High-end watches from leading luxury watch brands are designed to be of highest quality and built to last. Because these watches sell for thousands (and sometimes millions) of dollars, a little research can be done to determine which luxury watch brand is best for you. So let's take a look at some of most popular luxury watch brands currently on market.
1. Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe rises to top of list of top luxury watch brands on market. Patek Philippe makes some of most coveted luxury watches in world, with some rare models selling for millions of dollars. This iconic watch brand with a history of innovative design has long been a favorite with royalty.
Notable wearers: Queen Victoria, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert Downey Jr., John Mayer, Nicolas Sarkozy
Price range: $15,000 to over $1 million
Most expensive Patek Philippe model sold: $24 million 2014 Henry Graves Jr. Grand Complication
2. Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet is still owned by founding family and is one of oldest watch manufacturers in world.
Notable owners: James Corden, Tom Cruise, LeBron James, Arthur
Price range: $7,000 to $850,000
Most expensive Audemars Piguet sold: The Audemars Piguet Geneva Leap Year Perp was sold in 2015 for $545,000
3. Vacheron Constantin
The classic Swiss watch brand Vacheron Constantin traces its history back to 1755, and Napoleon Bonaparte owned one of its watches.
Known speakers: Marlon Brando, Donald Trump, Kate Bosworth, Rick Ross
Price range: $18,000 to over $6 million
Most expensive Vacheron Constantin sold: 2005 King Fouad for $2.77 million
4. TAG Heuer
Like many luxury watch companies, TAG Heuer was founded in Switzerland. Popular with racers, TAG Heuer was also first watch brand to go into space.
Celebrities: Patrick Dempsey, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Barack Obama
Price range: $1,500 to $10,000
Most expensive Tag Heuer watch sold: Steve McQueen's Tag Heuer sold for $799,500 in 2012
5. A. LANGE & SÖHNEA. Lange & Sohne was founded in Germany in 1845 and closed in 1948 after post-war Soviet government municipalized company's assets. However, they re-opened in 1990 and left their mark on watch industry with highly sophisticated timepieces.
Known owners: Vladimir Putin, Carmelo Anthony
Price range: $15,000 to over $1 million
Most expensive Lange sold: 2005 platinum tourbillon $333,000
6. Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre is known worldwide for its intricate designs and creation of world's smallest watch movements.
Famous wearers: Robert Downey Jr, January Jones, Matt Damon, Queen Elizabeth II
Price range: $5,000 to over $2 million
Most expensive Jaeger-LeCoultre model sold: $425,000 Atmos 561 from 2013
7. Rolex
Despite popularity of Rolex watches for women and men, they are all made by hand. Recognized worldwide as a status symbol, Rolex watches remain popular, especially Rolex Daytona and Rolex Submariner.
Notable wearers: Justin Timberlake, Mark Wahlberg, Paul Newman, Orlando Bloom, David Beckham, Kanye West
Price range: USD 5,000 to USD 650,000
Most expensive Rolex watch sold: Paul Newman's Daytona was auctioned for $17.7 million in 2017
8. Hublot
Hublot is one of young watch brands, part of LVMH group and founded in 1980. In 2010 they were named Official Watchmakers of Formula One.
Known wearers: Kylie Jenner, Kobe Bryant, Jay Z
Price range: $4,200 to over $5 million
Most expensive Hublot watch sold: 2014 Hublot King Power Limited Edition Tourbillon - $191,723
9. Breguet and Phils
Founded in 1775, Breguet is one of oldest watch companies in the world, best known for its coin cases.
Famous wearers: Marie Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill
Price range: $7,000 to $400,000
Most expensive Breguet sold: 1814 Chronograph No. 2667 for $4.7 million in 2012
10. Chopard
The luxury brand Chopard began producing women's watches in 1860. In 2013, they started advertising that their products use ethically sustainable gold.
Known speakers: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Colin Firth
Price range: USD 5,040 to USD 60,000
Most expensive Chopard sold: Chopard 210 carats 2014 sold for $26 million
11. Girard Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux was founded in Switzerland in 1791 to manufacture famous handmade watches. In 1880 Constant Girard made first major commercial product in form of a watch.
Famous wearers: Hugh Jackman, Kobe Bryant, Quentin Tarantino, Pierce Brosnan
Price range: $5,000 to $600,000
Most expensive Girard-Perregaux GP sold: 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon, $176,000 in 2013
12. Blancpain
Blancpain was owned by Blancpain family from 1735 to 1932. In end, however, Blancpain's daughter did not want to enter watch industry. It is currently part of Swatch Group.
Notable owners: Vladimir Putin, Francis Ford Coppola, Jacques Cousteau
Price range: $7,500 to over $1.5 million
Blancpain's Most Expensive Watch Sold:$250,000 Marilyn Monroe Cocktail Watch 2016
13. Cartier
Cartier is a Parisian jewelry and watch company with extensive experience working with celebrities and royalty.
Notable wearers: John F. Kennedy, Sofia Vergara, Angelina Jolie
Price range: $2,300 to over $2.5 million
Most expensive Cartier watch sold: $660,000 Panther Bangle 2015
14. IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen's motto is Probus Scafusia, which means "Good, reliable craftsmanship from Schaffhausen".
Notable owners: Bradley Cooper, Chris Evans
Price range: $3,950 - $750,000 or more
Most expensive IWC Schaffhausen watch sold: Il Destriero Scafusia 2003, $325,000
15. Ulysse Nardin
The headquarters of Ulysse Nardin was founded in 1846 and has been in same location since 1865.
Notable owners: Michael Jordan, Larry King
Price range: $2,300-$285,000
Most expensive Ulysse Nardin watch sold: Ulysse Nardin The Royal Blue Tourbillon is known for a whopping $1.25 million
16. Panerai
Panerai is an Italian brand, one of few non-Swiss watch companies on list. Founded in 1860, brand partnered with legendary carmaker Ferrari from 2005 to 2010.
Notable speakers: Sylvester Stallone, Bill Clinton, Hugh Grant
Price range: $4,000-$1 million
Most expensive Panerai watch sold: 1955 Luminor 2014 $478,000
17. Piaget
Back in 2008, Institute of Luxury Jewelry Brands ranked Piaget as the sixth most prestigious jewelry brand known for its exquisite enamel work.
Notable owners: Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Palermo
Price range: $7,000 to $3.3 million
Most expensive Piaget watch sold: 2014 Retrograde Slide Clock $500,300
18. Breitling
Breitling has long been a watch brand for pilots in aviation industry, appearing in James Bond film Thunderball.
Notable owners: John Travolta, David Beckham
Price range: $3,000-$280,000
19. Omega
In 1969, Buzz Aldrin's Omega Speedmaster made history by becoming first watch to land on moon.
Notable owners: Daniel Craig, Elvis Presley, Steve Carell
Price range: $1,000 – $708,742
Most expensive Omega watch sold at auction: sold for $250,250 at Casino Royale in 2007
20. Montblanc
Montblanc was founded in 1911 by bankers from Hamburg and engineers from Berlin. Originally a manufacturer of luxury pens, brand now also produces luxury watches and jewelry.
Known owner: Hugh Jackman
Price range: $2,000 – $388,600
2 1. Baume & Messier
The Swiss manufacturer Baume & Mercier was founded in 1830 by brothers Louis-Victor and Celestine Baume, whose descendants merged with Paul Mercier in 1918 and set up headquarters in Geneva. In 1970s they were known for making steel sports watches such as Riviera.
Notable Users: Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Kim Basinger, Robin Roberts
Price range: $1,000 - $75,500
2 2 . Bell & Ross
Inspired by aircraft cockpit instruments and timepieces used by NATO Air Force, associates and childhood friends Bruno Bellamici and Carlos A. Rossillo founded Bell & Ross in 1993 as a university project. Today, French brand continues to specialize in pilots' watches, waterproof chronometers and models such as Vintage Heure Sautante and Hydromax 11 100 M.
Notable owners: Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Bruce Springsteen
Price range: $1,400 - $55,500
2 3 . Bremont
This British watch brand grew out of brothers Niles and Giles English's interest in vintage aircraft. When their father, Ewan English, died in a plane crash in 1995 and Niles was seriously injured, family focused on watchmaking and today produces aviation-themed timepieces and limited editions for British Armed Forces and celebrities.
Notable owners: Orlando Bloom, Tom Hardy, Tom Cruise
Price range: $2,300–$40,900
2 4. Corum
The watch company, founded in Switzerland in 1955, is known for its limited edition watches. Notable models include Buckingham, Romulus, Golden Bridge and Admiral's Cup collections.
Famous wearers: Johnny Depp, Jackie Chan, Mike Tyson, Prince Albert of Monaco
Price range: USD 495–319,000
2 5. Glashütte Original
The watchmaker, founded in 1994 and named after Saxon city of Glashütte, a longtime center of German watchmaking, is known for its meticulously crafted precision mechanics. In fact, he runs his own watchmaking school. Today he is known for such models as Senator, Pano and Spezialist.
Known owner: Joel McHale
Price range: $4,000–105,000
2 6. Maurice La Cruz
Despite its Swiss watch heritage dating back to 19th century, Maurice LaCroix did not become an independent brand until 1975 and became known in 1990s for its Mécaniques (now known as Masterpiece line) and alarm clocks.
Notable owners: Bob Geldof, Jimmy Wales, Ray Stevenson, Joe Jonas
Price range: $1,600-$10,500
2 7. Richard MillerFounded in 2001 by Dominique Guena and Richard Mille, this Swiss brand is known for its slogan "a racing car on your wrist" and has partnered with star athletes, especially racing drivers. Despite sometimes luxurious cases and bracelets, brand has actually pioneered many technological advances in watchmaking, such as carbon nanofiber base plates, laminated sapphire crystals, and complications that function as mechanical gravity sensors.
Notable owners: Wade van Niekerk, Bubba Watson, Rafa Nadal
Price range: $80,000 to over $5 million
28. Roger Dubuis
The Geneva watch company, founded in 1995, is known for its skeletonized watches, eclectic case designs and high-profile collaborations with companies such as Lamborghini and Perelli. become one of brands that have passed rigorous checks. Certification procedure required to obtain Hallmark of Geneva.
Notable owners: Gerard Butler, Daphne Guinness
Price range: $6,900 to $1.1 million
29. Tudor
Sometimes referred to as cheaper and more affordable brand of parent company Rolex, Tudor models share many similarities with Rolex models, especially models such as Submariner and Heritage Ranger.
Known wearers: Beckham, Lady Gaga, Jay Chou
Price range: $500-$6,000
30. Zenith
The Swiss watch company Zenith closes list of best luxury watch brands. Pronounced zen-ith, brand was founded in 1865 and has been known for 40 years for its El Primero chronographs, as well as latest Pilot models.
Famous speakers: Gandhi, Felix Baumgartner
Price range: $6,000 to $175,000