JOURNE - Founder François-Paul Journe was a rowdy adolescent who was sent off to trade school and forced to learn watchmaking, but grew up to become an undisputed star of haute horlogerie. Collectors should keep in mind: innovative mechanics, such as its tourbillon differential and the manufacture of its own dials, which yields a high percentage of customized designs.į.P. Among its most collectible models: TravelTec chronographs that display three time zones simultaneously.ĭEWITT - Founded in 2003 by Jérôme de Witt, who enjoys reminding the world that he is a fifth-generation descendant of Napoléon Bonaparte, this Swiss company currently makes only about 1,000 watches a year. BUCHERER - Still owned by the family that founded the business in 1888, this Lucerne horologer was the first to develop a peripheral rotor-winding system. Noted for its special editions for the military-sometimes creating chronometers sold only to service people who have flown in a particular aircraft-as well as collaborations with companies like Jaguar.ĬARL F. Which is why we put together this guide to less well-known luxury watch brands: the names with the most cachet on the secondary market-as well as amazingly affordable prices.ĪNONIMO - Combining Italian design with Swiss mechanics, this brand was founded in 1997 and made its name with sturdy, sporty watches, especially its Nautilo and Militare collections.īOVET - A legacy watchmaker that traces its origins to 1822, Bovet Fleurier is now best known for high-end pieces such as skeleton or semi-skeleton watches showcasing its esoteric complications (e.g., the tellarium, which shows the position of the sun, moon, and stars).īREMONT- The British brand born in 2002 when a plane crash inspired brothers Niles and Giles English to switch their focus from vintage aircraft to the creation of chronometers. But they are far from the only brands worth wearing and collecting. One last note about haute horology watches, if you think a fine watch is expensive, an haute horology watch is even more expensive… and well worth the money.We all know and love brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Breitling. These watches are hand-finished and hand-assembled. Generally, for a watch to be considered haute horology, it is hand crafted with the utmost attention to every detail inside and out. Generally, to be haute horology, the brand should use at least one, if not more, of the arts of fine watchmaking– engraving, enameling, gem setting and more. Incredible detailing and finishing goes into the making of a haute horlogerie movement. Essentially, no watch is deemed haute horology without extensive hand finishing. Finishes include angling, perlage, guilloche and so many more - all of which requires dozens of hours of hand craftsmanship. Typically the finest and most difficult feats in watchmaking are considered haute horlogerie, including astronomical complications (equation of time, precise moon phases, etc.), tourbillons, repeaters and sonneries, perpetual calendars, chronograph rattrapantes, and grand complications, among others.įinishing refers to the work that goes into nearly every component inside the watch – whether or not it is visible via a transparent case back. Whether or not, and to what degree, the brand makes its own movements in house, and how complicated those movements are. In the case of younger, emerging independent brands, legacy revolves around the innovative concepts employed by the contemporary brands. The heritage and history of the company and the brand. 5 Factors Influencing Whether or Not a Watch is Haute Horology The White Paper on Fine Watchmaking (which, along with the accompanying evaluations, took three years to complete) establishes principles in seven areas of expertise and measures brands across those principles, among them: R&D, design, production, the production of in-house-made movements, movement finishing and decoration, and quality. The FHH took it upon itself to help define the term, and evaluated more than 80 brands, finally naming 64 that fit the bill, including historic maisons, contemporary brands and independent artisanal creators. Just last year, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), which was founded in 2005 in Switzerland to maintain and preserve the tradition of haute horlogerie, issued the “White Paper.” Much like the fashion industry’s haute couture designation (which has government issued rules surrounding its use), it had become important to establish a set of rules to help define haute horology and identify fine watchmaking brands.
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