To say watches are only an accessory is a grieve understatement. They are more than just decorative pieces you sling on as an afterthought before you go out the door but are a piece of history in themselves. They are heirlooms, an identity, and most importantly: an investment.
Introduction
In today’s climate, life moves at a speed most people are not equipped to handle. Keeping track of time and staying on top of things in the fast-paced environment has proven to be more and more difficult as the years go by. But maybe with a little help, say, a brand new shiny watch on your wrist – you can do all of those things in style.
Luxury timepieces are designed to never go out of fashion, no matter the latest fast fashion trends or influential marketing. Even with most smartphones having a built-in clock system you can peek in whenever you want, nothing beats the elegance that comes with owning a beautifully crafted time-telling tool just at your wrist. Checking the time will never feel as luxurious as doing it from your fancy timepiece.
But that is not all luxury watches are made out for, in their heart, they are emotional investments. You are not only investing in them for yourself but for future generations to come who will no doubt get as much use out of it like you when fifty years down the road the timepiece feels as good as new. A premium-grade time-keeper is a treasured possession and sooner or later, a prized family heirloom.
Rolex
Would it be a luxury watch list without mentioning one of the titular brands that have the most recognizable watches in the world? Rolex is arguably one of the most famous watch brands, not just for the luxury market. Their watchmaking skills and finely-tuned craftsmanship have gotten them to where they are today, and for good reason. Each one of their watches is made of high-grade materials which make for a higher average resale value than any other watch brand on the market, which is a testament to their undisputable wear and tear.
Patek Philippe
Most notably known for inventing the very first wristwatch, Patek Philippe & Co. is one of the best watch brands in the world to boot with a very specific niche market even in the 1%. If Rolex is a status symbol to the general public, Patek Philippe is a novelty to those in the know. This family-owned Swiss brand is the last one of its kind in Geneva today, with some of their magnum opus works including the Nautilus, Aquanaut, Calatrava, and more. The house of Patek Philippe has also been famously known to cater exclusive commissions to high-profile clientele: including renowned philosopher James Ward and American banker Henry Graves, for whom they made the infamous ‘The Graves Supercomplication’, one of their most complex projects amounting to $11,000,000, 24 complications, and over 8 years to make.
IWC Schaffhausen
International Watch Company, or IWC, was founded by Boston-born Florentine Ariosto Jones in 1868 when he was only 27 years old. Known primarily for their dive and pilot watches, the brand prides themselves with their marriage of flawless functionality with exceptional design, a rare thing for luxury accessories. IWC shot to fame by combining innovative American production techniques with that of traditional Swiss craftsmanship, creating an altogether fresh concoction of form and function. For eco-conscious customers, IWC Schaffhausen watches are all a testament to the brand’s commitment to sustainability, making use of the Rhine river for hydropower instead of traditional gas turbines.
Cartier
Louis-François Cartier founded his monumental Paris-based jewellery brand in 1847, starting his ascent into becoming one of the most well-known luxury brands all over the world and even being nicknamed jeweller to the kings. One of their most famous pieces, the monumental Tank Watch, was invented by his grandson Louis Cartier. From then on, the house of Cartier has steadily risen to become one of the most celebrated brands on the market and established itself as a serious player in the watchmaking industry. Commonly associated with tradition and heritage, Cartier has made efforts to push its boundaries by taking on more technologically advanced laboratories to give their craftsmen the best means to produce high-quality timepieces, with their signature gold granulation and grisaille enamel a product of such innovation.
Vacheron Constantin
One of the oldest continuously operating luxury watch manufacturers in the world, Vacheron Constantin was founded by Jean-Marc Vacheron in Geneva in 1755. The brand’s signature pieces are known for their extensive complications, bringing with each watch a hundred years of watchmaking history. Since its foundation, Vacheron Constantin has been making some of the most unique and creative horological masterpieces, most of them ending up on the wrists of prominent figureheads such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Harry Truman. The Vacheron Constantin $57269, also known as the most complicated watch in the world, boasts of an impressive 57 complications with an estimated value of $8,000,000.
Piaget
Founded in a humble village of La Côte-aux-Fées in the Swiss mountains, Georges-Édouard Piaget set up his first ever horologic workshop and turned it into one of the most notable luxury watch brands for offering the thinnest automatic watch in the world. Piaget’s brand of offering ultra-thin watch calibres catered to a specific clientele, one of such means but did not want bulky contraptions weighing on their wrists. Taking this to their advantage, the brand further established its edge by making the world’s thinnest manual wind watch and centering its entire line around convenient, light but still well-crafted pieces.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Swiss-based brand JLC, or Jaeger-LeCoultre, has been around since 1833 and have shaped the face of luxury watch design as we know it. The renowned brand has developed over 1,200 individual calibres and 400 unique patents, a testament to the creative minds behind the brand who are constantly innovating and breaking down tradition with their cutting-edge designs. JLC remains to be one of the most vertically integrated and prestigious watchmakers of their time and now, owing to the majority of their success to their in-house production of movements and components, a feat most modern watchmakers have long stopped doing. The brand’s ability to control quality and assess craftsmanship over a fine-tooth comb make each of its pieces distinct and unique.
Tag Heuer
Edouard Heuer launched the Swiss brand TAG, or “Techniques d’Avant Garde” in 1860. In 1962, they made record for being the first-ever watch to be in space, with John Glenn having worn one of their stopwatches on the Mercury-Atlas 6 flight. Even as the brand is more popularly known for its sporty silhouettes and close association with motor racing, the TAG Heuer brand is all about breaking boundaries and blazing new trails for watchmaking. With an impressive celebrity endorsement portfolio, the brand mostly appeals to a younger and style-conscious crowd. All of their watches boast of more fashion-forward designs, but still have remarkable durability even submerged 1,000 feet into the sea.
Audemars Piguet
Founded by childhood friends, Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet, the duo made history by changing the sustainability direction of the luxury watch industry in 1972 with their Royal Oak design. This titular debut piece embellished in substantial, non-precious metal, stainless steel casing rather than traditional delicate gold made for a more viable solution to luxury watches casing, putting Audemars-Piguet at the forefront of luxury sustainability. With their production of an underwater version of their iconic watch, the Royal Oak Offshore series cemented AP as one of the most highly respected watchmaking institutions of the world.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, a luxury watch is more than just a status symbol of taste and class; it does all the talking for you. It tells people you have the means to indulge in sentimental investments, not just business ones. It shows the world you mean to pass on a piece of history to the next generation and invite them to create new ones while having it in tow.
More than just fashion flair and impeccable taste, a luxury timepiece is like refusing to go along with the crazy times and slowing things down to a halt where you get to cherish and treasure every second of your day – in style.
