Famous Watchmakers
Breguet
Save up to 33% on Breguet Watches at DEXCLUSIVE.COM Back to index PiguetAudemars Piguet is a major Swiss watch manufacturer. Their watches include classic watches and the Royal Oak casual watches. They have received great attention for their Terminator 3 watch. Save up to 33% on Audemars Piguet Watches at DEXCLUSIVE.COM Back to index Baume & MercierBaume & Mercier is a Swiss watchmaking company founded in 1830. It is owned by Richemont, and with Cartier and Piaget they make up the core of the group. This enterprise is represented in 75 countries and produces around 200,000 watches a year. The most important markets are in Europe, especially Italy, Spain and France. Baume et Mercier is distributed by 220 exclusive retailers worldwide and has established itself as a manufacturer of sporty chronographs. Save up to 46% on Baume Mercier Watches at DEXCLUSIVE.COM Back to index BreitlingBreitling is a brand of Swiss watches from the Canton of Jura. The watchmaker offers Certified Chronometers designed primarily for aviation use, though most frequently worn as high-end luxury watches. Breitling's watches offer aviation functions, though their chronograph functions have become more of status symbols than practically applied tools. They typically have a large face (e.g. the Breitling for Bentley Motors edition has a 48 mm Case Diameter) for better visiblity and to allow display of more information on the analog dials. Many models feature an automatic winding mechanism that is purely mechanical (i.e. using no electronic components). All Breitling watches are manufactured in Switzerland and are made from Swiss components. Quartz models such as the Breitling Aeromarine Colt start at $1,650.00, while typical prices of mechanical, steel cased models are $7,300 (US) for the Breitling for Bentley Motors model. The expense is clearly in the 38 jewel self-winding movement as these steel cased models are more expensive than some of Breitling's Titanium or Gold models. The Breitling Emergency version contains a highly protected and powerful radio transmitter for civil aviation use. This broadcasts on the 121.5 MHz distress frequency and serves as a back-up for ELT-type airborne beacons. For military users, Breitling has equipped the Emergency with a miniaturized transmitter operating on the 243 MHz military frequency. Under normal conditions—flat terrain or calm seas—the Emergency's signal will be picked up at a range of up to 90 nautical miles (167 km) by search aircraft flying at 20,000 feet (6,000 m). In an incident that demonstrates how the Emergency can be used to save lives, Reuters reports that two British pilots, Squadron Leader Steve Brooks and Flight Lieutenant Hugh Quentin-Smith, crashed their helicopter in Antarctica and were rescued after activating their Breitling Emergency transmitter watches. The two pilots were in their lifeboat when a Chilean Otter aircraft found them after homing in on signals from their watches. The Emergency is available for customers who do not hold a pilot's licence, but they must sign an agreement stating that they will bear the full costs of a rescue intervention should they trigger the distress beacon. The model was heavily advertised by the Breitling Orbiter 3—both Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard were wearing the Emergency. Save up to 35% on Breitling Watches at DEXCLUSIVE.COM International Watch Company ( IWC )
One of IWC most sought after is the Mark XV, which traces back to World War II. In 1978, IWC introduced the world's first titanium watch case and bracelet, which at the time was thought impossible because of the difficulty of working with titanium which required an oxygen-free environment. Today, IWC manufacturers the world's most sophisticated bracelet system, which requires neither screws nor pin and bushings to hold the bracelet together. Instead a solid pin is held in each bracelet link by a push-button lock on the underside of each bracelet link - allowing the pin to be totally locked in regardless of any damage that would normally dislodge traditional pin systems. Together with other fanciful mechanical gadgets like mechanical depth gauges, 7 day power reserve automatic movements, and deep-sea (2000 metres water resistant) resistant turning crowns for internal bezels, makes IWC truly a watch manufacturer for the future yet hand-in-hand with traditional hand craftmanship. Today, IWC is most famous for its Flieger line of watches (literally Pilot in German) whose design date back to World War 2, the beautiful and traditionally made Portugieser line, and has just released a new range of highly engineered sports watches with many new inventions and patents called the Aquatimer line. IWC has just "upgraded" the long awaited pilot watch range. The legendary IWC Mark XV has been re-designed and the new series will be known as Mark XVI. The new design is closer to German pilot watch design, as compared to the British MoD design for the past 60 years. The new Big Pilot watch has also gone some slight change in design. Save up to 31% on IWC Watches at DEXCLUSIVE.COM Back to index Hamilton Watch CompanyThe Hamilton Watch Company was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1892 by the purchase of the Lancaster Watch Company. Its first series of pocket watches, the Broadway Limited, was known as the "Watch of Railroad Accuracy" and Hamilton became popular by making accurate railroad watches. In the 1910s, Hamilton began its long reaching tradition of supplying the United States Military with wristwatches, the first going to General John J. Pershing's troops in Europe during World War I. During World War II, consumer production of watches were stopped, with all watches manufactured being shipped to troops. More than one million watches were sent overseas. In 1957, Hamilton introduced the world's first battery powered watch and on May 6, 1970, the worlds first digital watch, made by Hamilton, began telling time. Since then, Hamilton has grown increasingly popular with several of its watches being featured in movies like Men in Black and Into the Blue. The original American factory closed in 1969 and the Hamilton brand is currently owned by The Swatch Group Ltd. Jaeger-LeCoultreThe Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre was born in 1833 when Antoine LeCoultre, son of watchmaker Jacque LeCoultre, opened a small workshop in the Swiss town of Le Sentier. While Antoine was an excellent watchmaker, he was a brilliant inventor. In 1844 he changed the watch-making world forever by inventing the Millionometre, a device that measures with an accuracy of a micrometre (thousandth of a millimetre). This meant that components could now be measured and produced with unparalleled accuracy, resulting in more accurate timekeepers. It also spelt the end of chaotic Imperial units of measure and the final ascendancy of the metric system for watch making. Antoine's belief that "we must base our experience on science" led the Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture to create the finest ébauches (movements) possible, allowing the artisan watchmaker to assemble and decorate the watch according to his own tastes. Save up to 32% on Jaeger LeCoultre Watches at DEXCLUSIVE.COM Back to index LonginesLongines is a watch company founded by Ernest Francillon at Saint-Imier, Switzerland. Its origins can be traced back to 1830s and it currently holds the oldest registered logo for a watch company (a winged hourglass). The LONGINES name was once conspicuously displayed above the analog clocks topping many scoreboards in stadiums and baseball parks, in the days before the time of day was kept digitally. A notable example was the scoreboard clock at Yankee Stadium before the stadium was remodeled during the early 1970s. Longines is also famous for its 'Aviators' watches. < It is said that Albert Einstein used a Longines pocket watch. Longines watches have been worn by many celebrities, including Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, Billy Zane and Harry Connick Jr. The company's motto is "Elegance is an attitude." According to the official site, the name derives from the location in which the company's first factory was built: "On the right bank of the Suze river near a place called Les Longines (meaning 'long and narrow fields' in the dialectal French of the area)." Longines is currently owned by the Swatch Group. Save up to 40% on Longines Watches at DEXCLUSIVE.COM CartierCartier is a famous jeweler and watch manufacturer that is a subsidiary of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA. Known for its Panthère Collection, especially the infamous "Bestiary" - including the famous brooch of the 1940s made for Wallis Simpson and the first practical wristwatch, the "Santos." The company Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier. In 1874 Louis-Francois' son, Alfred Cartier, took over the running of the company, but it was his sons, Louis, Pierre and Jacques, who were responsible for establishing the famous world-wide brand name of Cartier. Louis retained responsibility for the Paris branch, moving to the Rue de la Paix, in 1899. He instigated some of the company's most celebrated design innovations, like the legendary mystery clocks, high fashion wristwatches, exotic orientalist Art Deco designs including the daringly colourful "Tutti Frutti" jewels. Jacques took charge of the London operation and eventually moved to the current location at New Bond Street. Pierre Cartier established the New York Branch in 1909, moving in 1917 to the current location of 653 Fifth Avenue, the Neo-Renaissance mansion of banker Morton Plant. Among the Cartier team was Charles Jacqueau, who joined Louis Cartier in 1909 for his entire life, and Jeanne Toussaint, who was Director of Fine Jewelry from 1933 on. After the death of Pierre in 1964, Jean-Jacques Cartier (Jacques's son), Claude Cartier (Louis's son), and Marionne Claudelle (Pierre's daughter), who respectively headed the Cartier affiliates in London, New York and Paris - sold the businesses. In 1972 a group of investors led by Joseph Kanoui bought Cartier Paris, whose President became Robert Hocq, the creator of the concept of "Les Must de Cartier" in collaboration with Alain Dominique Perrin, General Director of "Les Must de Cartier." In 1974 and 1976 respectively, Cartier London and Cartier New York were bought back. In 1979 the Cartier interests were combined together, creating "Cartier Monde" uniting and controlling Cartier Paris, London and New York. Save up to 28% on Cartier Watches at DEXCLUSIVE.COM Back to index OmegaOmega is a watch company based in Biel/Bienne Switzerland and is one of the most prestigious brands in timepieces. Omega's Speedmaster Professional Chronograph was the first watch worn on the Moon. All subsequent manned NASA missions also utilized this wristwatch. Its Seamaster 300m Diver Chronometer is the current official James Bond watch, used in each of the Bond movies since its first appearance in GoldenEye. Luc Besson's movie The Big Blue featured Omega's Seamaster Professional 600 which has become a collectible. Omega has frequently been the official timekeeper for the Olympics, beginning with the 1932 Summer Olympics. Omega was the official timekeeper for the 2006 Winter Olympics and will be for the 2008 Summer Olympics as well. Save up to 40% on Omega Watches at DEXCLUSIVE.COM Lange & SöhneA. Lange & Söhne is a German watchmaking company founded in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in the little town of Glashütte, near Dresden in the state of Saxony. The company was expropriated in 1948 by the post-war Soviet administration, and thus the brand ceased to exist. In 1990 however, Adolph Lange's great grandson, Walter Lange, restored the company with help from the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC. Now, A. Lange & Söhne belongs to the Richemont group of companies. A. Lange & Söhne's watches are priced similarly to Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. Lange watches have gold (white gold, yellow gold, rose gold) or platinum cases, never steel case (bezel). Back to index Patek PhilippePatek Philippe & Co. is one of the most famous and exclusive brands of wrist watches in the world. Patek Philippe is currently owned by the Stern family. Many watch collectors regard Patek Philippe timepieces as the best in the world. Many wealthy, famous and notorious people have owned Patek Philippe watches over the years, including members of royalty, movie stars and tycoons. Albert Einstein was also a customer. Antoni Patek started making pocket watches in 1839 in Geneva, along with his fellow Polish migrant Franciszek Czapek. They separated in 1844, and in 1845 Patek joined with the French watchmaker Adrien Philippe, inventor of the keyless winding mechanism. In 1851, Patek Philippe & Co was born. In 1868, Patek Philippe made their first wristwatch. They have also pioneered the perpetual calendar, chronograph and minute repeater in watches. The company has produced quartz watches in the past, but has never produced watches with digital displays. Patek is also famous for being the creator of the most complicated mechanical watch ever made, the Calibre 89, created for the 150th anniversary of the company in 1989. It holds 33 complications, including the date of Easter, a thermometer, time of sunrise, equation of time, sidereal time, and many other indicators. The Calibre89 is also able to add a day to February for leap years while leaving out the extra day for every 100 year interval. Patek Philippe produces many collectible watches, and is a very highly coveted luxury brand. Back to index Rolex
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