Switzerland accounts for around 50% of the global value of watch exports, with sales of 24.8 billion Swiss francs in 2023, according to the Fédération Horlogère Suisse. Haute Horlogerie – a term codified by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie – refers to watches whose design and manufacture meet strict criteria of finishing, complication and manual production. Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, F.P. Journe, Richard Mille: these manufacturers define the pinnacle of the discipline. Luxsure has been documenting this sector since 2008 with the precision it demands.
Manufacture or manufacturer: understanding the difference
A watch manufacturer makes its own calibers – the mechanical movement that powers the watch. An établisseur assembles components purchased from specialized suppliers. This distinction is fundamental in assessing the legitimacy of a high-end positioning. Rolex, Patek Philippe, IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre are all manufactures. Some brands combine the two approaches, depending on the line.
The great manufacturers: portraits and calibres
Patek Philippe – founded in 1839 in Geneva, known for the Calibre 89 (33 complications), the Nautilus and the Aquanaut. Audemars Piguet – founded in 1875 in Le Brassus, inventor of the steel Royal Oak in 1972. Rolex – founded in 1905 in London, moved to Geneva in 1919, pioneer of water-resistance (Oyster, 1926) and automatic winding (Perpetual, 1931). Zenith – founded in Le Locle in 1865, creator of the El Primero in 1969, the first integrated automatic chronograph caliber.
Investment watches: understanding value before quotation
According to McKinsey, the secondary market for luxury watches was worth around $22 billion in 2022. But there’s more to investing in watches than odds: production rarity, state of preservation, presence of the original box and papers, cultural depth of the model – these factors determine long-term value far more surely than short-term speculation.
New collections and watch news
Watches and Wonders Geneva (April), SIHH, Baselworld – the major watch fairs structure the calendar of new products. Luxsure covers launches, analyzes positioning and documents the technical know-how of new references.
Luxsure watch articles
→ Best investment watches: understanding value before quotation
→ Haute horlogerie: definition, criteria and reference houses
→ Manufacture horlogère or établisseur: what watchmaking means
→ Squeezing without bending: Zenith’s Chronomaster Sport Skeleton
→ IWC Schaffhausen refines the Ingenieur Automatic 35
→ Hublot, twenty years of soccer timekeeping
Cette publication est également disponible en :
