Most Iconic Watches

The following time pieces are iconic because they are recognized as quality watches and admired by those in the know.  Many introduced significant milestones that changed how watches are made.  This list serves as a great reference to learn about the history and milestones of watch making.

1) Rolex Daytona Paul Newman

2) Rolex Submariner

3) Omega Speedmaster Professional - watch that went to the moon

4) Patek Philippe Calatrava

5) Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso - first sports watch

6) Zenith El Primero Chronograph - first chronograph ever

7) Cartier Tank - first commercial wristwatch

8) Tag Heuer Carrera

9) Breitling Navitimer

10) Audemars Piguet Royal Oak - original steel watch



11) Piaget Altiplano Chronograph

12) Heuer Monaco

13) Omega Seamaster

14) Panerai Radiomir

15) IWC Portuguese

16) Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox

17) Rolex Day-Date “President”

18) Breguet Type XX

19) Rolex Datejust - first self‑winding wrist chronometer to indicate the date in a window on the dial

20) Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ultra Fine

21) Cartier Santos Dumas - first pilot’s watch

22) Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph

23) Glashutte Original Senator Navigator

24) Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

25) Urwerk UR-103 

26) Ulysse Nardin Freak

27) Breguet La Tradition Fusee Tourbillon

28) A. Lange & Sohne Tourbograph "Pour le Mérite"

29) Panerai Luminor - watch that changed fashion

30) Rolex Oyster + Perpetual - world's first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch (1926),  world's first self-winding mechanism with a Perpetual rotor (1931)



31) First State Watch Factory (Poljot) - Sturmanskie - the first watch in space worn by Yuri Gagarin

32) Corum Golden Bridge - world's first baguette movement with linear gear trains mounted in a totally transparent case (1980)

33) Blancpain 1735 Grande Complication (Minute Repeater, Split Second Chronograph, Tourbillon, and Perpetual Calendar with Moonphase)

34) Leroy 01 - most complicated watch in the world 1901

35) Patek Philippe - Henry Graves Supercomplication (1933) was the world’s most complicated mechanical timepiece for more than 50 years, with a total of 24 different functions

36) Patek Philippe - Caliber 89 Grand Complication (1989) - 24 hands with 1,728 components in total, including a thermometer, and a star chart, weighs 1.1 kg

37) Vacheron Constantin Reference 57260 - the most complicated mechanical pocket watch ever created, 57 complications (2015)

38) Haldimann H8 - the Tourbillon watch that doesn't tell time (2010)

39) Roger Dubuis Excalibur Quatuor - 4 balance wheels (2014)

40) Jaquet Droz Charming Bird - world’s first singing bird automation in a wristwatch (2015)

41) A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater - world's first watch with a mechanical jumping numerals display and a decimal minute repeater (2015)

42) Apple Watch - smart watch (2015)

43) Zenith Defy Lab with Caliber ZO 342 - New and Disruptive monolithic silicon oscillator replacing classic swiss anchor, hairspring and balance wheel (2017)



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