The Rankings

The following list contains 676 watch brands ranked in a pecking order hierarchy from Entry level to Ultra Luxury based on their typical price point, quality and exclusivity delineating between Swiss and non-Swiss brands:

CategoryLuxury StarsTypical Price Point
Ultra Luxury Watches5 Stars>$40,000
High-End Luxury Watches4 Stars$10,000 - $40,000
Luxury Watches$5,000 - $10,000
Basic Luxury Watches$1,500 - $5,000
Entry Luxury Watches1 Star$500-$1,500
Watches< $500 

 New Quick Search:

See our FAQs on why certain watch brands are placed in a particular category.  If a watch brand does not have a hyperlink it is because the brand is not in business anymore.  In addition, watch brands that stand out within their respective category are decorated by the red heart symbol: watch-rankings.com-favorite

Last updated December 27, 2020 - view the change log here and if the watch brand you're looking for is not ranked then check the rankings in progress here.

Ultra Luxury Watches Attributes:

  • > $40,000
  • Superb Heritage/Pedigree
  • Exclusivity (Limited Quantities)
  • May not have the best resale value
  • Small niche boutiques (Independents)
  • Impeccable Handmade Craftsmanship
  • Brand recognition in horology circles
  • Complex Automatic In-House Movements
  • Precious Metals and Stones
  • Sapphire Crystal

High-End Luxury Watches Attributes

  •  $10,000 - $40,000
  • Superb Heritage/Pedigree
  • High resale values
  • High Quantities (on most pieces)
  • May have famous very expensive rare pieces
  • Brand recognition by greater public
  • Complex Quality Automatic Movements, most In-House
  • Impeccable Craftsmanship, often Handmade
  • Precious Metals and Stones
  • Sapphire Crystal



Luxury Watches (Swiss) 3 Stars

Luxury Watches (Other countries) 3 Stars

Luxury Watches Attributes

  • $5,000 - $10,000
  • Respected Heritage/Pedigree
  • High resale values
  • Mass Production, some rare pieces
  • Quality Automatic Movements, some In-House
  • Great Craftsmanship
  • Some Precious Metals and Stones
  • Sapphire Crystal

Basic Luxury Watches (Swiss) 2 Stars

Basic Luxury Watches (Other countries) 2 Stars


Entry Luxury Watches (Swiss) 1 Star

Entry Luxury Watches (Other countries) 1 Star




 Watches (Swiss) 0 Stars

Watches (Other countries) 0 Stars

Watches Attributes

  • < $500
  • Fashion / Sports Brands
  • Mass Production
  • Quartz or Automatic Movements made in Asia
  • Average Industrial Craftsmanship Quality
  • Usually have Mineral Crystal
  • Usually not worth servicing except for battery

 

New: View the ranking list change log here.

Why is your watch brand not here?  First check if the ranking analysis for the watch you're looking for is currently in progress here.  If it's not there, well, we may have missed it.  Tell us in the comments where it should be ranked at on the list.  OS




486 thoughts on “The Rankings”

  1. Daniel Teoh says:

    I came across a brand named “DELMA”, swiss made. I would like to know which category does it falls into since it is not listed in the ranking list. The website is https://www.delma.ch/. Just for the information, I found this brand on Montredo, a German online luxury watch seller.

    Reply
  2. Ole says:

    Entry Luxury Watches (Other countries)

    STRELA Watch (Germany)

    38, 42, and 46 mm watch with Russian Poljot (3133, 31681, mechanical chronograph, 2612 alarm) movements. Mineral and sapphire. Newer 40 mm mechanical chronograph watches with Seagull ST1901 and ST1940. Sapphire.

    Most watches have a display case back.

    Please consider STRELA for your impressive overview.

    Link: https://strela-watch.de/

    A long-term existing brand with an unusual background to early Russian spaceflight. Similar to the Sturmanskie brand.

    Reply
  4. Jeff Meador says:

    Brillier Watches should be on your list. They are assembled in my home state of Arizona and are actually a nice watch for the money. Have automatic movements. You can see them on the Long Island Watch website.

    Reply
  5. Jeff Meador says:

    I second Daniel’s idea about separating watches that are really cheap Chinese watches with their brand name on them like MVT, Daniel Wellington, Fossil, etc… If you could some how come up with two categories of the watches under $500 that would be great. That way as more people find you, they will see they can trust your judgment and eventually will come here first before buying a watch. Since most of the “cheap” watches come from China, you may want to consider a “Chinese Manufactured” watches or something like that. I know Casio watches are manufactured in China but Casio is a Japanese company, however, Casio designs ALL their watches and they have a long horological history. Maybe that could be part of your criteria. Anyways, I don’t know exactly how you would do it but I do agree it would certainly save your readers a GREAT amount of time and possible heartache if you had two categories. As always, LOVE your site and find myself coming here daily and looking up different brands. Thank you for ALL you do for the watch community!

    Reply
  6. Daniel says:

    It feels wrong having brands like Citizen and Seiko in the same category as brands like Daniel Wellington and Fossil. Would you consider separating out the high-quality-yet-accessible group into a half star? Either way, I’ve gotten a lot from this site. Thanks for all the work you put into this.

    Reply
  7. Jeff Meador says:

    Under High End Luxury Watches you have A. Lange & Sohne under Swiss watches with “German origins” in parenthesis. A. Lange & Sohne are NOT Swiss but are in fact German. The dial proudly says on all their watches Made in Germany. Their factory is located in Glashutte, Germany.

    Reply
  8. Jeff Meador says:

    I was surprised to not see D.Dornbluth&Sohn on the list. Great German watch maker since 1999. Also, Zelos watches was not on the list. They seem to have created a strong following. What is the criteria for a company to be on the list. Oh yes, I LOVE the list! Thank you for your on going hard work to keep it up to date and relevant!

    Reply
    • Admin says:

      With Mineral Crystals and Quartz movements Q&Q would be in the Watch Category at less than $500. It will be added at the next update. Thanks

      Reply

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