The recently introduced smartwatches have, without a doubt, taken over the market by storm. They are ever-growing in their popularity and with each day, new innovations are introduced into them. But even then, it is surprising to know that wristwatches are also preferred equally by people.
Customers are ready to spend a huge amount on wristwatches even in this digital era. So what makes wristwatches even more popular and highly in demand today? Let us take a look.
While the prime function of wristwatches is to tell time, their function goes far beyond that. More than being a piece of functional jewelry, wristwatches are a symbol of status and power.
The wristwatch models available in the market today have come a long way from their invention around the 16th century.
Today, there are different types of wristwatches, ones that are made from precious metals like gold or platinum, some that are implanted with valuable gemstones like diamonds, and some of them even have parts of meteorites in them. There are also certain limited edition watches released by some companies too.
There are different watch brands that are recognized as luxury watch brands.
While their watches come with a massive price tag, the amazing engineering works carried out, the use of high-quality materials in making, and also the outstanding craftsmanship and creativity set these brands apart from the ordinary brands in the market.
So, if you are interested to know about some of the luxury watch brands, here is a list of the top 12 most expensive watch brands in the world today.
List Of Top 12 Most Expensive Watch Brands In 2023
| Ranking | Brands | Price Range (in USD) |
| 1 | Patek Philippe | $15,000 – $1 million |
| 2 | Lange & Sohne | $14,950 – $1 million |
| 3 | Audemars Piguet | $7,000 – $850,000 |
| 4 | Rolex | $5,000 – $650,000 |
| 5 | Vacheron Constantin | $18,000 – $6 million |
| 6 | Blancpain | $7,500 – $1.5 million |
| 7 | TAG Heuer | $1,500 – $ 10,000+ |
| 8 | Jaeger-LeCoultre | $5,000 – $2 million |
| 9 | Hublot | $4,200 – $5 million |
| 10 | Breguet | $7,000 – $400,000 |
| 11 | Chopard | $5,040 – $ 60,000 |
| 12 | Omega SA | $1,000 – $708,742 |
12. Omega SA
Price Range – $1,000 – $708,742
Kicking off the list from the top 12th position is the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Omega SA. The company was started by Louis Brandt in 1848. The company is based in Biel/Bienne in Switzerland and has a long history in the field of watchmaking.
The company was earlier known under the name Louis Brandt et Frere-Omega Watch & Co and remained Omega SA officially in 1984.
Omega SA is a watch manufacturer with a long and rich history and also different significant achievements that make it one of the most popular and expensive watches in the world.
Omega watches were used by the Royal Flying Corps of Britain for their combat units in 1917 and were used by the United States Army in 1918. The watch became popular through these two events and later, it was used by NASA in 1969 for the Apollo 11 mission, making Omega SA the first watch brand to ever reach the moon.
Also, Omega SA has a deep-rooted connection with the Olympic Games. The company has been serving as the official timekeeper of the Olympics since 1932. Like the Olympic games, Omega SA is also the official timekeeper of America’s Cup yacht race.
It is the oldest international competition, in any sport, that is still active and operating. All these significant roles have made Omega SA one of the most recognizable and popular luxury watch brands.
Being such a popular brand, it is used by many celebrities and popular figures. Notable personalities like Daniel Craig, Elvis Presley, and Steve Carell all had been spotted wearing Omega SA, showing the popularity and acceptance of the watch.
Popular actresses like Nicole Kidman, Kaia Gerber, and Zoe Kravitz are some of the popular faces of the brand.
11. Chopard
Price Range – $5,040 – $ 60,000
The original name of the company is Le Petit-Fils de L.-U. Chopard & Cie S.A is better known as Chopard. It is a watch manufacturer that has its headquarters located in Sonvilier, Switzerland. The company was founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860.
Even though the headquarters of the company is in Switzerland, it has been owned by the German family Scheufele since 1963.
Chopard watches are seen as one of the most popular luxury watches in the world. Even though they are highly acclaimed luxury brand watches, there are also models that are affordable when compared to other watches, which makes Chopard a primary choice for many.
The company is known for its high quality and standard of making its watches. In watches, one of the most popular models from Chopard is the gold watch designed for ladies.
Chopard is a watch brand that is preferred by many. The headquarters of the corporation is located in Geneva, Switzerland. Chopper is a very large company and is said to be the employer for almost 990+ staff members.
As the watch manufacturer was founded in 1860, Chopard also has a rich history in the field. One of the first customers of Chopard includes Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, who was the former emperor of all of Russia.
Apart from that several notable figures like Academy Award-winning actress Kate Winslet, actor Colin Firth, and Michael Fassbender are some of the notable customers of the watch. The brand ambassadors of the brand Choer include the popular K-pop girl group Aespa and Indian actress Deepika Padukone.
10. Breguet
Price Range – $7,000 – $400,000+
The brand Breguet can be seen as a pioneer in the watch manufacturing industry. It is one of the oldest surviving watch manufacturers in the world today. The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer was founded in 1775 by Abraham –Louis Breguet.
The company was later acquired by Swiss Swatch Group in 1999 and currently, Breguet is a subsidiary of the company. Being one of the oldest surviving companies in the field, Breguet has many records and historically significant recognitions under its name.
The founder of the company Abraham-Louis Breguet is credited with many inventions that played a very pivotal role in the development of watch manufacturing. Abraham-Louis is credited for the invention of the world’s first self-winding watch and also for the world’s first wristwatch.
The company also holds the record for being the manufacturer of the most expensive watch ever sold at an auction which fetched $4.69 million in the auction held in 2012.
Being such an old and successful company, Breguet had many clients who were some of the most significant figures in history. Some of the names of their customers include Queen Victoria, Alexander I of Russia, Napoleon Bonaparte, Sir Winston Churchill, Gioachino Rossini, and many more.
For his great contributions to the field of watch manufacturing, the founder of Breguet, Abraham-Louis Breguet is regarded as one of the best watch manufacturers of all time.
9. Hublot
Price Range – $4,200 – $5 million
Hublot is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer and was founded by Carlo Croco in 1980. Currently, the company is owned by the French luxury conglomerate LVMH. Croco was born in an Italian daily and he was a scion of Binda Group – an Italian company that used to manufacture watches and other luxury accessories.
Carlo Croco was not interested in carrying on the family business and decided to start a business on his own and that gave birth to the brand Hublot that we see today. Carlo Crooc chose the name Hublot, which is the French term for ‘Porthole.’
The Hublot watch house was discredited as one of the most significant revolutions in the field of watch manufacturing. The watch made by Croco used the very first natural rubber strap in history for a watch. The strap was a result of three years of research and Croco succeeded in his attempts.
The watch made its debut at the Basel Watch Fair of 1980 but the response towards the brand was not promising, The company failed to sell even a single piece on its first day but within one year after its establishment, Hublot became a big success and was able to make a sale with more than $2 million in their first year.
Hublot is currently one of the most popular luxury watch brands available in the market. Notable personalities like late basketball player Kobe Bryant were favorite customers of the watch. One of the world’s youngest business sensations Kylie Jenner is also a huge fan of Hublot watches.
The company selected Serbian professional tennis player Novak Djokovic as the face of the brand in 2021. The popular Indian cricket player Rohit Sharma is also a brand ambassador for the brand.
8. Jaeger-LeCoultre
Price Range – $5,000 – $2 million
Jaeger-LeCoultre is a prestigious Swiss watch and clockmaker. The company was founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833 and they are based in Le Sentier, Switzerland. In 2000, Jaeger-LeCoultre was acquired by the Swiss luxury brand Richemont.
The group now holds complete ownership of Jaeger-LeCoultre. Among the other brands managed by Richemont, Jaeger-LeCoultre watches are said to be one of the top-tier brands for the group.
The history of Jaeger-LeCoultre dates long back. Through the successful run of the company for years, they are credited with different inventions and innovations in the field of watch manufacturing. The company has different patents and inventions under its name.
They also have more than one thousand movements which also include the world’s smallest movement. While the watches and clocks manufactured by the company find a huge demand in the market, their products are also said to be some of the most complicated ones available in the market today.
There are many celebrities who are famously known to shine in their Jaeger-LeCoultre and among them, some of the most notable names include Queen Elizabeth II, Hollywood A-list actor Robert Downry Jr., and actress January Jones.
Currently, the popular Chinese actor, singer, and dancer Jackson Yee and American actress Anna Taylor Joy serve as global brand ambassadors for the brand.
7. TAG Heuer
Price Range – $1,500 – $ 10,000+
TAG Heuer is also a Switzerland-based company that focuses on the manufacture of luxury watches, eyewear, and other fashion accessories. The company was established in the year 1806 as Uhrenmanufaktur Heuer AG by Edouard Heuer.
The company is based in St-Imier and currently, they are a part of the French luxury manufacturing conglomerate LVMH. Since 2004, TAG Heuer has made an association with the London-based designer Christoph Behling and they have been serving as the designer for the company ever since.
Through the association of both these brands, there have been some huge hits like the world’s fastest chronograph, which is one of the most celebrated pieces from the company.
Being such an iconic and popular brand, some of the most notable names in the world are great fans of the brand.
People like the former president of the United States Barack Obama and the top actors of Hollywood like Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio have all been spotted wearing TAG Heuer watches.
As for the brand ambassador, TAG Heuer has one of the best actors of this generation, Ryan Gosling as the face of the brand.
6. Blancpain
Price Range – $7,500 – $1.5 million
Blancpain is one of the oldest surviving watch manufacturers in the world today. The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer was founded by Jean-Jacques Balcpain in 1735 and the company has its headquarters in Paudex/Le Brassus, Switzerland.
The company was acquired by the Swiss Swatch Group in 1992 and Blancpain remains one of the top-tier brands of the Swiss Swatch Group today.
Even though Blancpain watches are preferred by everyone, there are two models that are more appealing to people than the rest. The first one is the Fifty Fathoms diving watch that came out in 1953 and the second one is the Grande Complication wristwatch that was introduced in1991.
One of the most attractive features of Blancpain watchers is that they are hand-made and hand decorated. They are then checked and supervised by talented craftsmen who overlook each piece in makingThis makes each piece of Blancpain a unique piece and this accounts for the high price of the watches added with other features like the hard and precise mechanical work too.
The company is also credited for the creation of the most complicated mechanical watches ever created. Blancpain is considered as one of the most expensive watch brands that you can buy.
Blancpain watches are a favorite choice for the president of Russia Vladimir Putin and he has been spotted wearing the brand on different occasions.
Just like Putin, American film director Francis Ford Coppola is also known to be a brand user. Currently, the Michelin star-winning chef brothers Mathias Suhring and Thomas Suhring are the brand ambassadors for Blancpain.
5. Vacheron Constantin
Price Range – $18,000 – $6 million
Vacheron Constantin SA is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer that was founded by Jean-Marc Vacheron in 1755. Vacheron Constantin is currently a division of the Swiss Richemont Group.
The company concentrates on the manufacture of different luxury goods. As they were established in 1755 and are still under operation, Vacheron Constantin is one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world and is the second oldest watch manufacturer in Switzerland.
Being such an old and successful company, Vacheron Constantin has a glorious history and has made different significant contributions to the field of watch manufacturing.
The company also holds a few records in its history of watch manufacturing. King Fuad I of Egypt used to own a pocket watch manufactured by Vacheron Constantin. It is one of the most expensive watches ever sold at an auction and it fetched almost $2.77 million.
The company also holds the record for the most complicated mechanical watch ever made in 2015. The model featured around 57 horological complications.
The former American president Donald Trump wears his Vacheron Constantin watch with pride. Also, celebrities like Marlon Brado, Rick Ross, and Kate Bosworth also have been spotted showing off their Vacheron Constantin wristwatches.
4. Rolex
Price Range – $5,000 – $650,000
Probably one of the most popular luxury brands in the world, Rolex is a British-founded watch manufacturer that was established in 1905.
The founders of the company include names like Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis and during their initial days of operation, Rolex was based in London. World War I was the reason why the company moved from London to Switzerland as the economy was not favorable in the UK during that time.
The company was re-established in Switzerland in 1920. The Hans Wilsdorf foundation, which is a private family trust owns the company and has been in charge since 1960.
While most luxury watch manufacturers are owned by parent companies, Rolex is different from all such companies. The firm is owned by a private family trust and is unlike all other companies.
It is a very well-known fact that the quality of Rolex watches is one of the best in the world. The company also used world-class materials in the making of its products. Rolex watches are said to be robust, sturdy, and reliable.
Being a highly popular brand, Rolex is actually preferred by many celebrities. The global icon David Beckham is someone who is often spotted wearing a Rolex watch.
Other celebrities like Justin Timberlake and Mark Wahlberg are also known to be fond of the brand very much. The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, tennis legend Roger Federar and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner were all brand ambassadors for the brand.
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3. Audemars Piguet
Price Range – $7,000 – $850,000+
Audemars Piguet is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer and was founded in 1875 by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Pigue. The manufacturer has its headquarters in Vallee de Joux and in its initial days the company was named Audemars Piguet & Cie. Unlike most of the top luxury watch manufacturers, the company is a family-owned venture.
With a very rich and successful business history, Audemars Piguet is one of the top three most expensive luxury watch brands in the world today.
While most of their products and models are loved and appreciated by users worldwide, Audemars Piguet is most known for its Royal Oak wristwatches that were introduced in 1972. The model also played a major role in lifting the beans to the status that we see today.
The company is also credited for the introduction of the first-minute repeating movement in 1892. Audemars Piguet is also known for the manufacture of some of the thinnest watch models in the market today.
The popular Hollywood television host and comedian James Cordon, one of the A-list actors of Hollywood Tom Cruise, and singer Usher are some of the popular personalities that are great fans of the brand. He has been spotted wearing the watch on multiple occasions.
Most recently, The British – American DJ and songwriter Mark Ronson was selected as the face of the brand along with other popular personalities from different fields like film, music, and sports.
2. Lange & Sohne
Price Range – $14,950 – $1 million
Unlike most of the expensive watch brands on our list, Lange & Sohne is not a Switzerland-based company. The company is based in Germany and was founded by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in 1845.
The operations of the original company that was established in 1845 were closed down in Germany due to the further effects of World War II and the company that we see today was established in 1990 by the great-grandson of Ferdinand Lange, Walter Lange.
Like the current status of the grand, Lange & Sohne has always been preferred by people from earlier times. Some of the most popular and important owners of their products in the earlier days include Alexander II of Russia, Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire, and Wilhelm, who was the German emperor.
One of the standout features of the Lange & Sohne watches is their style. While most of the expensive luxury watch brands are Swiss-based, they tend to follow a common pattern.
Lange & Sohne are different from this and follow a pattern that is closer to the British style. Russian President Vladimir Putin is a famous personality who is a proud user of the luxury brand.
Another striking feature that makes the brand stand out from the rest of the most expensive watch brands in the world is that Lange & Sohne do not have an official brand ambassador to promote their product.
The executives of the company believe that there is no need for any such promotion and for them, the standard and elegance of the act speaks for itself.
1. Patek Philippe
Price Range $15,000 – $1 million
Finally, here we are with the most expensive watch brand in the world. Currently, the Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer Patek Philippe SA is the most expensive watch brand in the world. The company was established in 1839 and was founded by Antoni Patek and Adrian Philippe.
To date, the company is owned by the Stern family in Switzerland, making it the last independent watch manufacturer in Geneva that is owned by a family. It is also one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world that continues its operations without any interruption.
There is no donut that Patek Philippe is one of the most prestigious watch brands in the world. The company holds the record for the most expensive pocket watch ever sold in an auction, fetching a price range of $24 million. They have also made one of the most complicated mechanical watches ever made.
Being a highly prestigious and valued watch brand, the watch is owned by some of the A-list celebrities in the world. The names of famous owners of Patek Philippe include Queen Victoria, American television personality Ellen DeGeneres and singer John Mayer.
Like Lange & Sohne, Patek Philippe also does not have an official brand ambassador, and considering the status and value the watch has in the market today, there is no need for the product to be promoted by a celebrity. When it comes to Patek Philippe, there is no doubt that the name speaks for itself.
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Conclusion
While it might be just a simple accessory for at least some people out there, the global demand for watches and the turnover in the industries suggest that it is not a mere accessory for the majority of people.
From being their simple accessory, watches are now a symbol of style, power, and status, and their demand is said to increase in the future too. More than just a style symbol, now watches are also seen as a good investment that can benefit in the future.
The list of the most expensive watch brands in the world can undergo any change as these companies are constantly trying to come up with new innovations and surprise their customers.
