In this article, we will be taking a look at the 20 most expensive watch brands in the world. If you do not want to learn about the trends and insights in the global watch market, head straight to the 5 Most Expensive Watch Brands in the World.
Trends and Insights in the Global Watch Market
The global watch market was valued at $61785.61 million in 2021 and is expected to reach $138509.9 Million By 2031, growing at a CAGR of 8.41% during 2022-2031. If we talk about the US watch market, the revenue generated by these watches is expected to reach $12.76 billion this year with an annual growth rate of 0.81%. China is one of the countries that generate the highest revenue in the watch market which is estimated to be $$19,020 million in 2024.
The demand for pre-owned luxury watches is also increasing in the US with a report estimating that global pre-owned luxury watches market size was valued at $24.38 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $26.52 billion in 2023. Another interesting trend in the luxury watch market is the increasing popularity of smartwatches with the global smartwatches shipment increasing by 6% YoY in Q4 2023.
Notable Names in the Global Watch Market
Certain luxury watch companies like The Swatch Group AG (OTC:SWGAY), Movado Group, Inc. (NYSE:MOV), and Compagnie Financière Richemont SA (OTC:CFRUY) stand out in the global watch market and outperform the other companies.
The Swatch Group is a leading Swiss watch-making company and owns some of the leading brands like Omega, Swatch, Longines, Tissot, Breguet, Rado, Balmain, and Blancpain. In 2023, the Swatch brand experienced phenomenal success with its MoonSwatch series, a collaboration with Omega. The brand sold an impressive 2 million MoonSwatches, contributing to a total of about 5.8 million watches sold across its entire range. In 2023, Swatch Group’s Tissot brand climbed into the top 10 luxury watch brands, with a turnover of CHF 825 million. Meanwhile, Vacheron Constantin, another Swatch Group brand, joined the elite billionaires’ club as the 8th watch brand to surpass CHF 1 billion in sales. In November 2023 the brand reported about Certina DS SUPER PH1000M which was one of their latest pieces at that time. This timepiece was originally launched in 1970 but was rediscovered and relaunched in two variants on November 1st, 2023. These include a limited edition of 1000 pieces featuring a vibrant orange dial and an unlimited version in black. Both variants feature a cutting-edge automatic caliber with an 80-hour power reserve and Nivachron™ balance spring. These waterproof timepieces are encased in stainless steel with a curved barrel and offer both heritage and modernity in design and functionality.
Movado Group, Inc. (NYSE:MOV) is one of the world’s premier watchmaking companies. The company operates in two main segments: Watch and Accessory Brands, and Company Stores. The Watch and Accessory Brands segment includes the designing, manufacturing, and distribution of watches under owned brands such as Movado, Concord, Ebel, Olivia Burton, and MVMT, as well as licensed brands like Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, HUGO BOSS, Lacoste, and Calvin Klein. Movado Group has made strategic acquisitions to strengthen its position in the market. One notable acquisition was the purchase of MVMT, a popular watch startup, in 2018 for $100 million. In 2023, Movado’s revenues grew by 2.7% (7.0% on a constant currency basis) to $751.9 million. Movado Group, Inc. (NYSE:MOV)’s licensed brand sales grew by 8.5% during the same period, with particular success in collaborations with Hugo Boss and the launch of Calvin Klein watches and jewelry. Their net sales decreased to $194.3 million in Q4 2023, down from $205.9 million in the prior year quarter. Both the US and international divisions recorded negative growth.
Last but not least, Compagnie Financière Richemont SA (OTC:CFRUY)A is one of the largest luxury goods conglomerates in the world, with a strong focus on high-end watches and jewelry. It owns some of the most iconic brands like Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, and Van Cleef & Arpels. Their IWC Schaffhausen which is known for its aviation-inspired timepieces, has collaborated with the Tribeca Film Festival to create limited-edition watches that celebrate the art of filmmaking. Their Jaeger-LeCoultre is renowned for its technical excellence and expertise in manufacturing high-value movements and has launched the Master Ultra Thin Perpetual, a sleek and sophisticated perpetual calendar watch. In 2020, the company acquired Watchfinder & Co., which is a leading online platform for buying and selling pre-owned luxury watches. Compagnie Financière Richemont SA (OTC:CFRUY) has also launched the Cartier Charitable Foundation, which supports projects that address social and environmental challenges. Financially, their group sales reached €19,953 million in 2023 and their gross profit increased by 23% to €13,716m.
Our Methodology
For our methodology, we have ranked the Most expensive watch brands based on Insider Monkey Scores. We considered the most expensive watches currently on sale of each brand and gave them IM scores. For example, the brand with the most expensive watch on sale, ranked first got a score of 1 (20/20=1) and the watch band ranked twentieth got a score of 0.05 (1/20=0.05). Each watch brand then got an additional 0.1 score to strengthen its position as an expensive watch brand. So, this way the brand placed in the twentieth position got a 0.15 score when an added 0.1 score was added to it, the brand in the nineteenth place got a score of 0.3 when an additional 0.2 score was added to it, and so on.
Here is our list of the most expensive watch brands in the world.
20. MB&F
Insider Monkey Score: 0.15
MB&F is one of the world’s most expensive watch brands. Their HM3 Horological Machine No.3 Star Cruiser is their current most expensive watch on sale for $47,995. The most expensive watch this brand has ever sold is HM6 Sapphire Vision in Platinum for $398,000. In total, MB&F produces an estimated 300 timepieces per year.
19. Urwerk
Insider Monkey Score: 0.3
Urwerk is an extremely limited production brand that manufactures only around 150 watches per year across all models. The most expensive watch Urwerck has ever sold is the Atomic Master Clock & Titanium for $2,900,000.
18. Piaget
Insider Monkey Score: 0.45
Piaget stands among the most expensive watch brands in the world. The most expensive watch Piaget has ever sold is the Emperador Temple for $3,300,000 in 2021. The Piaget Limelight Gala Milanese (2022) is a ladies’ watch with an 18k white gold case set with 486 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 5.57 carats. It retails for around $52,500. Piaget makes around 25000-30000 watches a year.
17. Corum
Insider Monkey Score: 0.6
Corum is one of the most prestigious and expensive watch brands in the world. Their Corum Billionaire Tourbillon features a tourbillon movement that is encrusted with 342 baguette-cut diamonds weighing 30 carats. The case is made of 18k white gold and the watch is limited to just 10 pieces worldwide. The price tag for this watch is $564,400.
16. Panerai
Insider Monkey Score: 0.75
The most expensive watch Panerai has ever sold is the Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Equation of Time for $248,400. In 2023, Panerai’s parent company, Richemont, reported €19.9 billion in revenue.
15. Zenith
Insider Monkey Score: 0.9
Zenith’s one of the most expensive models is the Zenith Defy Lab, which was released in 2017. This watch features a revolutionary new oscillator that replaces the traditional Swiss lever escapement, resulting in improved accuracy and efficiency. The most expensive watch Zenith has ever sold is the Mahatma Gandhi’s pocket watch for $2,466,000. Zenith makes about 21,000-24,000 timeless watchpieces per year.
14. Breguet
Insider Monkey Score: 1.05
Breguet stands among the most expensive watch brands in the world. Their Marie-Antoinette Grande Complication is one of the top 10 expensive watches sold for $30,000,000. Breguet Grand Complication No. 5707 was one of their unique watches sold in 2019. This watch took 45 years to complete and featured every complication known at the time.
13. Hublot
Insider Monkey Score: 1.2
Hublot produces 60,000 watches annually. One of the most expensive watches ever sold is The Hublot for $5,000,000. Their Big Bang Unico Sapphire is one of their best watches which features a case made entirely of sapphire crystal. Only 500 pieces were produced for this watch. Hublot’s Spirit of Big Bang King Gold 42 mm watch is one of their most expensive watches for men with a current retail price of $44,900.
12. A. Lange & Sohne
Insider Monkey Score: 1.35
A. Lange & Sohne stands twelfth among the most expensive watch brands in the world with a production of 5000 watches every year. One of the most notable is the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Handwerkskunst” edition, which was limited to just 20 pieces. Their Grand Complication which was sold for $2,500,000 is one of the most expensive watches they have ever sold.
11. Greubel Forsey
Insider Monkey Score: 1.5
Greubel Forsey produces around 100 watches a year. One of Greubel Forsey’s most technically advanced watches is the Grande Sonnerie, which took 11 years to develop and features 935 parts. Their Grand Sonnerie is one of the most expensive watches they have ever sold for $1,200,000. Another notable Greubel Forsey watch is the Art Piece Edition Historique, which was the brand’s flagship model for SIHH 2019. The watch is limited to 33 pieces, with the first 11 in platinum and subsequent models in other materials.
10. Roger Dubuis
Insider Monkey Score: 1.65
Roger Dubuis is one of the most prestigious watch brands in the world. Their one timepiece requires 350-720 hours of intense craftsmanship to complete and only 24,000 of the 20 million watches are produced each year. Their most expensive watch ever sold is the Excalibur Quatuor which was sold for $1,125,000.
9. Ulysse Nardin
Insider Monkey Score: 1.8
Ulysse Nardin produces about 25000 timeless watches every year. The most expensive watch they have ever sold is the Royal Blue Tourbillon which they sell for $1,100,000. Kering S.A. which is the parent company of Ulysse Nardin earned a revenue of 19.5 billion Euros in 2023.
8. Audermars Piguet
Insider Monkey Score: 1.95
Audemars Piguet is one of the top Swiss watch brands. It produces around 50,000 watches every single year with its Tourbillon Openworked Only Watch being one of the most expensive watches they have ever sold for $1,093,169. One of their most notable watches include the Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph with an 18-carat yellow gold case and 276 brilliant cut diamonds and the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar with an 18-carat pink gold case and white dial with orange graphics. Audermars Piguet is also one of the most expensive watch brands for ladies.
7. Rolex
Insider Monkey Score: 2.1
Rolex is the number one watch brand in the world with a production of 1 million watches every year. The most expensive watch they have ever sold is the Paul Newman’s Daytona which they sell for $18,517,000. Since January 2019, the price index of the most popular Rolex models has risen by almost 42%. The brand’s Classic collection accounted for 54.6% of all Rolex watches in 2021, while the Professional collection comprised the remaining 45.4%. Rolex generated a revenue of $11.4 billion. Rolex is also one of the watch brands that are worth buying.
6. Jaquet Droz
Insider Monkey Score: 2.25
Jaquet Droz stands sixth among the most expensive watch brands in the world with a production of less than 3,000 pieces every year. The most expensive watch Jaquet Droz has ever sold is the Tropical Bird Repeater which was valued at $661,500 in 2019.
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Disclosure. None: The 20 Most Expensive Watch Brands in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.
