the top 10 watch brands valued for brilliant engineering and sophisticated functionality.

Patek Philippe – masterfully complicated or simply beautiful

Patek Philippe’s passion for complicated timepieces ensures that it regularly takes first place in top watch brand rankings. Handcrafted decorations, refined reversible cases and 20 complications, some of which can be enjoyed acoustically: One look at the watchmaking sensation, auctioned in 2019 for more than 30 million Swiss francs, is enough to understand its reputation. In the meantime, the Grandmaster Chime ennobles the brand assortment in a strictly limited edition.

As desirable as the complicated watches are uncomplicated evergreens – for example, the ultra-flat Ellipse. The elegant evening watches only display hours and minutes, because more information seems superfluous in the evening savoir-vivre. Since its founding in 1839, the manufacture has created fewer watches than other luxury brands market each year. That’s why Patek Philippe is irresistibly beautiful, but hard to come by.

Der Beitrag Top 10 watch brands erschien zuerst auf Uhrinstinkt Magazine.

Gérald Genta, Max Bill, Richard Orlinski: the most famous watch designers of all time are inextricably linked with their masterpieces, some of which have been causing excitement on our wrists for decades. Other design watches come from the pens of talents who are rather unknown outside the watch world. We take a look behind the facades of six of the most prominent creations of our time and illuminate the minds behind their success.

Junghans Max Bill

Bauhaus in its purest form: when Swiss architect, painter and sculptor Max Bill was commissioned by Junghans in the mid-1950s to design a kitchen clock, he gave top priority to perfect legibility and created a dial whose sober and simple design remains legendary to this day. In 1961, the corresponding wristwatch followed, immediately adopting the succinct name of its creator and becoming the German watch legend par excellence: for over 60 years, the Junghans Max Bill has been a best-seller and today’s collection holds more design watches than ever before. Whether men or women, quartz or automatic, chronograph or radio-controlled watch: the purist icon from the Black Forest draws old and young into its wake and is the ultimate flagship of the traditional brand. One of our absolute favorites is the Max Bill Chronoscope with black dial (Ref. 027/4601.02), which discreetly packs its stop function and has an extremely noble aesthetic in its dark design. The latter is further enhanced by the domed case and crystal shape, which makes each Max Bill stand out from the crowd.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

Stainless steel watches in the luxury segment? Unthinkable before the introduction of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in 1972. The iconic design watch was created by Swiss Gérald Genta, a freelance designer in 1970, who was commissioned by Audemars Piguet to create an entirely new waterproof sports watch. Within 24 hours, Genta delivers the revolutionary result: never before had design watches had an octagonal bezel with visible screws and nestled on the wrist with an integrated bracelet. Initially, success was limited because, despite its steel case, the designer watch was more expensive than many a gold watch of the 1970s. But in the decades that followed, the Royal Oak became the most successful high-end sports watch of all time, was given a beefy sister model in the form of the Royal Oak Offshore, and became the aesthetic model for countless other designer watches. For example, for the Patek Philippe Nautilus, introduced in 1976, which Gérald Genta is said to have drawn on a napkin in less than five minutes.

Nomos Glashütte Metro

German Design Award, Red Dot, Good Design: Within a short time of its unveiling in 2014, the Nomos Glashütte Metro clears some of the most important design prizes in our country. Dubbed a “classic of the future” by the manufacturer, the timeless piece owes its success to Berlin-based Mark Braun. He has been a professor at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Saar since 2015 and can look back on numerous collaborations with renowned brands – from Viennese crystal glass manufacturer Lobmeyr to furniture manufacturers such as Hartô or E15. With the Metro, Mark Braun has created a design watch that stands out expressively from the rest of the Nomos range. Not only the fine knurled pattern on the crown and the applied lugs, but also the literally “spot-on” dial gives the design watches a modern yet classically elegant character. In the meantime, the collection has grown to over ten variants, ranging from the classic to the luxury model in 18-karat rose gold. Whether you prefer the designer watch with a hand-wound or automatic movement is a matter of taste.

Nomos Glashütte Autobahn

Werner Aisslinger is not only one of the most important designers of our time, but also a self-confessed lover of high speeds. The fact that the internationally recognized artist likes things to be fast and sporty is reflected in the name and appearance of the Nomos Glashütte Autobahn: while the centrally positioned, concise luminous ring is reminiscent of the aesthetics of a tachometer, the curved edge of the dial marks a reminiscence of the north curve of the Berlin Avus for Aisslinger. Paired with the wide date window at six o’clock and the clear typography, the overall look of the design watches conveys pure sportiness while maintaining the simplicity typical of Nomos. What looks harmless during the day comes to life spectacularly in the dark thanks to the expansive luminous material. Just as the German autobahns with their boundless freedom mark an international peculiarity, the Nomos Glashütte is unique in the watch world. No doubt about it: this designer watch by Werner Aisslinger will continue on its successful course for many years to come.

Hublot Classic Fusion Orlinski Titanium White Alternative Pave 40 mm

What does a wristwatch from the pen of an internationally renowned sculptor and pop artist look like? Hublot provides the answer with the Classic Fusion Orlinski Titanium White Alternative Pave 40 mm (Ref. 550.NS.2200.RW.1604.ORL20): Like Frenchman Richard Orlinski’s famous animal figures, his watch captivates us with angular geometry and looks like a giant cut diamond. This is not a far-fetched association: the titanium case is set with 210 brilliant-cut diamonds, the bezel with an additional 54 of the precious gems. The bottom line is around 1.6 carats, which surround a comparatively simple dial in polished white. The same timelessness is adopted by the white rubber strap, so that the entire focus of the viewer is on the sculpture of watch case that Orlinski brings to the wrist with this design watch. Somewhere between vintage and neo-futurism, the aesthetics of these ticking works of art appeal above all to owners who do not want to disguise their wristwatch in permanent restraint.

Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II

The same applies to the design watches of the Hublot Big Band Sang Bleu II line (Ref. 418.CX.1107.RX.MXM22), which perform the geometric game even more brawny and imposing. The designer this time is not Orlinski, but Swiss tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Büchi, whose London tattoo studio Sang Bleu served as the namesake for the limited edition collection. Made of black ceramic, the model shown here has a mysterious, almost intimidating effect on the viewer and features pure futurism in the dial. After identifying the hands, glimpses of the automatic HUB1240 UNICO movement with 72-hour power reserve open up. Coupled with gigantic 45 millimeters in diameter, its aesthetic details make the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II the eye-catcher par excellence and should be of extremely limited interest to watch lovers with a sense of restraint. Nevertheless, the bolide is a monument in the universe of design watches and shows what an enrichment prominent artists can be for the watch world.

Der Beitrag Top 6 design watches erschien zuerst auf Uhrinstinkt Magazine.