It is safe to say that wristwatches will never go out of fashion so safe to say neither will the consumer watch brands that create these quality timepieces with great design and quality.
These luxury timepieces sell for thousands, and even millions of dollars. The price showcases the unique quality of the piece to be design marvel and a hallmark of technological advancement.
Today we are exploring the tp 10 highest selling watch brands
Let’s start with number 10
10. Tag Heuer
At Number 10 we have the watch brand worn most by race car drivers, Tag Heuer. This brand was established in Switzerland. Tag Heuer was also the official timekeeper for three Olympic games and became a specialist in the world of timing sports for several other events as well. This historic brand was also one of the first to send its pieces, TAG HEUER 2915A to space with Astronaut John Glen when he orbited the earth. The brand has been worn by several big names such as Brad Pitt, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Barack Obama. Tag Heuer has been in the family for four generations now and the watches cost between $1,500 to $10,000.
9. Breitling
At Number 9 we have the brand that has long been the choice of the aviation pilots, Breitling. The brand is established by the young watchmaker, Leon Breitling, who was just 24 years old when he launched this elegant brand. Breitling has survived two world wars and the great depression which is why it has had to reinvent itself several times. The brand launched the patented Vitesse stopwatch which was accurate and precise that police officers around the world used it to clock speeding motorists. Breitling invented the emergency wrist-watch in 1995 which has a built-in micro-transmitter for real-life emergencies. The brand has also appeared in the James bond movie ‘Thunderball’ and has been worn by celebs like David Beckham. The price range for this brand ranges from $3,000 – $280,000.
8. Jaeger- Lecoultre
At Number 8 we have the internationally proclaimed designer watch brand, Jaeger-Lecoultre. Known for its style, taste, and sophistication, it was founded by Antoine Lecoultre in 1833. Lecoultre is the first watch brand to create pieces precise to the millimeter. It has created the smallest caliber and over 1200 calibers since its inception. The ‘Reverso’ is the most iconic piece, which was designed as a challenge to withstand the fierce conditions of the polo matches the British officers would play in India. The brand has also been worn by Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon & Queen Elizabeth II. The price range for JLC is $5,000- $2 Million.
7. IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
At number 7 we have the brand that lives and breathes the motto, ‘good, solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen’, IWC Schaffhausen. This Swiss company was founded by an American, Florentine Aristo Jones, which was a relatively newer thing to happen at the time of its creation. He brought his American knowledge of watchmaking and combined it with traditional elements of Swiss watchmaking. The ‘IWC’ part of the brand name stands for International Watch Co. They launched their first digital watch in 1885 first of its kind. During the war, in 1944 the factory in Schaffhausen was accidentally bombed. Following this, 1973 was one of the most successful years of IWC. Their big pilot model was a best seller and the first pilot watch to be made, it is still made to this day. This brand has been worn by famous personalities such as Captain America, Chris Evan, and Bradly Cooper. The price range is $3,950 – $750,000.
6.Omega
The luxury brand that made history by putting themselves on the moon, yes you heard that right, Omega. The company was founded in 1848 in Switzerland by Loius Brandt. He along with his sons produced a completely new watch movement named the ‘Omega Caliber’. The brand won every category at Geneva observatory time trials in 1931. These watches are used by men in NASA’s Mercury program. The famous ‘Omega Speedmaster’ was worn by Buzz Aldrin who walked the moon. Several celebrities have worn this brand, Elvis Presley, Steve Carrell, and Daniel Craig. It has a price range of $1,000 to $750,000
Seems like all these brands want to be the number on earth as well as outer space! The race is on.
5. Cartier
At Number 5 the brand introduced the concept of wristwatches, Cartier. The Parisian Jewellery and watch company had a fantastic jewellery designer Louis Cartier who popularised the wristwatch for men based on its functionality and practically making a shift from the typical pocket watch that men would be seen with. Cartier’s client list included some of the most influential celebrities, royals, and aristocrats. Some of them were King Edward VII, Princesses Mathilda, the niece of Napolean, and King Fouad of Egypt. To date the highest auction price for a Cartier piece has been $30,335, 698, this is the Burmese Ruby. The brand has been ranked as the 58th most valuable brand in the world by Forbes Magazine. The price for this luxury brand falls somewhere between $2,300 – $2.5 Million.
4. Hublot
At Number 4 we have one of the younger watch brands established only in 1980, Hublot. This brand was founded by the Italian Carlo Crocco and is part of the LVMH group. The brand’s piece ‘Big Bang’ is a marvel of timeless beauty and mechanics. Hublot was the official timekeeper at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It is also the official watch partner for UEFA Champions League. Captain of Australia’s cricket team, Michael Clarke, is the only cricketer to be a brand ambassador for Hublot. In 2010 it was appointed as the official watchmaker for Formula 1. It has been worn by a pool of celebrities, Jay-Z, Kobe Bryant, and Kylie Jenner to name a few. The price range is $4,200 – $5 Million
3. Audemars Piguet
At Number 3 we have the brand that has proven itself as a luxury brand and is still owned by its founding families, Audemars Piguet. It is known that the designer Gerald Gent drew the design to the Royal Oak series launched in 1875 first on a piece of napkin. The first-ever luxury sports watch made out of steel. For such a royal product, the first owner was also a royal the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Razi Pahlavi. The screws of the Royal Oak are made out of white gold. The brand went on creating the first perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1957. That is luxury at its finest! The price range for this brand is $7,000 – $850,000.
2. Patek Phillipe
Who wouldn’t like a one of the most high end and coveted timepieces to ever exist? This prestigious watch brand with a vast history of exclusive designs has been a royalty favourite, Patek Phillipe. This brand supplied watches to Queen Victoria, she owned two pieces suspended from diamond and enamel. Phillipe was the first to introduce a silicon escapement wheel to the watchmaking industry in 2005 and has since then revolutionised the process. This brand has always been privately owned by the Stern Family since 1932 and continues to remain under the family’s control. The most basic of watches take up to nine months to make and the more complex ones take even longer to manufacture. Price range falls from $15,000 – $1 Million+. Henry Grave Jr.’s watch was priced at $24 million in 2014.
1.Rolex
At Number 1 we have the internationally recognised status symbol, Rolex. The brand is not named after the founder rather on the idea that it could be spoken in every language, adding to its universal nature. The company makes up to 1 million watches a year, which are put into production one year before their release. The symbolic winding crown is made of ten different parts. The price range for this dynamite piece of time is $5,000 – 650,000+. Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona was auctioned $17.7 million in 2017. (we have done a blog about this here)
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