How important is Swiss made to you?
Discussion
Having watched the Chronoglyde video below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozCVELMzgws
It really does just highlight to me that mainstream watch industry really is just after the cash and will milk it as much as possible.
I'm quite happy for my watch to not be Swiss made, but for some people it's a big thing that they go for.
Does it bother you or do you go into watchbuying with your eyes opened?
Not saying Swiss watches are rubbish, but for me just debunks even more the whole exclusivity nonsese that's peddled by the big companies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozCVELMzgws
It really does just highlight to me that mainstream watch industry really is just after the cash and will milk it as much as possible.
I'm quite happy for my watch to not be Swiss made, but for some people it's a big thing that they go for.
Does it bother you or do you go into watchbuying with your eyes opened?
Not saying Swiss watches are rubbish, but for me just debunks even more the whole exclusivity nonsese that's peddled by the big companies.
I'd personally go for German brand if looking for a higher end watch. Nomos, Glasshute Original, A. Lange and Sohne, D.Dornblüth & Sohn etc. appeal far more to me than anything the Swiss make.
In the lower end I do think Swiss Made at least confirms that the watch isn't just another overpriced AliExpress parts bin special as with many a microbrand.
In the lower end I do think Swiss Made at least confirms that the watch isn't just another overpriced AliExpress parts bin special as with many a microbrand.
SWoll said:
I'd personally go for German brand if looking for a higher end watch. Nomos, Glasshute Original, A. Lange and Sohne, D.Dornblüth & Sohn etc. appeal far more to me than anything the Swiss make.
Are there any good German brands in that £2.5K-£5K range where the Swiss seem to dominate?It's just another variable & certainly not as synonymous with quality like it was before I was born, but the same could be said of Made in Britain.
Like the guy said, in the 40's & 50's the movements were beautiful and this declined for many brands in the 70's, but so did every other nations watches. If they didn't they either went bankrupt, they were Rolex/Patek and flew above the Quartz Crisis or they were so niche they were hardly selling anyway.
So, like everything historical, you view it in the context of the day. The Speedmaster has been using a variant of the same Lemania caliber since it was introduced, but in the early 80's they were selling for less than a gold plated quartz watch. The El Primero had been killed off. SSIH & ASAUG were on their knees, digital watches were everywhere. Who buys dumb phones today? Who'd invest in mechanical watchmaking?
The Japanese pioneered quartz watches and the Swiss caught up fast, but the premium that could be charged rapidly declined as electronics manufacturing became cheaper and more heavily automated and traditional watchmaking companies found themselves with factories full of workers with skills that noone needed any more.
As much as I am sometimes loathe to give them credit, it was the Swiss who saved large scale mechanical watchmaking when they could have done a Thatcher and moved on. Hayek and others recognised that you need to be strong at volume to support the more exotic stuff, so the margins from Swatch, etc subsided the Omega and the Longines until they could return to profitability which in turn provides the skill base and market for guys like Breguet to return to being what they are.
Like the guy said, in the 40's & 50's the movements were beautiful and this declined for many brands in the 70's, but so did every other nations watches. If they didn't they either went bankrupt, they were Rolex/Patek and flew above the Quartz Crisis or they were so niche they were hardly selling anyway.
So, like everything historical, you view it in the context of the day. The Speedmaster has been using a variant of the same Lemania caliber since it was introduced, but in the early 80's they were selling for less than a gold plated quartz watch. The El Primero had been killed off. SSIH & ASAUG were on their knees, digital watches were everywhere. Who buys dumb phones today? Who'd invest in mechanical watchmaking?
The Japanese pioneered quartz watches and the Swiss caught up fast, but the premium that could be charged rapidly declined as electronics manufacturing became cheaper and more heavily automated and traditional watchmaking companies found themselves with factories full of workers with skills that noone needed any more.
As much as I am sometimes loathe to give them credit, it was the Swiss who saved large scale mechanical watchmaking when they could have done a Thatcher and moved on. Hayek and others recognised that you need to be strong at volume to support the more exotic stuff, so the margins from Swatch, etc subsided the Omega and the Longines until they could return to profitability which in turn provides the skill base and market for guys like Breguet to return to being what they are.
Bob_Defly said:
SWoll said:
I'd personally go for German brand if looking for a higher end watch. Nomos, Glasshute Original, A. Lange and Sohne, D.Dornblüth & Sohn etc. appeal far more to me than anything the Swiss make.
Are there any good German brands in that £2.5K-£5K range where the Swiss seem to dominate?SWoll said:
Nomos and Sinn.
Damasko. Tool-watch styling but nice nonetheless. They have done some very trick modifications to the base eta movements. Meistersinger
Mont Blanc (wouldn’t be my choice but they’re German despite the name)
Some of the more expensive Laco watches are worth a look
Stowa (or are they Swiss?)
Edited by Barchettaman on Friday 24th November 10:32
SWoll said:
Bob_Defly said:
SWoll said:
I'd personally go for German brand if looking for a higher end watch. Nomos, Glasshute Original, A. Lange and Sohne, D.Dornblüth & Sohn etc. appeal far more to me than anything the Swiss make.
Are there any good German brands in that £2.5K-£5K range where the Swiss seem to dominate?As would U.T.S. Munchen too
You could possibly sneak a second hand habring2 into the equation too if your lucky with the market.
I also don’t mind if my watch is German or not Swiss to answer the main question. I wear a muhle glasshutte SAR rescue timer every day and I’m seriously considering a dornblueth too. To me it’s the quality of the watch that comes first alongside style. Where it’s made is very far down the list. But then again I’m not after names on my wrist either.
Barchettaman said:
Mont Blanc (wouldn’t be my choice but they’re German despite the name)
Where did you get that from? Montblanc is a German-based company, but is ultimately owned by Richemont who are Swiss. Their watches all have 'Swiss Made' written on them though, and the watches are made in Villaret and Le Locle.Edited by Barchettaman on Friday 24th November 10:32
This is their Le Locle facility - take a virtual drive with Streetview down the Chem de Tourelles road, and you'll see buildings with signs for Vulcain, Tissot, Montblanc and Blancpain pretty much next door to each other.
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.0568487,6.7536519,...
mikey_b said:
Where did you get that from? Montblanc is a German-based company, but is ultimately owned by Richemont who are Swiss. Their watches all have 'Swiss Made' written on them though, and the watches are made in Villaret and Le Locle.
This is their Le Locle facility - take a virtual drive with Streetview down the Chem de Tourelles road, and you'll see buildings with signs for Vulcain, Tissot, Montblanc and Blancpain pretty much next door to each other.
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.0568487,6.7536519,...
Apologies, scrub Mont Blanc from the list! I wasn’t sure if I was remembering correctly. This is their Le Locle facility - take a virtual drive with Streetview down the Chem de Tourelles road, and you'll see buildings with signs for Vulcain, Tissot, Montblanc and Blancpain pretty much next door to each other.
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.0568487,6.7536519,...
matrignano said:
As others have said, other countries make great movements/watches too.
What is critical for me, on a "expensive" watch, is that it has a manufacture movement and not some ETA rehash
The Omega co-axial movement is a rehash of an ETA movementWhat is critical for me, on a "expensive" watch, is that it has a manufacture movement and not some ETA rehash
The Rolex Daytona uses a Zenith movement so not a movement by that manufacturer. It also means you are excluding the following who have all used bought in movements
Patek Phillipe
Vacheron Constantin
AP
Blancpain
Breguet
Tudor
Brietling
IWC
Panerai
Hublot
Edited by blueg33 on Monday 27th November 10:45
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