I think Omega deserve the No. 2 slot. But a list is futile, the world of watches is more complicated than a linear list.
This may have been discussed previously, apologies if this is taking back everyone but in terms of brand, what's the pecking order. I will not include Patek & AP in this as i guess they stand tall above the rest.
I'm looking to get what the general perception is out there... Hublot have some exquisite pieces but is it regarded well ? I'm new to the world of watches so pls excuse my ignorance
Is following more or less correct
1. Rolex
2. Breitling
3. Omega
4. IWC
5. Panerai
6. Hublot
7. Zenith
8. JLT
9. Tag
I think Omega deserve the No. 2 slot. But a list is futile, the world of watches is more complicated than a linear list.
Agree with Bruno!!!
My personal faves are: IWC, zenith, omega from the list above. Guess it depends what kind of watches you like. In terms of expensive watches your list is way out. Are you ranking them on your perception? Why not include more brands? Questions questions questions.
Tudor deserves a mention??
I think general perception and forum perception are going to be very different.
If each brand made only one watch it might be easier to create a list such as this. But they don't, each brand produce a variety of watches at various price points so it's a waste of time trying.
Brand perception is subjective, everyone will have a different view.
Check out Archie..........he'll sort your perception out.
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Last edited by jambobbyb; 22nd May 2019 at 00:33.
From me eavesdropping on some conversations, the young guys at the place I work (early twenties) have the following perceptions:
1. AP Offshores, Hublot, Breitling (cuz they're big, cool, and manly)
2. Rolex, Omega, Cartier (the traditional luxury brands, more suited to older gentlemen, but still cool)
3. Patek, Vacheron (for the really old gentlemen)
4. Everything else
This is my personal pecking order
1) Rolex
2) Omega
3) Nomos
4) Zenith
5) Precista
6) Breitling
7) Tag Heuer
8) Longines
Yup, Patak's top of the range in pickling order
1. Breitling
2. Oris
3. Luminox
4. Longines
5. Omega
6. Cartier
7. Kobold
8. Seiko
F.T.F.A.
Dear Navaro,
As you are new to all this may I recommend an app for you smart phone - watchville.
It will give you a feed from al, the major watch blogs without having to search out each one individually , this will give you a huge amount to read and exposure to information about many more brands high middle and low.
As much as the old hands may rib you we were all there at one point in time.
Happy reading , Mark
Well, H.Moser & Cie hasn´t been mentioned so far, but better option to get an idea about high level watchmakers is to use google. I have seen plenty of lists with
different watchmakers placed in different levels etc.
Just pointless
Whilst we are on the subject of stuff that has never been discussed before, does anyone know how Grand Seiko stack up against Rolex?
Best brand in what sense?
Proportion of the market? Value for money? Aesthetically? Historically?
What in the world is TAG doing on that list?
Globally it was Apple, but now (in recent weeks) best as in most valuable it's Google
As watches go the best brand is Rolex, everything else isn't even close.
You can say what you like, I'm sure many will, but take the WIS out of the equation and along with that all the 'discussions' of who makes a better product, as a brand it's Rolex.
Known the world over by anyone with the slightest passing interest in watches. And known by its attributes good and bad, reliable, expensive, aspirational, desirable, luxury, personal status symbol, too flash, new money, gaudy, car salesman etc. etc.
That is the general perception.
And good luck to them, it cannot be easy to create such an image, an air of prestige yet having a relatively common product.
They are the BMW (3 series more common than a Ford Mondeo) of the watch industry.
Best brand relating to actual products?
That no one can really decide the product portfolio is too diverse, someone makes the best diver, someone else makes the best dress watch etc.
In my experience best depends on your own criteria for buying a particular product, it may be the best watch in the world ever according to the tech spec for example, but if it's too big/small for you or doesn't sit comfortably on the wrist or you're not happy with the aesthetic, the tech spec becomes irrelevant, .
Last edited by nunya; 22nd March 2016 at 10:09.
To the OP:- your list is not only incorrect, it is also irrelevant.
Read more. Learn more.
Ignore any reply on this thread that tries to provide you with a "pecking order".
Enjoy forming your own opinions - then come back, share them with us, and we'll tell you if we agree or not.
What else would you look for in a watch brand? If you mean instant recogniseability or market share - it would be Rolex first, with omega and Breitling following...those are the watches that 99% of people would recognise as "best brands"....
but when it comes to what watch enthusiasts identify as "market leading brands" it would have to be the high class names several people have brought up.
You could expand it further to brands pushing horology innovation to the next level - uhrwerk, mb&f etc...but as the first few posts rightly said, you won't ever come up with a comprehensive list that even 2 people will agree on
Yaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwnnnnnn.......
I actually agree very much with your comment - Rolex is the most known luxury watch brand.
But I was actually not commenting on your post - I was replying to another post, about the best watch makers out there, which I happen to agree with more! You're the one who replied to my post repeating your own comments...
It depends what you mean by "market leader". This isn't the same as "product leader", where a WIS point of view might be more relevant. Market leaders dominate in share, advertising spend, distribution, pricing... what the customer perceives and so on. Depending on how you define "market" (all watches, luxury watches, high-tech watches, very high-end specialist watches...) TAG has those things, as do Rolex, Seiko, Citizen.
Of course, as with cars, hifi and other premium branded products, many WIS construct and advocate a definition of market in which they can fit the brand or brands they prefer, and then reinforce the message internally and externally that they are backing the winning horse.
For example, my favourite brand is currently Tudor, so in my mind, market is "mid-level luxury, technical quality and very high build quality standards that consumers on comfortable but not excessive salaries can afford, where the average unit price is somewhat less than the emotional yardstick represented by a full month's take-home pay". Tudor plays in that area pretty well.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
From my seat on the commuter trains I would say that the Omega Seamaster leads by a mile.
Followed by an assortment of Breitlings and Tag's and then you have the Armani's , TW Steel type horrors. I would say that Vintage watches are also appearing increasingly common.
From overall brand awareness it has to be Rolex Rolex Rolex. But oddly on the flesh it appears to be Seamaster , Seamaster.
Spoke to a chap at an Omega boutique and he reckons it was their obvious best seller and said it was the price point.
Upstream of Rolex and Omega, Breitling surely it is your usual suspects with Lange a more recent member of the top level
Won’t someone think of the Bremonts?
the OP might be new to watch collecting and through experience you do soon realise lists like these are truly pointless. In the last 2 years I've come across all sorts of brands, old and new and its tested my own preconceived views on these things.