This topic seems to surface inside some other threads.
So let me as well try a ranking of Swiss watch brands from my point of view:
I am in the watch collection scene about 40 years and have visited the workshops and archives of many Swiss watch manufacturers. I saw brands disapearing and rebirthing like Blancpain, were I was in the original factory in Villeret, same with Minerva, Cortebert, Ulysse Nardin, Guinand aso.
So my view on brand ranking is based on a very historic way, not at all interested in todays numbers, revenues and second hand values.
And here I do not count the jewelry labels like Chanel, Cartier... nor the new brands like Panerai, Montblanc, Hublot, Chopard...
(And sorry, I surely miss some remarcable brands.)
Let me try:
- upper upper class:
Patek Philippe, Lange & Söhne, Breguet, F.P. Journe
- middle upper class:
Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron & Constantin, Audemar-Piguet
...
upper middle class:
Rolex, Omega, IWC...
middle middle class:
Breitling, Heuer, Longines, Zenith, Movado, Ebel, Blancpain, Beaume & Mercier. Girard-Perregaux, Eberhard, Beaume & Mercier, Universal Geneve...
- lower middle class:
Doxa, Certina, Tissot, Rado, Mido, Tudor, Eterna, Zodiac, Angelus, Helvetia...
- lower class:
Oris, Nivada, Fortis...
Its my very individual view, not knowing most of the actual models, wether they obey todays high grade watch making standards or craftmansship.
Most of these brands today are not individual manufacturers as they are part of a luxury goods corporation like Swatch, Richemont, LVMH a.s.o. were they share techniques and service infrastructure.
To name two antipodes: Rolex is on its own and they are optimizing industrial mass production, while e.g. Lange & Söhne watches are to a great part handmade with individual high grade movement functions in small batches.
Gruß Konrad
(I do not agree with the att. pyramid, it seems only to count second hand values.)
