List of World Watch Manufactures

An alphabetical list of major and historically significant watchmakers with the date founded and brief information – American, Swiss, German, Great Britian, Japanese and more

Watch Manufacturers A–Z

A

A. Lange & Söhne – Founded in 1845 in Glashütte, Germany. Known for precision, hand-finishing, and iconic models like the Lange 1.
Accutron (Bulova) – Introduced in 1960 by Bulova (USA). Pioneer of tuning fork watches, precursors to quartz.
Alpina – Founded in 1883 in Switzerland. Early pioneer of sports/tool watches.
Angelus – Founded in 1891 in Le Locle, Switzerland. Famous for chronographs and alarm watches.
Audemars Piguet – Founded in 1875 in Le Brassus, Switzerland. Member of the “Holy Trinity,” known for the Royal Oak.

B

Baume & Mercier – Established in 1830 in Switzerland. Offers accessible Swiss luxury.
Bell & Ross – Founded in 1992 in France. Known for aviation-inspired square watches.
Blancpain – Founded in 1735 in Switzerland. The world’s oldest surviving watch brand, creator of the Fifty Fathoms dive watch.
Bovet – Founded in 1822 in Switzerland. Renowned for decorative, artistic watches.
Breguet – Founded in 1775 in Paris. Inventor of the tourbillon and classic luxury house.
Breitling – Founded in 1884 in Switzerland. Specialist in aviation watches and chronographs.
Bulova – Founded in 1875 in New York. Known for precision innovations like the Accutron.

C

Cartier – Founded in 1847 in Paris. Iconic jewelry watchmaker, creator of the Santos and Tank.
Casio – Founded in 1946 in Japan. Innovator in digital watches, especially G-Shock.
Certina – Founded in 1888 in Switzerland. Known for durable sports watches.
Chopard – Founded in 1860 in Switzerland. Blends fine watchmaking and jewelry, known for Mille Miglia.
Chronoswiss – Founded in 1983 in Germany. Famous for regulator-style watches.
Citizen – Founded in 1918 in Japan. Innovator of Eco-Drive solar watches.
Corum – Founded in 1955 in Switzerland. Bold designs like the Admiral’s Cup.
Cyma – Founded in 1862 in Switzerland. Popular mid-range watches in the 20th century.

D

Daniel Roth – Founded in 1989 in Switzerland. High-complication brand, later absorbed into Bulgari.
Daniel Wellington – Founded in 2011 in Sweden. Minimalist fashion quartz watches.
De Bethune – Founded in 2002 in Switzerland. Avant-garde independent haute horlogerie.
Doxa – Founded in 1889 in Switzerland. Famous for orange-dial Sub 300 dive watches.

E

Ebel – Founded in 1911 in Switzerland. Known for elegant watches and bracelet design.
Eberhard & Co. – Founded in 1887 in Switzerland. Strong chronograph and motorsport heritage.
Elgin National Watch Company – Founded in 1864 in Illinois, USA. Once the largest American watchmaker (closed 1968).
Enicar – Founded in 1913 in Switzerland. Famous for Sherpa dive and chronograph models.
Eterna – Founded in 1856 in Switzerland. Innovated the ball-bearing rotor, parent of ETA.

F

F.P. Journe – Founded in 1999 in Switzerland. Revered independent watchmaker with technical artistry.
Favre-Leuba – Founded in 1737 in Switzerland. Known for rugged adventure watches.
Festina – Founded in 1902 in Switzerland (now Spain). Affordable watches, linked to cycling sponsorships.
Fossil – Founded in 1984 in USA. Fashion-oriented quartz watches, owns multiple brands.
Fortis – Founded in 1912 in Switzerland. Pioneer of automatic watches and space-tested models.
Franck Muller – Founded in 1991 in Switzerland. Famous for bold, colorful complications.
Frederique Constant – Founded in 1988 in Geneva. Accessible luxury brand with in-house movements.

G

Gallet – Origins in 1466, formally 1826 (Switzerland). Oldest watchmaking dynasty, known for chronographs.
Garrick – Founded in 2014 in England. Focused on traditional British craftsmanship.
Girard-Perregaux – Founded in 1791 in Switzerland. Haute horlogerie house, known for Three Gold Bridges.
Glashütte Original – Established in 1994 in Germany. Continues Saxon watchmaking heritage with in-house calibers.
Glycine – Founded in 1914 in Switzerland. Famous for the Airman pilot watch.
Grand Seiko – Founded in 1960 in Japan. Independent luxury brand, famous for finishing and Spring Drive.
Greubel Forsey – Founded in 2004 in Switzerland. Ultra-high-end, technical tourbillons.

H

Habring² – Founded in 2004 in Austria. Independent couple making complication-rich watches.
Hamilton – Founded in 1892 in Pennsylvania, USA (now Swiss-owned). Known for railroad watches and Hollywood exposure.
Hanhart – Founded in 1882 in Germany. Specialist in aviation chronographs and stopwatches.
Harry Winston – Founded in 1932 in New York. Luxury jeweler with Opus series collaborations.
Hermès – Founded in 1837 in Paris (watches later). Offers refined luxury designs like Cape Cod.
Hublot – Founded in 1980 in Switzerland. Bold “fusion” brand, creator of the Big Bang.

I

IWC Schaffhausen – Founded in 1868 in Switzerland. Known for engineering-driven tool watches like the Portugieser and Pilot’s.
Invicta – Founded in 1837 in Switzerland, revived in USA. Affordable fashion brand with Swiss heritage roots.
Ikepod – Founded in 1994. Futuristic minimalist watches by designer Marc Newson.
Ice-Watch – Founded in 2007 in Belgium. Colorful, fashion-oriented quartz watches.

J

Jaeger-LeCoultre – Founded in 1833 in Switzerland. “Watchmaker’s watchmaker,” creator of the Reverso.
Jaquet Droz – Founded in 1738 in Switzerland. Famous for automata and artistic dials.
JeanRichard – Revived in 1990s, named after pioneer Daniel JeanRichard. Swiss heritage brand.
Junghans – Founded in 1861 in Germany. Known for Bauhaus Max Bill designs and historic production scale.

K

Konstantin Chaykin – Founded in 2003 in Russia. Inventive independent, creator of the Joker watch.
Kudoke – German independent by Stefan Kudoke. Specializes in skeletonized artistic pieces.

L

Laco – Founded in 1925 in Germany. Famous for WWII pilot watches.
Laurent Ferrier – Founded in 2009 in Switzerland. Creates refined, elegant haute horlogerie.
Longines – Founded in 1832 in Switzerland. Known for precision and timeless heritage designs.
Louis Erard – Founded in 1931 in Switzerland. Affordable regulators and mechanicals.
Louis Moinet – Revived in 2004, named after chronograph inventor. Produces artistic haute horlogerie.
L.U. Chopard – Launched 1996 as Chopard’s haute horlogerie line. Focused on hand-finished, in-house movements.

M

Maurice Lacroix – Founded in 1975. Known for accessible Swiss luxury (Aikon, Masterpiece).
MB&F – Founded in 2005. Avant-garde “Horological Machines.”
MeisterSinger – Founded in 2001 in Germany. Known for single-hand minimalist watches.
Minerva – Founded in 1858, now part of Montblanc. Historic chronograph specialist.
Mido – Founded in 1918 in Switzerland. Known for architecture-inspired and water-resistant designs.
Mühle Glashütte – Founded in 1869 in Germany. Marine instruments and rugged German watches.
Mondaine – Founded in 1951 in Switzerland. Famous for Swiss railway clock design.
Montblanc – Founded in 1906 in Germany (watches later). Luxury brand integrating Minerva calibers.

N

Nivada Grenchen – Founded in 1926. Known for vintage Chronomaster and Antarctic tool watches.
Nomos Glashütte – Founded in 1990 in Germany. Bauhaus-inspired, in-house movements, accessible luxury.
NTH – Founded in 2010s. Affordable microbrand specializing in vintage-style divers.

O

Oak & Oscar – Founded in 2015 in Chicago. Microbrand with limited-production tool watches.
Omega – Founded in 1848 in Switzerland. Known for the Speedmaster “Moonwatch,” Seamaster, and Olympic timing.
Orient – Founded in 1950 in Japan. Affordable in-house mechanicals, especially divers.
Oris – Founded in 1904 in Switzerland. Independent brand, only mechanical watches, tool-watch focused.

P

Panerai – Founded in 1860 in Italy. Oversized dive watches, originally for Italian Navy.
Parmigiani Fleurier – Founded in 1996 in Switzerland. Haute horlogerie and restoration expertise.
Patek Philippe – Founded in 1839 in Switzerland. Ultimate prestige, icons like the Calatrava and Nautilus.
Paul Picot – Founded in 1976 in Switzerland. Traditional Swiss luxury watches.
Perrelet – Founded in 1777 in Switzerland. Inventor of automatic winding, now turbine-themed watches.
Philippe Dufour – Independent Swiss watchmaker (1990s–). Revered for the Simplicity and master hand-finishing.
Piaget – Founded in 1874 in Switzerland. Ultra-thin movements and jewelry watches.

Q

Q&Q – Founded in 1976 under Citizen. Affordable quartz watches worldwide.
Quinting – Founded in 1999 in Switzerland. Known for transparent-dial quartz chronographs.

R

Rado – Founded in 1917 in Switzerland. Ceramic and scratch-resistant innovations.
Raymond Weil – Founded in 1976. Accessible Swiss luxury with music-inspired designs.
Rebellion – Founded in 2008 in Switzerland. Motorsport-inspired avant-garde brand.
Reservoir – Founded in 2017 in France. Dashboard-inspired retrograde time displays.
Richard Mille – Founded in 2001. Ultra-technical luxury, worn by athletes.
RGM Watch Company – Founded in 1992 in Pennsylvania. American in-house mechanical watchmaker.
Rolex – Founded in 1905 in London, now Geneva. The world’s most famous luxury watch brand.

S

Seiko – Founded in 1881 in Japan. Innovator of quartz, Spring Drive, and affordable mechanicals.
Seiko Credor – Founded in 1974. Seiko’s haute horlogerie line.
Shinola – Founded in 2011 in Detroit. Stylish lifestyle watches.
Sinn – Founded in 1961 in Germany. Tool watches with technical innovations.
Speake-Marin – Founded in 2002 in Switzerland. Artistic haute horlogerie.
Squale – Founded in 1950s in Switzerland. Dive watch specialist.
S.U.F Helsinki – Founded in 2002 in Finland. Nordic-inspired limited mechanicals.

T

TAG Heuer – Founded in 1860 in Switzerland. Motorsport chronographs, Monaco and Carrera.
Thomas Earnshaw – Modern brand named after British horologist. Affordable skeletonized watches.
Tiffany & Co. – Founded in 1837 in USA. Elegant jewelry watches, sometimes in partnership with Swiss brands.
Timex – Founded in 1854 in Connecticut (as Waterbury Clock). Affordable, durable, mass-market watches.
Titoni – Founded in 1919 in Switzerland. Family-owned, accessible mechanicals.
Tissot – Founded in 1853 in Switzerland. Affordable Swiss brand with innovations like T-Touch.
Tudor – Founded in 1926 by Hans Wilsdorf. Rolex’s sister brand, tool watches like Black Bay.

U

U-Boat – Founded in 2000 in Italy. Oversized, military-style watches.
Ulysse Nardin – Founded in 1846 in Switzerland. Famous for marine chronometers and the Freak.
Universal Genève – Founded in 1894 in Switzerland. Legendary chronograph maker (Compax).
Urwerk – Founded in 1997 in Switzerland. Futuristic, wandering-hour haute horlogerie.

V

Vacheron Constantin – Founded in 1755 in Switzerland. Oldest continuously operating watchmaker, part of the “Holy Trinity.”
Vanguard (Franck Muller) – Sporty sub-line of Franck Muller. Bold tonneau shapes.
Vianney Halter – Independent watchmaker since 1990s. Steampunk-inspired haute horlogerie.
Vincero – Founded in 2014 in USA. Affordable fashion brand.
Vortic Watch Company – Founded in 2013 in Colorado, USA. Converts antique American pocket watch movements into wristwatches.
Vulcain – Founded in 1858 in Switzerland. Known for Cricket alarm watches, worn by U.S. presidents.

W

Waltham – Founded in 1850 in Massachusetts. Pioneer of industrialized watchmaking in America.
Weiss Watch Company – Founded in 2013 in Los Angeles. American-assembled mechanicals.
Wempe – Founded in 1878 in Germany. Luxury retailer and chronometer-certified watch producer.

X

Xemex – Founded in 1990 in Switzerland. Modernist minimalist designs by Ruedi Külling.

Y

Yema – Founded in 1948 in France. Tool watches like Superman diver, used by astronauts.

Z

Zenith – Founded in 1865 in Switzerland. Creator of the El Primero, one of the first automatic chronographs.
Zodiac – Founded in 1882 in Switzerland. Famous for the Sea Wolf dive watch.

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