So the watch world has many, many brands. Significantly fewer than before the Quartz crisis, even accounting for the mushrooming brands from China. Pretty much anyone who is into watches will have heard of Swatch group and be aware that they own at the very least Omega and maybe another popular brand such as Tissot or Hamilton. Actually Swatch Group owns so any brands it is mind boggling. They are not however the only watch conglomerate around. In this guide we will consider who owns what brands and what it means for you as a collector.
FIrst up, because how could I not…
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The Swatch Group
Swatch has been the talk of the town this week with the release of the new Moonswatch collaboration with Omega. However enthusiasts seldom talk about Swatch but regularly mention Swatch Group. That is because Swatch themselves make disposable and cheap fashion watches however the group is home to many desirable brands. The list follows….
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Breguet, Blancpain
Glashütte Original, Harry Winston
Jaquet Droz, Omega
Léon Hatot, Longines
Rado, Union Glashütte,
Tissot, Calvin Klein
Balmain, Certina
Mido, Hamilton,
Swatch, Flik Flak
That mighty list of basically every watch you ever heard of that wasn’t Rolex is formidable. The swatch group owns more than just these retail brands. It also owns ETA the premier Swiss watch movement manufacturer whose movements can be found in numerous watches that are not a part of the Swatch empire. Aside from ETA they own a plethora of watch component companies that again manufacture for labels outside of the Swatch group. They really are hydra-like in their reach with many fingers in many pies.
There are some who feel that this conglomeration of heritage brands is a bad thing. It strips them of some of their uniqueness and legacy. To a degree, I can sympathise but overall I credit Swatch with saving the Swiss watch industry. Using money made by selling the cheap Quartz watches that were killing off these heritage brands, they were able to inject cash into them and keep them afloat so that we can enjoy them today. How much sadder would it have been to have lost Breguet or Certina forever?
What does this mean for you as a collector? Well the ETA 2824 abounds. It is in everything, either in its standard form or as the new “Powermatic 80” or whatever the other brands want to call it. This means that the long-term ownership proposition of the entry-level Swatch Group Mechanical watches is very easy. It means that any decent watchmaker can service it and even the most amateur tinkerer can replace it. It also means that, due to Swatch’s formidable marketing budget, their brands are well known and the resale values are quite stable. If you buy a Tissot mechanical, you immediately know what it will be worth in a couple of years and you can be assured it will be easy to sell. There is a real feeling of comfort that comes with buying watches within the Swatch group. The downside is that they tend to focus their marketing on their local market attack brands. For example, in the UK and Europe, you see Omega, Hamilton and Tissot everywhere. Certina to a lesser extent and more recently Rado has been making a comeback. However you will never see a Mido in a retail outlet, conversely in the USA you cant get Certina etc.
Next we travel to Japan to visit the world’s largest watchmaker…
Citizen
Citizen is not the Japanese brand most loved of Watch collectors. That distinction goes to Seiko. This is primarily because for a time Citizen strove to be a 100% Quartz manufacturer. I also must say that they have also made some ver odd design choices with some of their watches, aiming at the entry level jewellery store market. That is not to say that they do not have any watches of merit. The citizen Promaster series of venerable automatic dive watches has evergreen appeal. There is also a lot to be said for their Ecodrive technology. It is really very good. If you are going to have a Quartz, have one of these. Citizen make a huge amount of watches however they also own several other popular brands.
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Citizen, Campanola
Q&Q, Arnold & Son
Bulova, Wittnauer
Caravelle New York, Frank Lloyd Wright*
Harley-Davidson*
Frédérique Constant,
Alpina, Ateliers de Monaco
*Brand lisence holder for watches.
While possessing fewer brands than Swatch they make more watches and more money. They do however primarily operate at the quartz fashion watch level. They do however possess four brands of significance with collectable and enjoyable mechanical timepieces. These being Citizen, Bulova, Frederique Constant and Alpina. Citizen themselves recently released a new mechanical watch with a movement specially engineered for them by La Joux Perret. This is a very impressive effort, comparable to the finest Swiss watches.
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Citizen also owns the movement manufacturer Miyota. Miyota make many movements, mechanical and quartz. Perhaps most abundantly and importantly for mechanical watch collectors their workhorse the 8215. The 8215 and its derivatives have found there way into millions of watches by numerous brands. It is possibly even more ubiquitous than the ETA 2824. Again for collectors this means that it is very easy to service however the relatively low cost of this movement usually means that replacement is cheaper than servicing, which is a little sad because it is a really solid well engineered movement.
From the worlds largest manufacturer we can segue on to their compatriots at JApan’s and perhaps the world’s most loved Watchmaker…
SEIKO
What can one really say about Seiko. They sit right up there with Rolex for brand recognition. When you think Seiko you usually think of affordable mechanical dive watches. Of course they are so very much more than that. From sub $100 Seiko 5s to the haute horology of Credor, Seiko are masters of Horology. Seiko Epsom group own a lot of brands however in the watch space they own…
![](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/grand-seiko-2w-toge-edition-sep20.webp)
Seiko
Grand Seiko
Credor
Pulsar
Lorus
Alba
Orient
While undoubtedly less prolific than the previous two watch makers they are arguably more historically significant due to the fact that they turned the whole watch world inside out by inventing and introducing the Quartz movement. This seismic event catapulted the already very successful Seiko Watch Corp to the stratosphere of the watch market. So influential was this technology that even Rolex and Vacheron Constantin have made Quartz watches.
It is a great irony then that Seiko despite being the reason for the difficult time that the mechanical watch market had in the 70s and 80s, they continued to be stalwarts within the traditional watchmaking methods. Seiko continued to make and importantly sell millions of automatic watches throughout the crisis years, right up to this day Seiko are far more respected for their mechanical watch prowess than their innovation in Quartz technologies.
Seiko also own Orient, a historic and fascinating watch brand that is also perhaps most famous for their Divers Watches. Remarkably Orient use their own movements, despite being a part of the seiko stable. Seiko also sell movements to other manufacturers. The burgeoning independent and micro brand market is awash with Seiko made NH-35 movements. As with the other groups already mentioned this abundance means that knowledge of how to work on these watches is widespread. Due to the popularity of the Seiko SKX, a watch subculture of modification has abounded. It is possible for amateur tinkerers such as myself to make cool custom Dive and sports watches from and abundant supply of creatively different aftermarket custom parts.
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After our trip to Japan we shall return to Switzerland, the spiritual home of the watch and to another conglomerate that owns a number of impressive horological brands…
Richemont Group
The Richemont Group is a luxury holding company that has acquired many luxury brands in watchmaking and other areas. The group itself does not have a background in horology as the holding companies above do. Rather it is an investment company set up by a South African businessman and funded originally with money made in the mining industry. Richemont is now the worlds second largest luxury company.
Richemont own the following watch brands.
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Vacheron Constantin
A. Lange & Söhne
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Roger Dubuis, Piaget
IWC Schaffhausen
Officine Panerai
Ralph Lauren
Baume & Mercier
Cartier
Van Cleef & Arpels
Montblanc
Dunhill
Within that list are some hugely celebrated names in watchmaking. Cartier being the daddy of all watchmakers having invented the wristwatch. Vacheron Constantin and A. Lange & Söhne are heralded manufacturers of haute horology timepieces. My favourite, Jaeger LeCoutre (heart eyes)… Some of their other watch offerings are less to my taste. I have never got on with Panerai and I honestly don’t see the value in their pricing. IWC I feel has been neglected and feel behind the times. Nevertheless they are both highly desired by many. Montblanc is more of a fashion brand, primarily noted for their pens do make some fantastic watches but they are similar money to JLC and I question anyone who choses Montblanc over JLC.
Next we have another luxury conglomerate, the world’s largest…
LVMH
Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is a French multinational conglomerate marketing luxury brands and owned by one of the planet’s most wealthy men, Bernard Arnault. Similar to the previous company LVMH grows by acquisition and has purchased many of the most famous luxury brands. LVMH does not have a specific history in watchmaking and despite the group owning many watch brands they do not share technologies and facilities to the same degree that Swatch Group companies do.
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TAG Heuer
Bulgari
Hublot
Zenith
Dior
Fred
Chaumet
Louis Vuitton
It is my opinion that LVMH watch brands are really falling behind. Tag Heuer in particular seems to have degraded from a leading manufacturer of sports watches to a Jewellery Store brand and desperately lacking in innovation and new models. They do have a number of desirable models but when compared to Tudor and Longines they seem very left behind. Zenith seems to have really lost their way making homages of Rolexes and APs. Truly sad because they do make the best Chronograph movement on the planet! I really do hope that these two brands get their mojo back. The world is a better place with Zenith making original deigns.
Next we visit another Conglomerate
Kerring Group
This Paris based conglomerate has Gucci at its core. More than half of its turnover is from Gucci branded goods. Gucci has been in the watch market for a long time. If you watch Pretty Woman, Jason Alexander’s character wears a Gucci watch. Primarily a fashion company Kerring has genuine credentials in horology with the 2013 purchase of the Sowind group they have a rich heritage of movement manufacture and some less well known but very respectable brands.
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Ulysse Nardin
Girard-Perregaux
JeanRichard
Gucci
Boucheron
Qeelin
Bottega Veneta
None of these labels come to mind easily when thin king about the watch market and I confess to not being expert in any of them. Despite my ignorance however a little bit of research indicates that they are indeed very fine watches. Jean Richard in particular has benefitted from significant investment in their range and they are making very interesting watches.
We now mote to the Unites States for the first time
Movado Group
Movado is a former Swiss watchmaker founded in the renowned centre for Watchmaking La Chaux-de-Fonds. They were bought out in the 1980s by an American company and form the backbone of the Movado group.
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Ebel
Concord
Movado
Coach
Hugo Boss
Juicy Couture
Tommy Hilfiger*
Lacoste*
Scuderia Ferrari*
MVMT
Movado themselves are famous for a certain sort of watch. A very minimalist dress or office watch with a single silver dot marker at the 12. While not exactly my sort of thing I cannot deny they have appeal. The other brand of merit in their lineup is Ebel. Ebel are a storied Swiss brand and make wonderful watches. They are not particularly popular or visible in the UK market but I do love to have a look at them when I travel to Europe. They remind me a little of Cartier. /n/ot because of their similarity but because they have embraced unorthodox shapes but remained elegantly proportioned.
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Staying in the USA we now have the king of the Fashion watch.
Fossil Group
Fossil is a giant of watchmaking. However the majority of their output are fashion watches of little merit. A long time ago Fossils were more interesting than they are now. They made original designs that were still true to the aspirational styling set by the likes of Rolex and Omega. In later years there has been a notable switch to cheaper manufacturing, finishing and questionable designs.
![](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ZO3555-alt.jpeg)
Fossil owns one watch manufacturer of merit. That is Zodiac, a Swiss heritage brand famous for their colourful divers watches. Think of them as an alternative to Doxa. The Zodiac Sea Wolf is a highly desirable timepiece.
Staying in the USA we have a US heritage brand that is probably the most well known US watch maker
Timex
Timex makes affordable fashion watches. They tend to be fun watches too. Recently Timex has been digging into their back catalogue and reintroducing classic designs from the 1970s to much acclaim from collectors.
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Timex
Nautica
Opex
GC
Guess
Salvatore Ferragamo Timepieces
Versace
Versus
Timex do not produce their own movements as far as I can tell they tend to use Miyota and some less well known Chinese manufacturers. On the while Timex watches are well designed but quality is very hit and miss.
Travelling back to Europe…
Franck Muller
The Franck Muller group is best known for the eponymous haute horology watchmaker Franck Muller. They make high end dressy watches that are very showy-offy. They adorn the wrists of big names in Hollywood and the music scene. These are large, high end watches, frankly outside my comfort zone and not particularly to my tastes but they are out there and I respect that.
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Franck Muller
Pierre Kunz
European Company Watch
Rodolphe, Martin Braun, Barthelay
Backes & Strauss
Pierre Michael Golay
Smalto Timepieces
Roberto Cavalli
Staying in Europe we now go to Spain
Festina Group
I have always had a soft spot for Festina. They make primarily affordable sports watches. Mostly Quartz with a few mechanicals sprinkled in. Festina reminds me of what Fossil used to be. Festina was once famous for sponsoring Cycling however team Festina was caught up in doping scandals and is no longer a major sponsor of the sport.
Festina also own movement manufacturer Soprod who provide Swiss made movements for many other brands including from some of the groups higher in this list. Perrelet and L.Leroy are luxury manufacturers. Their designs are very unusual not generally well known among collectors in the markets I am familiar with. L.Leroy is particularly bling bling.
Sailing across the Mediterranean to Italy now..
Binda Group
The family run Binda group based in Milan is another fashion watch conglomerate that leverages fashion brands in the watch space. Probably their most notable contribution to enthusiast watches is Briel.
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Breil
Freestyle
Hip Hop
Moschino
Kenneth Cole
Kenneth Cole Reaction
Tommy Bahama
Ted Baker London
Chronotech
Gametime
Sperry Top-Sider
Zoo York
Leaving Europe now for China we have
Citychamp Group
This conglomerate has picked up a number of European brands. Some of them, Eterna in particular are very important to horological history. I personally have a few Rotary watches., They are easy to pick up in the UK for very little money.
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Corum
Eterna
Ebohr
Rossini
Codex
Rotary
Dreyfuss & Co.
J&T Windmills
The Eterna KonTiki is one of my favourite dive watches and Eterna in general continues to make very good watches. Corum is a high end Swiss brand that produces interesting designs. Not to my taste but they are of very good quality. Rotary makes a good watch at a low price. In general Citychamp Group seem to be doing good things with the brands they own.
There are some others, for example Rolex owns Tudor but that in the end is just two brands, Similarly Grovana produces Revue Thommen. There are hundreds of watch brands out there we cant account for them all but I think we have done a good job of capturing what is out there.
“When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.”