Designer watches are much more than just quality timepieces. Depending on the designer and period of the watch, they could be considered at least collectibles and at best fantastic works of art. Some are even considered fine jewelry and are ornamented with precious gemstones. They are precision, art, and luxury rolled into one package that may become a precious family heirloom for future generations. They are even used many times as the ultimate "I'm sorry" present to win a girl back.

Currently, designer watches are the fastest growing segment of the watch market. Prices for new designer watches can be as high as $10,000, but older, classic designer watches can fetch millions. In 1999, a 1933 Patek Philippe gold watch went for an astounding $11 million. The highest priced watch in the world currently is a watch made by Chopard that contains a total of 201 diamond carats. It’s currently priced at $25 million.

Most designer watches have formal designs and are made from high quality materials, including gold, silver, titanium, and precious gemstones. Many times they also have extra features that can involve clocks for different time zones, day and date keepers, and other features including solid gold watch bands.

Historically, the Swiss have made the best watches because French Protestants who moved there to escape persecution in France used the watches as a way to express themselves. While there are plenty of designer watchmakers today, notably Cartier, the Swiss continue to dominate the market with brands such as Rolex, Tag Heuer, and Patek Philippe.

Rolex is quite possibly the most storied watchmaker in the world. It is the single largest luxury watch band in the world, producing around 2,000 watches a day and having revenues approaching $3 billion dollars annually. The company was founded in 1915, but made its debut in 1926 when it introduced the world’s first waterproof watch, the Oyster Case.

Since that time, Rolex has been on the leading edge of wristwatch developments. The Perpetual was the world’s first automatic winding watch and their watches were also the first to show two time zones at once, have a date on the dial, and are the first to have a chronometer certification for a wristwatch. Rolex’s sport watches have also been state of the art. They have developed models suitable for deep sea diving, mountain climbing, and aviation. Rolex was also one of the first watch companies to start a watch repair school.  Rolex’s have been so trusted through time that Edmund Hillary picked a Rolex to tell time when he attempted to summit Mt. Everest.

With all this brand name recognition, also come counterfeits. Counterfeits can be found in many areas, especially on the internet. Be careful of buying any Rolex on the internet. Authentic Rolex’s are prohibited from being sold on the internet and are only available through a authorized Rolex dealer.

Cartier

artier was by Louis-Francios Cartier when he took over a small Parisian jewelry store in 1847. They are responsible for making the first men’s wristwatch, the Santos, when pilot Alberto-Santos Durmont complained about the pains of using a pocket watch while flying. The watch was made in 1904 and was an immediate hit. The Pasha of Marrakesh, another famous Cartier customer, had a special watertight wristwatch manufactured that he could wear while swimming.

Since its founding Cartier has been known for very groundbreaking, classic watch designs. Their designs have influenced the entire watch industry more than any other and they have become a revered icon in the industry.

Patek Philippe is a Swiss watch company founded in 1868 by Antoni Patek and Adrien Philippe.  Both individuals had migrated to Geneva, Patek from Poland and Philippe from France.  They founded the company to focus on making the finest, most sophisticated, precise, elegant watch and this tradition continues to this day.  They are the last remaining independent watch manufacturer in Geneva.  Currently, they also only produce about 50 watches a day, twenty percent of which are mechanical and the rest contain quartz timing.

Tag Heuer was founded by Edouard Heuer in 1860 in Switzerland with the goal of developing classic timepieces that are precise, innovative, and durable. Since this time, Tag Heuer has gone on to become known both for its classic watches and its affiliation with sports. They have been the official time keeper for the Olympic games, the Skiing World Cup, Formula 1 World Championships, the F1 Grand Prix, and claim Tiger Woods among their many celebrity supporters.