Famous watches and luxury watch brands

Today, the world of watch industry presents a huge variety of watch companies with a wide range of time meters. However, chronometers of certain brands have a central place. They guarantee their owners maximum precision, excellent quality and unique style. One of the most famous brands of luxury watches can rightly be called Rolex. In 1903, Hans Wilsdorf arrived in London, where he decided to establish his own watch manufactory, being sure that wristwatches are things of future. And he wasn’t wrong: today his famous watches are the best in the world. However, these timepieces are not just one of the most famous in the world, they are synonymous with elegance, luxury, high status in society and impeccable quality. This famous brand is an essential attribute of a successful person, its name has become common: if a person has Rolex watch on his wrist, then he is rich and successful. This famous watch brand is the only one to date that does not discount its products. Rolex's philosophy - "maximum quality at maximum price." Most of the money paid for these elite watches is a payment for image. In addition to their great success at the global market of the watch industry, these famous watches have a number of other achievements. For example, in 1927, the watch “Rolex Oyster” on British sportswoman Mercedes Gleitze’s wrist swam the English Channel for 15 hours and 15 minutes. CEO Hans Wilsdorf spent 40 thousand francs on informing the public about the health of the swimmer and the time of the race each hour. The photos of smiling swimmer were headlined: "The greatest triumph of Rolex Oyster”. After the legendary swim, the Rolex watch took a leading position at the watch market, and “Rolex Oyster” was swept away from the shelves. In the movie "Agent 007", which appeared on the big screen in 1950-s, James Bond overcame various obstacles with “Rolex Submariner” on his hand. Specially designed and attached to the submersible "Trieste", the model of Rolex together with French scientists Jacques Piccard and Donald was at a depth of 10,915 meters in the Mariana Trench in 1960. During the entire underwater trip the watch showed correct time. However, the main achievement of this elite and well-known watch brand is the fact that Rolex watches are known by everybody, and even by those, who do not delve into the specifics of the watch industry.

Another famous watch brand is Breguet. Abraham-Louis Breguet, the founder of this brand, is still one of the greatest watchmakers in the history of watchmaking. The most famous persons in history preferred those elite watches: Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie Antoinette, Tsar Alexander I, Prince of Wales, Sir Winston Churchill - this is not a complete list of clients. "To carry a fine Breguet watch is to feel that you have the brains of a genius in your pocket." - once said Sir David Salomons, a famous collector of luxury watches. Luxury watches of Breguet fully justify this statement.
The letter of the Greek alphabet, Omega, has been a sign of good luck and perfection for two and a half thousand years. And now, during 150 years, the well-known watch brand “Omega” fully corresponds to its Greek name. 23-year-old Louis Brandt founded the company in 1848 in the Swiss town of La Chaux-de-Fonds. First it was a usual workshop, specialized in watch assembly, which later became one of the most renowned watch manufactories in the world. Soon he was sent on trips to Europe in order to sell the products manufactured during winter. That work provided him with a fairly comfortable existence thanks to a stable demand for his famous watches. In 1965, already known Omega watches with watches of other manufacturers have been tested by NASA in zero-gravity conditions, under the influence of strong magnetic fields, as well as temperatures from -18 to +93 degrees Celsius. However, only “Omega Speedmaster”, which was chosen for the Apollo program, stood the tests. In 1970, the company released an ultra-sealed model “Seamaster 600” with water resistance to 600 meters, which was used by Captain Cousteau for researches at a depth of 500 m. The company did not pass by the film industry either. In 1995, Omega replaced the famous Rolex watch in James Bond film. The watch “Omega Seamaster Professional Chronometer” showed off on the wrist of immortal hero in subsequent films. Omega was the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games 2008 and Winter Olympic Games 2010.
A deserved and indisputable place in this list is given to the well-known Swiss brand of luxury watches “Patek Philippe”. The company was founded in 1839 by an immigrant - Pole Anthony Patek. The famous watches of this well-known brand are among the most expensive mass-produced watches in the world. The company adopted the Spanish Cross of the Order of Calatrava as its symbol. In 1993, Patek Philippe produced a complicated (24 functions) pocket watch for banker Henry Graves, which was sold for $ 11,000,000 after his death in 1999. That was the most expensive sale in the history of watches, which entered the Guinness Book of Records. In 1989, the masters of the company created one of the most complex models of watches ever produced - Calibre 89. That well-known watch was designed for the 150th anniversary of the company’s founding. It contains 33 complex movements, including the date of the religious holiday of Easter, thermometer, time of sunrise, equation of time, sidereal time, and other indicators. The model “Calibre 89" can add an extra day to February in leap years and skip the extra days every 100 years. In the list of fans of these famous watches there are many political figures, heads of states, celebrities, as Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.
The well-known watch brand “Cartier”, founded by Louis-Francois Cartier in 1847, was a small jewelry shop at that time. However, already in 1867, Cartier watches were exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris. In 1888, the company released its first models, and since 1906 it has begun to produce wrist watches decorated with precious stones. In 1917, Cartier created its famous model “Tank”, the design of which reminds of a huge British tank from World War I. The watches of that model were presented to the American commanders (including General John J. Pershing) in gratitude for the liberation of France. In 1933, specially for water treatment procedures of Pasha of Marrakesh a watertight luxury watch “Pasha” was designed.

The brand “Longines” is one of the most elegant and famous brands in the world. In 1832, August Agassiz came to the town of Saint-Imier and took a job at a small shop that sold spare parts for clocks. From that moment the history of the famous watch brand began. The watches of Longines are preferred by historical figures. For example, Amundsen, the world-famous conqueror of the North Pole, and Byrd, overflying the South Pole. In sports, the company Longines was the official timekeeper at numerous summer and winter Olympics from 1905 to 1952. It should be noted that those famous watches in a unique and elegant form of "barrel" were preferred by George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn in the cult film "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Albert Einstein also preferred a watch of Longines, which after his death was sold at auction for 596.000 dollars.
The original watches of Maurice Lacroix are made by hand that makes them perfect in quality and design. These watches can be only enjoyed. The company was founded in a small town of St-Legier in 1961, when the family company “Desco de Schultess”, engaged in the manufacture of silk, expanded its activities and purchased equipment for manufacturing of watches. In 1975, the name of an ordinary manufacturer was chosen as an imposing name of the brand. Previously the models were manufactured under the name of customer. Since then the company has been constantly growing and improving, acquiring its own unique style and traditions, and it is one of the most famous watch brands.
The company Franck Muller, founded in 1992 by Vartan Sirmakes and Franck Muller, has a relatively short history in the watch industry. However, during this short period, it has managed to win its unshakable place in the world of watches and stand in a line with the famous watch manufacturers. The company makes rather complicated watches, and every year it manages to show the world the inventions, unknown to the history of watchmaking. For example, in 1998 the famous brand created the world's smallest tourbillon movement, setting a world record. For its short period of existence, the company “Franck Muller” introduced the world about 20 inventions, considered to be a "world premiere". The luxury watches of the brand show off on the wrists of such Hollywood stars, like Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.
The well-known watch brand “Tissot” is known for its movements around the world. It was founded in 1853 by Charles-Felicien Tissot and his son Charles-Emile in Le Locle. Initially, it was a small shop under the title "Charles Tissot and Son." In 1858, Charles-Emile went to Russia, where he successfully started selling pocket watches, and since 1866 Tissot became the official supplier of watches of the Russian Imperial Court. At the end of the XIX century, Charles-Felicien founded subsidiaries in Frankfurt and Moscow. Since 1904 Tissot has become the supplier of watches for the Russian army, producing the so-called "Tsar watches" for the officers of the Imperial Guard, which were engraved with the emblem of the Imperial Russian regiments. Throughout the existence of the famous brand the watches were owned by people like Elvis Presley, Nelson Mandela, Grace Kelly. The original Tissot watches have been used in the film "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". The company is also the official timekeeper of the world championships of circuit racing MotoGP and NASCAR.
This is not a complete list of famous brands, functioning at today's market of the watch industry. Here are the most important ones in the world of watches. You only need to choose what brand will suit you and reflect your temperament and style best of all.