Companies and Brands

Avoid All Swiss Watch Brands Except These 15

Aaron Webber

Published: July 30, 2024 11:30 am

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The exclusive world of horology is full of mystery, prestige, craftsmanship, and tradition. The pinnacle of time-keeping was born in Switzerland a few hundred years ago, and since then, the very best of the best wristwatches need to be Swiss Watch Certified. Swiss watches can be very costly, the most expensive ever sold being a piece from Patek Philippe fetching $5.8 million. The other end of the spectrum can start around a couple hundred dollars.

There is so much room in that vast spectrum for a variety of niche fascinations and fashion tastes. Sporty, functional, water resistant up to several hundred meters, luxurious, fun, you name it, a Swiss watch probably exists to fit that adjective. There is a core group of very well-known brands, but you would be missing out if you didn’t check out these truly underrated Swiss watch brands.

Why Are We Talking About This?

Naturally, if you’re going to spend a large sum of money on a status symbol like a watch, you want to make sure the quality matches the price, and Swiss watches are among the best quality watches you can find. But just like every other consumer product, there are some brands that are better than others. It can be a hassle to investigate every brand out there, so we did the work for you and found some of the best we recommend.

#1 Swatch

• Product: Caramelissima
• Price: $70
• Good For: Unique, Affordable
• Price Range: $16–$490

Probably one of the most unique and nostalgic watches I’ve ever seen, the Caramelissima has a wrap-around string of pearls that looks uncannily like strings of candy bracelets. It has a Quartz movement, is water resistant, and has a 31.4 mm lug-to-lug distance. The casing and strap are made from plastic.

A member of the dignified Swatch Group, Swatch is at a price point so affordable, that you might be tempted to think it’s a knock-off brand. But, it miraculously, isn’t! With watch lines such as Neon, Swatch X Verdy, The Simpsons Collection, Swatch Art Journey, and Colors of Joy. We can’t help but think that the designers at Swatch really enjoy their jobs and have a lot of fun. Don’t worry, if you are looking for a watch that is more traditional and professional looking, they offer those as well. This accessible, high-quality, and highly unique brand proves that you don’t need to pay luxury prices for a quality Swiss Watch.

#2 Rado

• Product: Centrix Automatic Diamonds Open Heart
• Price: $3,650
• Good For: Affordable Luxury
• Price Range: $1,200–$10,100

The Centrix Open Heart screams simple luxury. White and rose gold brings sophistication to your wrist. Being automatic, it carries an 80-hour movement power reserve. Mother of pearl and diamonds complete the sapphire case crystal. Water resistant up to 50 meters, the Centrix Open Heart can travel with you wherever you go.

Rado is known for specializing in Ceramics. It was the first brand to use High-tech Ceramic in watchmaking in 1986. Ceramics is an ideal material for watches because it is skin-friendly, scratch-resistant, and lightweight. Not to mention, a little more affordable. This isn’t traditional ceramic, mind you, high-tech ceramic is pure and finely calibrated resulting in a high-density and compact material- nothing like the porous fragile ceramic you made your mom a pinch-pot with when you were in 2nd grade. 

#3 Mondaine

• Product: Neo, Black Vegan Grape Leather, 41mm
• Price: $525
• Good For: Sustainability, Vegan, Eco-Friendly, Classic
• Price Range: $250–$925

The Neo features a black dial face with three white sub-dials displaying date, and chronography. The case is made from stainless steel and features sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating. The strap is made from vegan grape leather (as the name suggests) and has a quick-release fastener.

One of the most planet-conscious Swiss Watch brands on the market, Mondaine uses 100% Vegan leather, is partnered with One Tree Planted, uses solar power in manufacturing, and is carbon neutral. All of the Mondaine designs feature traditional Swiss railway station design faces, lending minimal, classic, and iconic-looking timepieces.

#4 MOVADO

• Product: Museum Classic
• Price: $2,295
• Good For: Simplicity, Elegance, Iconic
• Price Range: $276.50–$3,995

The Museum Classic is a renowned icon that is featured in museums globally. It features the MOVADO signature concave dot at 12 o’clock on an otherwise blank black dial, with two stainless steel hands. The case is also made of premium stainless steel and is encrusted with .265-carat diamonds. It has a Swiss Quartz Movement.

Movado is all about innovation and unexpected colors. Movado was founded by Achilles Ditesheim in 1881. Since then, it has racked up 200 awards and over 100 patents. Movado produces hit after hit, made famous by iconic designs such as the Polyplan, the Soldier’s Watch, and the Ermeto.

#5 Glycine

• Product: Sea Kraken Unisex
• Price: $680.00
• Good For: Combat, Diving, Piloting, Simplicity, Affordable
• Price Range: $325–$760

This Limited Edition (only 100 pieces made) is a unisex style with case material made from stainless steel. They Featured a matte finish dial pattern and a classic black leather strap. The movement is automatic from the Swiss vendor, Sellita.

Glycine has been in the Swiss Watch business since 1914. It is infamous for creating the first “Airman,” watch in 1953. The Airman featured multiple time zones. The Airman even traveled to space on the wrist of Pete Conrad in 1965. To discover more of the tradition of watchmaking and the horological history of Glycine itself, you can visit La Cave, in Biel.

#6 Hamilton

• Product: Ventura Dune Limited Edition
• Price: $2,500
• Good For: Tactical, Affordability
• Price Range: $525–$2,295

The Ventura Dune Limited Edition was created in collaboration with Denis Villeneuve. It features the iconic triangular-shaped face, in matte black, with a blue digital display, finished with PVD black coating on a stainless-steel case. Inspired by the blue eyes of the Fremen people of Dune. It even comes in commemorative Dune-inspired packaging.

Offering Mechanical Watches, Pilot Watches, Men’s Watches, and Women’s Watches, Hamilton should be your go-to for classic and traditional watches. This American company offers Swiss Precision and has a long history with the U.S. aviation, military, and Hollywood. Hamilton was founded in 1892 in Pennsylvania, and since then, it has grown into a globally renowned brand. It is especially famous for its Ventura design, which was made in 1957. The triangular-shaped face, powered by a groundbreaking electromagnetic coil, changed the watchmaking industry. Elvis Presley wore the watch in “Blue Hawaii.”

#7 Bell & Ross

• Product: BR V2-94 Bellytanker Bronze Mint
• Price: $5,250
• Good For: Functionality, Diving, Flying, Aerospace
• Price Range: $2,200–$385,000

This limited edition (50 pieces) is sold out, but still worth viewing. The Bellytanker Bronze Mint is inspired by belly tankers popular in the 1950s. The Sapphire crystal is curved to a beautiful ultra-dome and features a sports chronograph on the face. The case is made from satin-polished bronze with an aluminum ring and tachymeter. It is water resistant up to 100 meters, and that strap is made from perforated green calfskin leather.

Bell & Ross are known for three benchmark timepieces: The Vintage Heure Sautante, the Hydromax, and the BR-X2. The Vintage Heure Sautante was the first watch ever to feature a jumping hour display and to feature a power reserve indicator. The Hydromax reached record-breaking depths with the ability to be water-resistant up to 11,000 meters. Finally, the BR-X2 is a square watch made with the first self-winding tourbillon movement. Bell & Ross is often overlooked but holds historical significance in the watch-making industry.

#8 Maurice Lacroix

• Product: Aikon #Tide 40mm Fiba 3×3
• Price: $825
• Good For: Everyday, On-the-go, Eco-Conscious
• Price Range: $760–$9,600

The Aikon #Tide 40mm Fiba 3×3 is part of the #tide collection, which is a partnership with #tide, leaders in upcycling ocean-bound plastic waste. Maurice Lacroix funds plastic collection activities, purchases longtale boats, supplies warehouses, and funds educational programs.

Maurice Lacroix is aiming to support up-and-coming talent by launching its “ML Crew.” The goal of the ML Crew is to follow these talented individuals and support them along their journeys. Some members include Benzilla, Hannah Lucy Williams, Lausanne 3×3, Lidija Lilic, Sarah Atcho, and Simon Nogueira. Maurice Lacroix’s mantra is “#YourTimeIsNow,” and embodies the urban spirit. 

#9 Reservoir

• Products: Sonomaster Chronograph Modern
• Price: $6,150
• Good For: Novelties, Marine, Aeronautic, Automobile, Music, Vintage
• Price Range: $3,400–$60,500

Reservoir timepieces are all inspired by different measuring instruments and incorporate the aesthetic and functionality of marine, automobile, and aeronautic gauges. Its slogan is “For a maximum boldness.”

The brushed finish stainless steel case features a domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass, bass and treble-inspired push buttons, and a crown inspired by an amplifier control button. The Sonomaster Chronograph Modern is meant to honor humanity’s quest to achieve a pure sound. It features a bi-retrograde that displays dates and seconds in the style of analog stereo amplifier VU meters. It comes in a stainless steel or leather strap and is finished off by some red detail.

#10 Furlan Marri

• Product: Disco Havana
• Price: $2,839
• Good For: Modern Vintage, Affordable, Details
• Price Range: $630–$2,839

Furlan Marri may seem outrageously affordable for Swiss watches, but it is because it offers direct distribution to customers. In the name of transparency, it lists the locations of assembly and production of all the components. Focused on community, Furlan Marri values customer feedback and is active on social media. It takes great care to focus on the details and add value while offering accessible pricing.

The Disco Havana is available for preorder to be released in September 2024 and is inspired by a flying saucer. The elegant two-tone salmon and brown dial is finished with sharp angles. Old Radium Super-LumiNova surrounds the minute and seconds indications, giving it a mesmerizing look while in the dark. The waterproof case is water-resistant up to 50 meters. The elegant piece is finished off with two vegetable-tanned French cow leather straps: one in Caramel and the other in Brown. The ultra-thin mechanical movement contains 17 jewels and is manually wound with a 42-hour power reserve.

#11 Doxa

• Product: SUB 200 T.GRAPH
• Price: $5,200
• Good For: Functionality, High Quality, Affordability
• Price Range: Variable

The SUB watch originally came out in 1969. The original SUB has the notoriety of being one of the most emblematic diving watches ever created. The DOXA SUB 200 T.GRAPH is the reinterpretation of the iconic SUB with a water-resistant potential of up to 200 meters. It features the classic unidirectional rotating bezel with dual indication of time and depth. 

Doxa was founded in 1889 by Georges Ducommun in the Jura Mountains. Doxa became famous for innovating a solution to a modern problem in the early 1900s. With the rise of the automobile, the revolution brought endurance races. These racers needed a reliable dashboard-mounted timepiece with a long power reserve. The solution was the “8-Day DOXA Caliber,” which debuted on Bugatti’s racing cars. Pretty soon, DOXA became the industry standard and started showing up on airplanes and ships as well.

#12 Norqain

• Product: Wild ONE Skeleton 42MM
• Price: $5,790
• Good For: Luxury Sports Watches
• Price Range: $2,390–$12,990

The Wild ONE is a high-performance sports watch made with Norqain’s signature carbon fiber material. It is six times lighter than traditional stainless steel. This watch was designed by Jean-Claude Biver. It features a skeletonized 78-gram movement, an open-worked black dial, turquoise Superluminova spots, and finished off with an integrated rubber strap.

Norquain is an independent Swiss family-owned company that creates time-pieces for people who enjoy luxury and also have an adventurous spirit. Able to withstand the elements, all of Norqain’s watches are high-quality and can easily be integrated into any active lifestyle.

#13 LAURENT FERRIER

• Product: Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit
• Price: Inquire for Pricing
• Good For: Luxury
• Price Range: Variable expensive

The Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit was the 2023 Tourbillon Watch Prize for the GPHP. It features a sunset-inspired dial, a titanium casing, a sapphire crystal case back that the double-balance-spring tourbillon carriage can be seen through, and finished off with a Grade 5 titanium bracelet.

Laurent Ferrier is a creator of timeless and classic handmade timepieces. Laurent Ferrier (the person) decided to combine both of his fascinations: horology and motor racing. Laurent Ferrier met Francois Servanin while racing in the 1979 Le Mans 24 Hours at the wheel of a Porsche 935T. The two later founded LAURENT FERRIER.

#14 MB&F

• Product: Legacy Machine Flying T Allegra
• Price: Variable
• Good For: Creativity, Luxury, Unique
• Price Range: Variable

The Legacy Machine Flying T Allegra is unlike any wristwatch we’ve ever seen. It evokes a sense of whimsical and feminine, as well as fantasy and luxury. The case is a high-domed sapphire crystal and sapphire crystal on the back. What we can only describe as a super fancy UFO, the engine consists of a vertically-stacked movement structure, finished with colored gems: diamonds, tsavorites, tourmaline, tanzanite, amethyst, and rubellite.

MB&F refers to all of its timepieces as “Machines,” and rightly so. Its collections of not only wristwatches, but also some of its machines have legs, resemble rocket ships, animals, and mythical creatures, and some even have wheels.

#15 F.P. Journe

• Product: Elegante 48 MM Gino’s Dream
• Price: Inquire for Pricing
• Good For: Luxury, Classic, Serious
• Price Range: Inquire for Pricing

Gino’s Dream is a bright timepiece with a luminescent white center and 52 rainbow ceramic glass stones lining the titanium case. The movement is electromagnetic with a two-rotor motor and is finished off by a yellow rubber strap.

Founder Francois-Paul Journe started in the watch industry restoring timepieces for museums. After a 30-year career, he produced his first collection of handcrafted watches in 1994. All of the F.P. Journe timepieces come in very small numbers. It is known for three different pieces: the Centigraphe Souverain, Tourbillon Souverain, and the Sonnerie Souverain.