A watch’s function is to tell time. But over years of design and innovative technology, watches have evolved into more than just a device that helps modern-day folks keep track of time. Watches are now deemed a fashion staple and an accessory. A prized possession that is worthy of investment.
As time has also shown, these innovative timepieces never go out of style. Sure, smartphones have made it convenient to read the exact time no matter where you are in the world. But there’s no denying that the exquisite elegance of watches is impossible to give up.
However, with so many brands to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming to decide on the best timepieces for you. Luckily, each brand offers a wide range of features, designs, and price points.
To save you time, we’ve compiled a list of the top luxury and modern watch brands that fashionistas and watch aficionados love.
One thing to keep in mind is that modern watch brands have their own distinct origin tale as well as technical and aesthetic identities. With this in mind, we’ll give you a quick overview of what sets each brand from the rest.
Now, let’s scope out the list!
Rolex
Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905, Rolex has been a household name for decades. In fact, the brand name is almost synonymous with luxurious watches!
The brand’s reputation stems from its exceptionally high product quality, which has endured for many years. This is one of the best luxury watch brands to consider if you’re looking for unique, timeless watches. Rolex watches precisely display the time and is durable and dependable.
The watch brand offers a wide range of designs and styles, ranging from its classic collection to its yacht master and famous dive watches. Rolex also has some of the most expensive luxury watches in the world. And this is because the prestigious brand runs its own research and development department.
Rolex has a highly professional facility equipped with the most cutting-edge tools and tech. This brand devotes decades of horological knowledge and technical expertise to designing excellent watches that are both practical and visually appealing.
Omega
Our list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some of the most famous modern watch brands to date, one being Omega. The brand’s watches are simply classics.
Omega was founded in 1948 and became the first to present a minute-repeating watch to the world in 1892. But the most iconic watch flex ever in history might have been when Neil Armstrong wore one of the brand’s iconic timepieces during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
The Speedmaster chronograph was picked by NASA for the US space program in 1964 following a round of extensive testing establishing its high degree of precision and dependability—it’s what Omega has always been and is known for!
And even more than 50 years later, the watch is still one of the most sought-after timepieces from the brand. Omega offers some of the most durable, sophisticated, and technologically advanced mechanical sports models you’ll find in the watch market right now.
Audemars Piguet
In 1875, watchmakers Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet created this Swiss luxury watch brand. Audemars Piguet, their eponymous Swiss brand, is one of the most prestigious in the watch world. It’s highly lauded by celebrities such as LeBron James, Will Smith, and tennis superstar Serena Williams.
One of the Holy Trinity of watchmaking, Audemars Piguet devotes great attention to all the details in the mechanism of their watches and polishes them to brilliance at a level that Rolex cannot even compete, which explains why it’s significantly more expensive than Rolex.
Well, that fact is hardly surprising given that the brand is a more upscale watchmaker than Rolex. Besides that, Audemars Piguet does not produce nearly as many watches every year as Rolex.
AP’s timepieces, notably the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, are in a league of their own. The brand boasts long waiting lists and even astronomical gray market pricing. What’s behind the buzz, though, are some of the most sophisticated mechanisms crafted by the industry’s most accomplished watchmakers.
Patek Philippe
Aside from AP, another Holy Trinity of watchmaking is the brand, Patek Philippe. Founded in 1839 by a family-owned Genevan watch manufacturer, the international watch company is one of the top Swiss watch brands, having demonstrated its legacy of classic Genevan watchmaking expertise.
One thing that sets the brand from other modern watch companies is that it values creative freedom. In fact, it is Patek Philippe’s unrivaled dedication to design that has helped the Swiss company to establish itself as one of the world’s top watch manufacturers in the world.
Another factor that sets Patek Philippe from the rest is that every detail in their watches is hand-finished by a specialized master craftsman. It’s evident in their mechanical watches.
A true luxury watch brand, Patek Philippe has definitely raised the bar of sophistication high. The brand also has some of the most expensive watches you could find.
Vacheron Constantin
Here’s the third luxury watch brand that makes up the Holy Trinity of watchmaking and is one of the top three luxury Swiss watch manufacturers. Vacheron Constantin is among the best luxury watch brands to keep under your radar if you’re looking for pieces that hold value.
Founded by Jean-Marc Vacheron in 1755, the watch brand is the oldest continuously running watchmaker in the world. Vacheron Constantin boasts 265 years of horological knowledge and a wealth of expertise in creating superb-quality, visually attractive watches.
This brand constantly pushes artistic barriers and enhances its technological competence, delivering remarkable luxury timepieces that you’ll wear for a lifetime and be passed down as heirlooms.
In addition, the brand manufactures just a small number of pieces, ensuring that each piece is crafted with the utmost care and attention to detail. The limited manufacturing also grants the brand a sense of uniqueness. This means you’ll only get the most unique timepieces that not many people wear on their wrists.
And due to the limited manufacturing and great attention to engineering and design, owning a Vacheron Constantin is like joining an elite club. This luxury watch brand offers some of the most high-end timepieces in the industry.
Ulysse Nardin
When it comes to modern watch brands, Ulysse Nardin is always the first to incorporate the latest technology and explore fresh approaches to reinvent the way their watches tell time.
Founded in 1846, the company became recognized for making highly precise marine chronometers and complex watches used by over 50 of the world’s navies from the end of the 19th century until 1950. The brand’s marine chronometers were important to maritime navigation until GPS.
And, nearly two centuries later, Ulysse Nardin would set the Guinness Book of Records record for Astrolabium Galileo Galilei as the world’s most functional watch. The watch tracked local and solar time. But what made the watch truly remarkable is that it monitored the sun and moon’s orbits and the locations of the major stars.
If you look at their watches, you’ll see that Ulysses Nardin’s horological understanding shines through in their collection of sophisticated sports watches. Besides the Marine Chronometer, the brand gave us the “Freak.” It’s a trend-defying watch that was way ahead of its time.
Piaget
You’ll see many luxury watches on the larger side of the range. However, many people prefer something more understated, subtle, and unobtrusive. If you’re one of those folks, then Piaget may be a brand worth checking out.
Founded by Georges Piaget in 1874, Piaget is a Swiss luxury watch brand that established itself as the manufacturer of the world’s thinnest mechanical watch movements in the 1950s. Since then, it has continued to push the boundaries.
The Swiss watch brand is known for pioneering ultra-thin wristwatch calibers, with sleek and pared-back designs that are the epitome of horological beauty. Piaget embraces bold and distinctive design that defines the brand’s timepieces.
Its Altiplano watch, for example, is barely 2mm thick, and it’s a mind-boggling piece of watchmaking because it has some of the most unimposing yet elegant designs out there. Plus, it’s just a trifle thicker than a penny!
You see, this brand pays meticulous and equal attention to both the outer aesthetics and the inner mechanics of each watch, boasting an outstanding combination of function and elegance.
Piaget pays extraordinary focus on the tiniest detail and precise engineering, both of which are essential to produce impeccable micro-mechanics on their watches’ sizes. The brand’s timepieces aren’t just to track time, it strives to depict a strong appreciation for human creativity.
Bulgari
Bulgari excels in several departments. In fashion, fragrance, leather products, and jewelry—you name it. And watchmaking is definitely one of their strong suits.
Sotirio Bulgari founded the Italian business in 1884, and it is known for its spectacular jewelry and coveted fashion staples. With its incredibly unique watch lines, the brand established itself as one of the best in the watchmaking industry.
Bulgari watches are well-known for their high caliber and watch enthusiasts know a Bulgari watch when they see one due to their striking designs. The brand is the trendsetter for snake-like watches in the Serpenti series, which is something that horology has never witnessed before.
To date, the Serpenti collections are among the brand’s best-selling watches, and they are available in a variety of styles. You can also choose ones embellished with gems and there are also pieces in more simplistic designs.
Timex
Timex offers affordable watches that are infused with brand history and have made major breakthroughs in watch design. It’s worth noting, however, that Timex is not a luxury watch brand. But you’ll get a watch that is stylish and functions well at a lower price point.
The American watch brand was founded in 1854 and bills itself as a rebel watchmaker with a cause. It has certainly been in the game longer than Rolex, but it is no stranger to adopting new tech and design in order to conform to modern convenience.
And while the brand has some of the most affordable watches you can find on the market, Timex watches are well-known for their high quality, design, and craftsmanship. It’s one of the best affordable watch brands out there. A brand that embodies affordable luxury.
Swatch
Another budget-friendly brand with reliable watch collections is Swatch, and the name rhymes with their specialty for a reason!
Swatch is an abbreviation for “second watch,” since the timepieces were designed to be casual accessories. That’s not to say that the brand’s watches are inconsequential, though. Swatch watches have Swiss-made quartz movements and they are highly robust.
This Swiss watch brand is well-known for manufacturing durable and high-quality watches that are as comfy as they are elegant. Swatch is also dedicated to analog timekeeping, lending its quirky designs an even more retro look.
Seiko
One of the most affordable watch brands on the list is Seiko. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori, Seiko provides users with something unique and remarkable. It’s another brand that creates affordable timepieces.
Seiko is a wonderful influence on the horological world, producing great timepieces at a price range that does not exclude the bulk of customers. The Japanese brand is most recognized for producing dive watches, offering some of the top timepieces currently on the market.
The world’s first GPS solar watch came from Seiko. It’s also the vanguard of quartz watch technology since the launch of Seiko Quartz Astron in 1969. The watch sparked the Quartz Revolution and Seiko’s Astron 35SQ was the world’s first quartz wristwatch.
If you’re looking for an affordable watch brand that has proven its expertise and comes with a variety of options, reliability, and an appreciation of cutting-edge design, a Seiko watch would be one of the best.
Tissot
Tissot values both the heritage and the art of watchmaking. The brand also adapts to cutting-edge modern horology. It aims to push limits and foster growth while honoring and utilizing age-old watch-making techniques.
The watch brand was founded in 1853 by Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son Charles-Émile Tissot, almost as old as brands like Timex and Seiko but remains unique in its own way. Tissot’s precision in time gauging made itself an Official Timekeeper at several sports events like the NBA.
With excellent mechanics and high-end aesthetics at significantly lower price points, Tissot is a go-to brand for men and women looking for great value for money.
Gucci
Guccis are more than simply a way to flaunt high-end couture, footwear, and accessories. The Italian brand also has a half-century reputation for crafting Swiss timepieces.
Founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, This company is recognized for its unique and original commitment to luxury clothing, and for its maximalist design and unparalleled Italian quality.
In the 1990s, the brand entered the watch industry. Such a measure was done to emphasize their position in the fashion industry. Then, Gucci watches began manufacturing in 1997 with an emphasis on enhanced quality, accuracy, and attention to detail.
Gucci watches are colorful and unique and are sure to catch attention. They’re crafted with a combination of Swiss passion for accuracy and elegance with Italian flair.
The brand’s watches are mostly preferred by fashionable people who admire its style with or without considering its movement and variety of functions. It has always exhibited only stylish timepieces in order to capture the interests of young people.
Breguet
Abraham-Louis Breguet founded the watch brand in 1775 and created the first wristwatch ever known, which was worn by the Queen of Naples Caroline Murat.
It is a notable brand for its rich history, effective promotional strategy for middle-class people, and high-end timepieces. And because Breguet watches are of the highest quality, the entry and retail prices are a bit hefty. Breguet watches are also mass-produced so their supply-demand value is stable.
The Swiss-French luxury watchmaker is noted for incredibly well-crafted, incredibly intricate timepieces that include the brand’s signature hands which feature a little circle near the end.
Apple
More than a time teller, Apple watches have become the ultimate device for everyone. If you’re accustomed to the Apple ecosystem, a watch that lets you keep track not only of time but also of your heart rate and gives you precise calorie data. It also allows you to make calls, listen to music, and more.
Since it is worn on your wrist, the Apple watch can do functions that other gadgets cannot. Whenever you wear it, you receive a fitness partner who tracks all of your movements and valuable health information, and lets you access connectivity to socialize with people and things that are important to you, all at your fingertips.
However, despite their capabilities and function, Apple watches are far from better than classic timepieces. Digital watches are mass-produced and they depreciate in value at the arrival of newer models. But if you’re looking for something to wear on a day at the gym or while hiking, they are a great alternative.
And that’s it! We hope you’ve found this helpful in finding the best watch brands for you!
Good luck!
