HOW TO CHOOSE A SWISS WATCH?

How to choose a Swiss watch

Swiss watches are a separate product category intended for people of a certain level of income. They are an expensive accessory and, at the same time, an image item that emphasizes the status of the owner. Every person who has achieved some success in life dreams of owning a wristwatch marked Swiss Made. Swiss watches are traditionally assembled by hand, in limited editions, and the secret of their popularity lies in compliance with the highest standards of quality, precision and reliability of Swiss watch movements and thoughtful design. We want to tell you in more detail how to choose the right Swiss watch, buy, sell or part-exchange a luxury watch.

Selection of Swiss watches by prestige level and price segment

Switzerland is a generally recognized world leader in the production of expensive status watches. More than 300 watch manufactories are officially registered here, most of which have a centuries-old history and strictly adhere to the traditions of Swiss watchmaking. Each brand has its own “zest” and achievements, even relatively young watch brands such as Corum (founded in 1955) or Maurice Lacroix (1975).

It is difficult to say for sure which Swiss watches to choose on the online platform for luxury watches, based on the level of prestige of the brand, since to compile such a rating one would have to take into account many criteria. Based on the popularity of the brand, the annual turnover of the manufactory and the presence of an extensive distribution network, we would highlight groups of them rather than individual brands:

• high-end brands that produce watches for a narrow segment of wealthy people, with unique designs and materials: Richard Mille and Greubel Forsey;
• brands that produce watches related to high luxury watchmaking: Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Rolex, Breguet, A. Lange & Söhne, FPJourne, Blancpain, Girard Perregaux and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Watches of these brands belong to the high price segment, and their cost reaches tens and hundreds of thousands of US dollars;
• premium brands that produce watches that are popular with presidents, sports and film stars, and royalty. These brands include: Hublot, Cartier, Ulysse Nardin, Breitling, Zenith, Omega, Franck Muller, Chopard, Piaget, IWC, Officine Panerai and some other brands;
• luxury brands such as Longines, Tag Heuer, Perrelet, Maurice Lacroix, Baume & Mercier and others;
• brands of inexpensive entry-level watches that produce affordable chronometers: Tissot, Edox, Oris and others.

When deciding which Swiss watch is best to buy, you need to take into account that even brands belonging to the highest price segment produce affordable models, because the cost of a watch is influenced not only by the prestige and fame of the brand, but also by such criteria as:

• materials used for manufacturing;
•  type of watch mechanism - traditionally, mechanics are more expensive than quartz movements, since they require fine manual adjustment during assembly;
• the complexity of calibers, determined by the presence of various functions, such as second time indication and power reserve, indication of lunar phases, measurement of time intervals using chronographs, repeaters and others;
• the presence of decor and the use of precious stones for inlaying the case or dial.

All these criteria must also be taken into account when choosing a Swiss watch.

Selection of Swiss watches based on manufacturing materials

The appearance of a watch largely depends on the materials of the case and glass. And if most brands use sapphire glass, then various materials are used for the case. The most common ones are:

• gold of different shades - white, yellow or red. Some brands, such as Hublot, use original gold alloys such as Magic or King;
• platinum;
• stainless steel – watches in steel cases are now made by many premium and luxury brands, sometimes combining steel with rose or yellow gold.

Naturally, watches whose cases are made of steel are cheaper than gold chronometers, but at the same time they look no less stylish.

Today, in addition to the listed basic materials, the following are increasingly used for the manufacture of watch cases:

• titanium;
• sapphire;
• ceramics;
• carbon;
• kevlar;
• rubber;
• palladium;
• osmium and other materials.

Which Swiss watch is better: gold, steel or other materials? It's up to you to decide: depending on your taste and intentions, whether you want to emphasize your status or purchase a practical accessory, which in itself is an indicator of image and prestige.

How to check the authenticity of a Swiss watch

One of the indicators that a Swiss watch is original and not a fake is the distinct Swiss Made marking applied to the dial. It is usually located around the “6” mark. According to Swiss law, watches can only be marked with this inscription if they:

• have a Swiss movement;
• assembled in Switzerland;
• tested in Swiss laboratories.

A sign of prestige and the highest quality is the Geneva Seal, which is the inscription Geneve under the brand logo.

In addition, original Swiss watches are sold in a branded box with a passport and an international brand guarantee, which is issued in the form of a chip or plastic card that activates the guarantee.

Knowing now how to choose a Swiss watch and which brand to choose, you can easily find the right model.