« Our Top 5 Non-Swiss Brands »
Switzerland rightly enjoys an international reputation as the world's most important watchmaking nation. Hundreds of manufacturers, from major houses like Omega and Tag Heuer to small high-end manufactures, have worked hard to earn this reputation over the past centuries. But strong watch brands don't have to come from the idyllic Alpine country. We present five of the best companies outside Switzerland that stand for first-class watchmaking and often even outdo the Swiss.
"Swiss Made": What Are the Alternatives?
The export figures from the International Trade Centre (ITC) speak for themselves: In 2019, Switzerland exported watches worth €19.5 billion, a 42 percent share of the global market that leaves the runners-up, Hong Kong (15.8 percent) and China (9.6 percent), miles behind. If we focus on quality-oriented producing countries, two options remain: France (5.8 percent) and Germany (3.6 percent).
[box type="info" align="" class="" width=""]While Chanel, Cartier, Bell & Ross and other brands make up an interesting lineup of French companies, most of them rely on Swiss production facilities.[/box]That leaves Germany, where you'll find extremely strong watch brands in every price range, proudly bearing the "Made in Germany" stamp. We'd like to highlight three meccas for watch enthusiasts: The most important watchmaking town is Glashütte, home to most of the big names, including Nomos, Glashütte Original and other top manufactures, followed by Schramberg, the home of Junghans, and Frankfurt am Main, the birthplace of Sinn Spezialuhren.
Glashütte Original: Pure Luxury from the Cradle of German Watchmaking
Whenever top brands from outside Switzerland come up, Glashütte Original is the first name mentioned. Shaped by an eventful history that began in 1845 with the founding of the Glashütte watch industry and survived every horror of the 20th century, from world war to communism, the company has existed in its current form since 1994. A look at the flagship Pano collection shows just how distinctive the face of Saxon haute horlogerie is:
Above all, the asymmetrical dials, the traditional Panorama Date and the swan-neck fine adjustment typical of the region make this manufacturer unique. Add to that tourbillons, solid gold cases and a level of hand-finishing that puts many Swiss watch brands in the shade. Alongside the well-known Senator line, we'd especially like to spotlight the Glashütte Original Vintage Collection, whose Sixties and Seventies models take their wearer on an authentic journey back to those two style-defining decades.
NOMOS Glashütte: Modern Bauhaus Elegance
A few streets away from Glashütte Original, NOMOS makes its timeless Bauhaus collections, which, from Ahoi to Zürich, are among the most recognizable of any non-Swiss watch brand. While the aesthetics of the lines are honed to rigorous minimalism, from slender hands to modern numerals, the brand's in-house mechanics are defined by ingenious complexity. As one of the few premium brands worldwide, NOMOS offers manufacture movements in the €1,000 to €2,000 range, an unbeatable selling point for young enthusiasts of traditional mechanical watchmaking.
For most of its watches, the young brand, founded in 1990, doesn't specify a gender, because the models make outstanding unisex pieces. One of our favorite non-Swiss collections is the Nomos Zürich Worldtimer, which travels through all 24 full-hour time zones of the world at the push of a button while looking exceptionally elegant. Or how about the square Tetra, a kind of mini version of the Tag Heuer Monaco that wins you over with its vibrant range of colors?
Sinn Spezialuhren: Indestructible Engineering from the Main
Omega is proud of the 1,200-meter water resistance of the Seamaster Ploprof, the monster that has stood at the top of Biel's dive watches for decades. And rightly so. But compared with the Sinn UX, which was built for naval special forces and withstands 12,000 meters in the lab, that figure looks fairly modest.
[box type="note" align="" class="" width=""]This achievement symbolizes the technical focus of the Frankfurt brand, founded in 1961 by German pilot and aerobatics instructor Helmut Sinn.[/box]Whether you're a hunter, firefighter or emergency physician: Sinn's portfolio includes specialized watches for a wide range of uses, backed by a whole armada of clever proprietary developments.
The range extends from surface hardening with TEGIMENT technology and the use of German submarine steel to HYDRO technology, which allows reflection-free reading underwater. Many Swiss watch brands would dream of the technical expertise assembled in Frankfurt. And best of all: By using sourced movements, the German company keeps the prices of its instruments moderate, with most falling between €1,000 and €5,000.
Junghans: Radio Control, Solar and Max Bill
The traditional Black Forest brand Junghans is without doubt one of the most important manufacturers not based in Switzerland. Founded in 1861, exactly 100 years before Sinn, the Schramberg watch factory likewise stands for pioneering watch technology. The brand's key achievements lie in radio-control technology: In 1990, it launched the MEGA 1, the world's first radio-controlled wristwatch. Modern solar watches also remain highly popular at Junghans to this day.
In 1961, working with Swiss artist Max Bill, the manufacturer brought about a design revolution on the wrist: the Max Bill Collection in purist Bauhaus design, still offered for women and men in virtually unchanged form today. It may well have the most influential look of all time among non-Swiss watch brands. We'd especially like to draw your attention to the classics of the Junghans Meister Collection, which offers great experiences at an affordable price, from stylish bar-shaped power reserve indicators to a beautiful worldtimer series.
U-Boat: An Insider Tip Among Non-Swiss Watch Brands from Italy
We leave Germany and head for Tuscany, where the headstrong watch designer Italo Fontana built an incomparable non-Swiss watch brand based on his grandfather's old military watch drawings.
[box type="success" align="" class="" width=""]Massive, eye-catching and controversial: the extroverted artist's models measure up to a huge 50 millimeters.[/box]The U-Boat Chimera Collection in particular manages to attract extra attention beyond its enormous dimensions, with oversized crowns complete with crown guards and unusual case materials – think copper and carbon. But it's not just raw masculinity that shapes U-Boat's image; clever developments such as the oil-filled Capsoil watch series do too.
And looking at the enchanting colors of the feminine Rainbow collection, you might almost think the manufacturer was an ordinary watch brand. We value U-Boat above all for its revolutionary approach and the breath of fresh air the Italian company brings to the rest of the industry.
